With the issue of ugly annual and performance audited reports coupled with other regional and international reports on the management of inmates in prisons continue to sink Sierra Leone’s rating on Human Rights records over the years, organizations in country monitoring inmates in detention facilities are yearning for the Director General, Sierra Leone Correctional Service (SLCS), Ahmed Turay quit the said position.
Indisputable source, at the Audit Service Sierra Leone have it that the SLCS are among other government agencies that had over the years vehemently refusing to implement recommendations that the auditing institution consider as grave.
Outstanding issues such as overcrowding, inadequate sanitation, improper beddings, clothing and substandard and unhygienic food continues to resurface for over years in all reports on inmates and correctional service.
Inside source, SLCS intimated the Forum News SL that the Director-General, Ahmed Turay since his appointment to the office, continues to battle with severe health issues that has largely affected the overall performance of the country’s correctional service.
With his present health challenge, the head of SLCS is seen by many correctional officers as a big minus in the daily administration of the government agency, hence a liability to government.
Inside sources continued that since the appointment of the SLCS Director General no positive achievement has recorded under his tenure, hence an administrative standstill continues to grips Sierra Leone Correctional Service.
Human Rights groups on prisons monitoring across the country are pointing accusing fingers at the Director General for failing to urge all departmental heads at the SLCS to improve on their respective performance and service delivery.
Many heads of department, investigations revealed are the real factors for the degrading and inhuman treatments inmates continue to face until date with specific reference to the logistic and medical departments.
According to Justification, many heads of department had served their positions for a very long period that cannot be unconnected to the level of misappropriations and embezzlements of both government and donor funds meant for the upgrade of facilities therein with impunity.
Therefore, civil rights groups call on President Julius Maada Bio to shake up the administrative setup of the Sierra Leone Correctional Service for the issues of overcrowding, sanitation, beddings, clothing, substandard and unhygienic food and the unavailability of drugs in shelves of correctional facilities permanently become things of the past.
Such outstanding issues continuous resurfacing in report after report has largely hindered Sierra Leone’s regional and international ratings on human rights for considerable years.
