During the visits, the EASOFIG ambassadors also donated them with toiletries and hygienic items meant for the inmates.
The visit officials said, provided them an opportunity to interact with prison authorities with a view to strengthening cooperation between the regional body and government institutions.
Speaking at the presentation ceremony, the ECOWAS Resident Representative, Madam Miatta Lilly French, spoke at length on the significance of the initiative, adding: “Visiting the prisons in the country have been our plans. Therefore, I am happy that today we have achieved the objectives of visiting the prison and interacting with the inmates.”
She added: “We want to let you know that people outside the prison, haven’t forgotten about you. It’s mistakes that landed you here and we want to assure you all that we will render our support in ways that we can.”
“The prisons have people who are from the West African countries and that they are all ECOWAS members. And in ECOWAS, we move by our slogan which says ECOWAS of the people, which means now matter what your circumstances are the organization will touch all its citizens,” she said.
Ansumana Manneh, the director General of the Gambia Prison Service (GPS), expressed gratitude to ECOWAS for extending such support to the inmates.
The Gambian prisons, he said, have inmates of various nationalities including ECOWAS citizens, hence the importance of this visit.
He called for more support to the country’s prison, while assuring his administration preparedness to work closely with the ECOWAS ambassadors with a view to improve conditions of inmates and the prison service.
Amali Musa Owiicho, a representative of the Nigerian High Commission, expressed gratitude to the prison service for their warm welcome, adding: “We are not going to take this relationship for granted. We will make sure that annually visit the prison and support the inmates with the desire of ensuring that they leave comfortably.”
Inmates who spoke at the event thanked the visitors for their gesture and solicited more support to improve their condition.
