Member of Parliament for Madina, Francis Xavier Sosu has appealed to President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, to commute the sentences of persons on death row to life imprisonment.

He pleaded with Akufo-Addo in a petition available to Metro TV dated October 11 to exercise his prerogative of mercy to move these persons from death row.

Mr Xavier Sosu noted that it is only right for the president to honour his request upon the passage and assent of Private Member’s Bills to amend the Criminal and Other Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29) and Armed Forces Act, 1962 (Act 105) to substitute life imprisonment for the death penalty.

“I write for and on behalf of all 181 persons currently on death row in respect of the above subject. I wish to respectfully appeal to your High Office to exercise your prerogative of mercy to commute all persons currently on death sentence to life imprisonment pursuant to the authority granted you under Article 72(1)(c) of the 1992 Constitution of Ghana.

“Your Excellency, Article 72 (1) (c) of the Constitution of Ghana, 1992 provides as follows: “The President may, acting in consultation with the Council of State-(c) Substitute a less severe form of punishment for a punishment imposed on a person for an offence;…” excerpts of the petition intercepted by Metro TV read.

Below is the full petition submitted to the president