September 17, 2021
By: Amadi Abadi
The contract of the Director General of the Correctional Service of Sierra Leone Mr. Joseph Lamboi has been extended for another one year. Mr. Lamboi retired last year but was given an extension of one year to end next month.
During his extension period, he fell ill following a road accident in which he was involved. He was first flown to Ghana and later he went to England for further medical treatment.
He has come back hale and healthy. In the absence of Mr. Lamboi, there had been speculations that because of gaps in the hierarchy of the Correctional Service. The head of the military personnel deployed to the services facilities Lt. Col. Ngauja would succeed him, especially when there was no substantive Deputy Director General.
To remedy the situation government has put some measure in place which many correctional officers see as sensible and reasonable.
Therefore, Mr. Joseph Lamboi’s contract has been extended for one year; Acting Deputy Director General Mr. Alpha Turay has been made substantive Deputy Director General and promotions have been announced affecting all ranks ranging from Corporal’s to Assistant Directors.
According to Correctional Services Mr. Turay needs time to understudy Mr. Lamboi if he is to succeed the latter as Directional General. Prominent among those promoted and who may have seen as the rising stars in the Correctional Service are Chief Superintend Foday Ismail Kamara (FIK), Lamin Bangura and an officer commonly known as Jeck Trawallie.
Jeck is the head of training, FIK manager of the maximum correctional center on pademba road while Lamin Bangura is the head of human resource. All three of them have been promoted to the rank of Assistant Director.
The Promotions were announced on Tuesday 14TH September,2021. The significance of retaining Mr. Lamboi and elevating Mr. Alpha Turay to Deputy Director General is a step towards setting the succession plan in the hierarchy of the Correctional Service. If for example, Mr. Lamboi’s contract is not renewed next year it would be easy for Mr. Turay to take over as Director General and Nurse Koi, the only remaining Director to be elevated to Deputy Director General. She is currently studying law at Fourah Bay College.
The promotions have not come without murmurings in some circles of the correctional service. Apart from the head of industry superintendent including a female was promoted to Chief Superintendent.