MONROVIA, December 24 (LINA)-An officer of the Bureau Corrections, Kolako Jackson, has disclosed that 69 newly trained correction officers have yet to receive salaries after working with the institution for the last 90 days. He said worst of all their names were not being factored in the Ministry of Justice’s budget for fiscal year 2014/2015.

According to an Executive Mansion release, Officer Jackson made the statement on Tuesday, December 23, when President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf paid the regular pre-Christmas visit to the Monrovia Central Prison where she interacted with Correction Officers. Officer Kolako Jackson, on behalf of his colleagues, also appealed for a bus to convey the workers to and from work, and that academic achievement and the merit system be applied for promotion which is not obtaining at the Bureau of Corrections. In response, Justice Minister Cllr. Benedict Sannoh, who accompanied President Sirleaf to the Monrovia Central Prison, assured the correction officers that though he had only recently assumed the mantle of authority, he was working with the Ministry of Finance to rectify the problem confronting the 69 correction officers who have not been captured in the fiscal budget. In remarks, the Liberian leader thanked the correction officers for their service to the country, and wished them Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. She shared gifts with the correction and police officers as well as cooks and nurses assigned at the institution. LINA