Prison fellowship to monitor rural prisons

The Regional Coordinator of Prison Fellowship has disclosed that his institution will intensively begin monitoring prison conditions in Bong, Lofa and Nimba Counties.

Mr. Prince Sampson told our Bong County correspondent that with the deplorable conditions of prison facilities, especially in Lofa County, Prison Fellowship will monitor and ensure that prisons are conducive for inmates, adding that his institution has received grants from the Open Society Initiative to monitor the facilities and other major transitional justice arrangements, but did not say how much was the grant.

According to him, his institution has observed the difficulties in transporting people from lower Bong to Gbarnga for imprisonment due to the lack of prison facilities in that part of the county.

Mr. Sampson urged government officials not to only sit in Monrovia, with the impression everything was well. He maintained that there were lots of problems in the rural areas, assuring that PF county coordinators will regularly visit prisons in Bong, Lofa and Nimba Counties and make recommendations to the Liberian Government in a non-confrontational style.

Mr. Sampson expressed the belief that with the intervention of his institution backed by government’s cooperation, much can be achieved in an effort to enhance the status of prison facilities in the three counties.

Orientation for delegates to county sitting

Suspended Attorney-At-Law James Saybay has stressed the need for an orientation session for delegates before the upcoming County Development Sitting in Gbarnga, Bong County. According to Atty. Saybay, when the delegates are drilled on their roles at the county sitting, they would be well capacitated to make informed decisions without any influence by the county leadership.

He volunteered his services to provide lectures for the delegates on their roles and responsibilities before the commencement of the ensuing sitting already scheduled for Friday.

The former Bong County District Number Two Representative candidate said during most of the previous county sittings, delegates were handpicked, making it difficult for critical decisions to be reached.

Saybay has reminded prospective delegates to the county sitting not to allow authorities to influence their decisions, maintaining that it would determine the growth and development of their respective communities.

Describing the county sitting as a local legislative sitting, Mr. Saybay emphasized the need for the county authorities to make proper report on funds allocated during the past county sitting, recommending that no new projects should go through resolution until previous projects were either accounted for or completed.

He said embarking on new projects without completing the old ones would not augur well for the growth and development of a county receiving more than two million dollars from concession companies every year.