By Enock Akonnor (Managing Editor) enockakonnor2013@gmail.com
The Ashanti Regional Office of the Ghana Tourism Authority has taken this year’s National Chocolate Month celebration beyond the usual fanfare, reaching out to inmates and officers of the Amanfrom Camp Prison with a message of love, health and national pride.
The outreach programme, held on Saturday, February 14, 2026, coincided with the global celebration of Valentine’s Day.
Organised in partnership with the Cocoa Processing Company, the event brought smiles to the faces of inmates through the sharing of chocolate products and cocoa-based refreshments.
Officials engaged the inmates in an interactive session, highlighting the importance of consuming locally manufactured cocoa products and educating them on the health benefits associated with chocolate.
They noted that moderate consumption of cocoa can improve heart health, enhance blood flow and help reduce blood pressure.
As part of the celebration, inmates were served cocoa drinks, biscuits and other snacks, while prison officers received bars of Ghana-made chocolates and assorted cocoa products.
The team also donated 20 sachets of water and two packs of bottled water to the prison. In total, 179 inmates benefited from the gesture.
The visit formed part of activities marking this year’s National Chocolate Month, celebrated under the theme “Eat Chocolate, Stay Healthy and Grow Ghana,” and the sub-theme “Experiencing Ghana, Share the Cocoa Love.”
The annual initiative seeks to promote chocolate consumption, encourage value addition within Ghana’s cocoa sector and strengthen collaboration among tourism agencies, chocolate producers and industry stakeholders to position Ghana as a global hub for authentic chocolate experiences.
Speaking to journalists, the Ashanti Regional Deputy Director, (Standard and Quality Assurance) at GTA, Mrs Mavis Gyasi-Afriyie, appealed to government to incorporate cocoa products into the regular meals of inmates.
She revealed that many of the inmates had not tasted chocolate or cocoa products for years, describing the situation as concerning given Ghana’s status as a leading cocoa producer.
An eye care nurse at the Suame Municipal Hospital, Serwaa Acheampong, supported the call and urged government to subsidise the prices of chocolate and cocoa products to make them affordable for all Ghanaians, particularly low-income earners.
Chaplain of Amanfrom Camp Prison, Rev. Father Francis Eboo, expressed gratitude to the Ghana Tourism Authority and its partners for the thoughtful gesture.
He described the celebration as uplifting and appealed for continued engagement and support for the inmates and officers of the facility.
Enock Akonnor is an experienced Ghanaian journalist, based in Kumasi and currently serves as the CEO and Managing Editor of www.leakyghana.com.
With a wealth of expertise built over many years in the media industry, he has earned a solid reputation as one of Ghana’s most sought-after journalists.
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✉️ enockakonnor2013@gmail.com
