The Member of Parliament for Madina, Francis Xavier Sosu, has revealed plans to petition President John Dramani Mahama to set specific custodial sentences for inmates previously on death row, following Ghana’s historic abolition of the death penalty.
Speaking during a visit to the Nsawam Medium Security Prisons in the Eastern Region on Monday, May 19, 2025, Sosu, who serves on Parliament’s Human Rights Committee, emphasized the need for clarity and fairness in the transition from death sentences to life imprisonment.
“The president, in commuting them from the death row to life sentences, will rather commit them to definite terms. So, if we are to say that all those who have been here on the death row, until the passage of the law, are committed to 25 years imprisonment, then that way it will be consistent with the letter and spirit of Article 17 of the 1992 Constitution,” he explained.
The abolition of the death penalty has raised questions about the future of inmates previously sentenced to death. Sosu believes indefinite life sentences could result in prolonged hardship and potential constitutional concerns if not properly defined.
“I, together with the Human Rights Committee, will work together to send a petition to the president through the Attorney General to ensure that by the work of the committee, we can have some intervention from the presidency,” he added.
The proposed petition seeks to align the treatment of former death row inmates with Ghana’s human rights commitments and ensure justice is served in a fair and humane manner.
