Former Ghana Football Association (GFA) President, Kwesi Nyantakyi, has pledged to dedicate the rest of his life to improving the welfare of prison inmates across the country.
Speaking at the launch of the Prisons Football Project on Tuesday, June 3, 2025, at the Nsawam Medium Security Prison, Nyantakyi said the initiative was born out of a recent visit to the facility where he reunited with his friend and former Wa All Stars chairman, Alhaji Inusah, who is currently serving a sentence.
“I never imagined setting foot in a prison until two weeks ago when I visited Inusah,” Nyantakyi recounted. “That visit changed my perspective, and I’ve decided to commit myself to the cause of prisoner rehabilitation and welfare.”
The Prisons Football Project, launched in partnership with the Professional Footballers Association of Ghana (PFAG), aims to use sports — particularly football — as a tool for reform, discipline, and reintegration. As part of the initiative, Nyantakyi and his team donated footballs, jerseys, basketballs, volleyballs, and other sports gear to the Ghana Prisons Service.
Nyantakyi also pledged to finance legal support for inmates who lacked proper representation during their trials, including filing an appeal for Alhaji Inusah, whose conviction he described as “a tragic accident that could happen to anyone.”
According to Nyantakyi, Inusah was jailed after a warning shot he fired during a land dispute ricocheted and fatally struck two bystanders. “He made a mistake, but it was not out of malice,” he said.
Deputy Director of Prisons, Patrick Thomas Seidu, lauded the project and urged society to view incarceration as a period for reform rather than punishment. “Their liberties may be curtailed, but their rights remain intact. Our duty is to help them reform and return as responsible citizens,” he stressed.
The Prisons Football Project is expected to serve as a vital tool in boosting inmate morale, fostering discipline, and supporting reintegration efforts across Ghana’s correctional institutions.