Resurfaced Video Shows What Prisoners in Ghana Eat, Wild Discoveries
- A new video has reignited conversations about the quality of food served to prisoners in Ghana
- Mysterious meals, unidentifiable to viewers, are reportedly fed to over 2,000 inmates
- After 15 years, President John Mahama approved raising the daily feeding allowance from GH₵ 1.80 to GH₵ 5
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A circulating video has given a glimpse of what inmates in Ghanaian prisons are fed.
Source: UGC
The video shared by @SIKAOFFICIAL1 on X making the rounds online showed two large local pots, which are reportedly the daily meal source for more than two thousand inmates.
“These two pots will be fed to over two thousand inmates. Even if they don’t take it, ours is just to provide,” the cook featured in the video commented.
The state of the food has triggered several reactions. For instance, one meal item said to be served to all inmates at the Kumasi Prisons has caught the attention of Ghanaians online. Most observers have argued that the content in the pot could not be identified as soup or porridge.
Another major concern was the heartbreaking question of how hundreds of inmates are expected to eat and get satisfied when only two pots of food are available to all of them.
Reactions to food served in Ghanaian prisons
YEN.com.gh compiled some comments on the video.
@cryptosjoe wrote:
“Make wanna government and kitchen moms handle the USA prisons, gang violence go drop like 98% 😂😂.”
@Pato_reignss wrote:
“So this nkateɛ or nkrankra?”
@Nanaezze wrote:
“If you like, argue with someone and land safely in prison.”
@ObiaaBewu added:
“You can’t murder innocent people and also be served good food. The same food was prepared for us back in secondary school… this is even better chale.”
@CarlostheMajor added:
“Ebi Tom Brown Sika wan talk or what? ’Cos that ain’t soup to me.”
@Awurade_Nyame wrote:
“Water soup?”
Watch the X video below:
Feeding fee for prisoners increased to GH¢5
According to the Information Services Department, President John Mahama approved an increase in the daily feeding grant for prisoners from GH₵1.80 to GH₵5.
The Minister for the Interior, Muntaka Mohammed Mubarak, also confirmed the development when he appeared before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament on Tuesday, September 30, 2025.
He added that the new rate would be captured in the 2026 Budget, following presidential approval, with GH¢10 million expected to be released to cover the last quarter of this year.
Committee members described the current GH¢1.80 allocation, which has remained unchanged since 2010, as inadequate for providing three meals a day to inmates.
The Director-General of the Ghana Prisons Service, Mrs Patience Baffoe-Bonnie, told the committee that poor feeding arrangements affect the health and general well-being of prisoners.
A committee member, Mr Sebastian Fred Deh, compared the amount to the GH¢2.50 per child per day under the school feeding programme and said the situation violates the Mandela Rules, which require adequate food for prisoners.
He called on the government to release the approved funds without delay to reduce pressure on the prison system.
Mrs Baffoe-Bonnie explained that the Ghana Prisons Service has been supplementing allocations with produce from gardens, fish ponds, and poultry projects in various facilities, as well as occasional support from churches.
Source: TikTok
She warned that food shortages remain the main cause of unrest in prisons and stressed that improved rations are needed to maintain order and protect officers.
She added that although the new GH¢5 rate has been approved, the Service will continue to push for a further increase during the 2026 fiscal year to reflect the real cost of feeding adults in custody.
Prison officer shares daring realities of service
YEN.com.gh earlier reported on a Prisons Officer who shared some little-known realities about the service.
He stressed that young people joining the security services must educate themselves adequately beforehand.
His advice sparked massive reactions online, with others agreeing and some sharing opposing views.
Proofreading by Samuel Gitonga, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.
Source: YEN.com.gh
