Sunyani: Mr. Thomas Benarkuu, the newly appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the MIHOSO International Foundation, at the weekend appealed to President John Dramani Mahama to prioritize and assent the Community Service Law. He emphasized the importance of the law in promoting the welfare, rights, and dignity of the vulnerable population, advocating that its enactment would enhance its practical enforcement.
According to Ghana News Agency, Parliament passed the Community Service Bill 2026 into law on Wednesday, July 8, 2026. The legislation introduces community service as an alternative to custodial sentences for individuals convicted of minor offences. Mr. Benarkuu made his appeal during an interview after Dr. Gabriel Gbiel Benarkuu, the immediate past CEO, officially handed over the foundation's operations to him at a ceremony in Sunyani.
Mr. Benarkuu, formerly the Deputy CEO in-charge of Operations, acknowledged the delays in the bill's passage but commended Parliament, highlighting that such legislative actions are expected. He described the legislation as a landmark achievement for the nation, noting that its provisions would be beneficial by reducing government expenditure on prison maintenance, which currently stands at about GHC40 million due to overcrowding and poor conditions.
He asserted that the law's implementation would help decongest overcrowded prisons and improve national sanitation and hygiene. Mr. Benarkuu urged President Mahama to prioritize and assent to the law in the nation's supreme interest, as MIHOSO has consistently advocated for the bill's enactment, confident of its potential to promote environmental cleanliness and alter public attitudes towards sanitation.
The Community Service Bill, 2026, was introduced to Parliament by the Minister for the Interior, Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka, on March 4, 2026, in accordance with Article 106(1) of the 1992 Constitution, and referred to the Committee on Defence and Interior for consideration. Its passage provides a framework for implementing community service, expanding sentencing options, and reducing reliance on imprisonment for minor offences. v