[ 2011-04-19 ]

"Mo beye kese" Ohemaa Mercy tells the prisoners

Ohemaa Mercy cheers up prisones
Award-wining Ghanaian gospel musician Ohemaa Mercy
must be very happy now for finally fulfilling her
long cherished dream of going to prison.

The Christian singer who said she had the calling
from God through prayer to concentrate and put
more of her soul winning energy on prisoners,
spent a day with thousands of male convicts in the
Nsawam Maximum Prisons, on Friday April 15, 2011.

Ohemaa told Peacefmonline.com that this had dawned
on her for several months but last Friday was just
the right day to follow God’s direction.

She paid an official visit to the prison with a
set of musical instruments and bands-men to spread
the word of God and entertain the prisoners.

Mercy, her bandsmen and members of the media led
by Rev. Ofosuhene, was welcomed by the Rev. Supt.
James Tetteh, Chaplain in-charge of Eastern region
prisons which include the Nsawam, Koforidua and
all other prisons in the region. He commended
Ohemaa Mercy for taking such a bold step to visit
the prisoners who he said, are often seen as
outcasts in our society.

The live performance in front of the prison chapel
was opened by an all prisoners band based in the
prison, and praises by Ohemaa Mercy’s band.

Ohemaa who seem to be very popular among the
prisoners, took over the stage and changed the
whole atmosphere with her touching worship song
“Me nwoo” which drew tears from most of the
inmates. She performed for about 2hours to over
2000 male prisoners that had gathered at the
Prison Park.

While performing, she called most of the known
faces in prison to acknowledge them. The likes of
notorious armed robber Ataa Ayi, notorious jail
breaker Johnson Kombia Soloma, popularly known as
Burger, a convict who escaped from the Tamale
Central Prisons, popular singer William Ramzy Amui
aka Ramzy, first runner-up in the first edition of
music reality show ‘Stars of the Future’, who
has been jailed 10-year for armed robbery, man of
God Prophet Nana Kofi Yirenkyi (a.k.a “Jesus
Onetouch”), founder and general Overseer of
Jesus Blood Prophetic Minister who has been
sentenced to 10 years in jail for allegedly
defiling his 10-year-old daughter , among others.

Music Producer, Isaac Abeidu Aidoo, popularly
known as ‘Goodies’ and C.E.O of Goodies Music
Production, who is serving a 13-year jail term for
narcotic related offences, and CEO of EXOPA
Modeling Agency, Ibrahim Sima who is serving a
fifteen year jail term, for drug trafficking came
to thank Ohamaa Mercy for words of encouragement
and her inspiring performance.

Aside her performance she donated several items
including: Bags of rice, gallons of Oil, and boxes
of key soap, tins of milk, toilet roles, and
Christian booklets among other things. Just read
Ohemaa Mercy’s statement to Peacefmonline.com,
after her experience in the Nsawam Prisons
“After visiting the Nsawam prison, I could not
hold back my tears looking at the inhumane nature
of the prison conditions prescribed as dwelling
places for the in-mates.

Our prisons have gradually been tailored to suit
criminal breeding grounds rather than the
reformatory and correctional home for citizens who
break one law or the other. This is not to say
that the in-mates do not deserve punishment for
whatever crime committed, but the long-run- effect
of what they bring back to society should also be
considered.

It hurts to see most of our potential and talented
youth waste away in prison while they could be
trained and equipped for better living after their
release. However, it is common to see people who,
upon their release, find it difficult to fit into
society and end up going back to the prisons. In
the same vain we have seen ex-convicts take up
challenging roles in society after their sentence.
My appeal goes to the general public, government,
all religious leaders and stakeholders of Ghana.

It is our total responsibility to ensure that the
fundamental human rights of the in- mates are
respected and preserved: their right to education,
communication and to general well-being are also
held paramount. Let’s bear in mind that every
one of us is a potential prisoner. To the
Christendom we must wake up to our call and make
sure we take the love of Christ to these ones. It
is for these ones Jesus came to die, and we must
let them know.

It is my humble plea, that we take a second look
at the correctional measures put in place for our
prisoners. In the end, we are all but one people,
one Ghana, one Nation. Together we stand, divided
we fall”, Ohemaa Mercy states. She promised to
collaborate with other gospel musicians in the
future for another show in the prison yard which
will be bigger than this one.

Source - Peacefmonline

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