Officers of the Ghana Prisons Service have formally petitioned authorities over the persistent non-payment and accumulation of rent allowance arrears, describing the situation as unlawful and a breach of public service regulations.
In a petition, Prisons Advocate Abdulai Baba Bukari disclosed that officers have not received rent allowance for three full quarters in 2025, spanning April to December. According to him, the arrears have now spilled over into 2026. He further revealed that his own rent allowance for the last quarter of 2024 also remains unpaid.
The petition argues that rent allowance is a statutory entitlement under the Ghana Prisons Service Act, the Service’s Conditions of Service, the 1992 Constitution, and the Labour Act. It stresses that the allowance is required to be paid monthly to officers who are not provided with official accommodation.
However, the document describes the current quarterly payment arrangement as unlawful, insisting that no legal instrument authorizes such a system. The failure to honour payments even under the quarterly structure, the petition notes, has deepened the alleged breach and raises concerns about financial management and accountability under the Public Financial Management Act.
Officers say the prolonged delay in payments has resulted in significant financial hardship, negatively affected morale, and eroded confidence in the leadership of the Service.
The petition is calling for the immediate settlement of all outstanding arrears from October 2024 to December 2025, the restoration of the monthly payment system, the establishment of clear timelines to prevent future delays, and accountability for any breaches of the law.