Pressure is mounting on National Democratic Congress government over delayed welfare payments to officers of the Ghana Prisons Service, as the Minority Caucus in Parliament steps into the growing crisis with a formal demand for the immediate settlement of outstanding allowance arrears.
The intervention follows weeks of internal discontent within the Prisons Service, after management itself confirmed that three full quarters of rent allowance—covering the second to fourth quarters of 2025—remain unpaid.
In a statement issued on Monday, February 23, 2026, the Minority Caucus in Parliament said it was compelled to act after taking note of an official communiqué from the Prisons Administration acknowledging the arrears.
The statement was signed by Frank Asiedu Bekoe, Deputy Ranking Member of the Parliamentary Committee on Employment, Labour Relations and Pensions, who described the situation as deeply troubling for a service that plays a critical role in the national security architecture.
The Minority’s intervention comes against the background of a February 17, 2026 internal circular from the Ghana Prisons Service headquarters in Accra, which admitted that delays in the payment of non-salary-related allowances had caused significant hardship among officers and their families.
The circular, signed by the Director-General of Prisons, Patience Baffoe-Bonnie, detailed the financial strain faced by personnel, particularly in meeting rental obligations, transportation costs, and other essential household responsibilities.
Historically, welfare challenges within the security services have been a recurring issue in the public sector, often linked to broader fiscal constraints, delayed budget releases, and coordination problems between state institutions.
However, the scale and duration of the current arrears—spanning most of 2025—have heightened concerns, especially at a time of rising living costs and growing public sector discontent.
In its statement, the Minority argued that prisons officers continue to discharge their duties under difficult conditions with discipline and commitment, and therefore deserve the timely fulfilment of their statutory entitlements.
The Caucus warned that prolonged delays in allowances place severe financial pressure on officers and their families and risk undermining morale, operational efficiency, and institutional stability within the security services.
Framing the issue as one of labour rights and institutional integrity rather than partisan politics, the Minority called for immediate action from key state agencies. It specifically urged the Ministry of Finance and the Controller and Accountant-General’s Department to provide a clear, transparent timeline for the release of funds to clear the arrears.
It also called on the Ministry of the Interior to strengthen inter-agency coordination to prevent a recurrence of such delays in the 2026 fiscal year.
While acknowledging that the Prisons Administration has been engaging higher levels of government through formal correspondence, consultations, and follow-ups, the Minority stressed that engagement alone is no longer sufficient without concrete timelines and outcomes.
The Caucus nevertheless commended prisons officers for their patience and restraint, urging them to maintain professionalism while efforts are made to resolve the crisis.
The Minority further assured personnel that it would use all available parliamentary oversight tools to ensure the matter is pursued to a satisfactory conclusion, insisting that the state has a binding obligation to honour its commitments to public servants.
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