29/08/2022 – Dasalonetiti's Blog

REGIONAL OFFICE KONO

18 SANSSIE STREET, OFF KAINKORDU ROAD

KOIDU CITY

SIERRA LEONE, WEST AFRICA

NEWS ITEM

19th August 2022

By: Jeneba Kemoh Mbayo

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Eastern Regional Office, in a bid to integrity and best practices in public sector institutions, on 16th August 2022, engaged key education stakeholders in Kenema, on the topic, “Education Is a Key Tool Which Helps Us Achieve Success as a Nation”.

This engagement attracted representatives from the Conference of Principals, the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education and the Directorate of Teaching Service Commission.

Welcoming stakeholders from the Education Sector, the ACC Regional Manager, East, Keifala Koi thanked them for honouring the invitation. He encouraged his listeners to uphold the principles of integrity, transparency and accountability in ensuring the successful attainment of the Free Quality Education. Manager Koi further registered the Commission’s continued commitment to the success of the Free Quality Education, particularly in the management of the school feeding programme, learning materials and the utilization of school fee subsidies hence the ACC’s partnership with the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE).

ACC’s Public Education Officer Kenema, Jeneba Kemoh Mbayo, emphasized the responsibilities of the education stakeholders in employing measures to eradicate corruption within the education sector. She urged them to undertake the admission process of pupils into JSS1 in a corrupt free manner, should the Free Quality Education initiative be successfully attained.

Senior Investigations Officer ACC, Belinda Hebron, reminded school Principals of their public mandate which includes; but not limited to the prevention of corruption in schools. To this end, she encouraged them to familiarize themselves with the Anti-Corruption Act, 2008 (as amended in 2019), which according to her will help them understand the Dos and Don’ts contained therein, as the Commission is currently paying attention to the issue of the misuse of school fee subsidies. She referenced some offences in the AC Act 2008 as amended in 2019, such as; soliciting, accepting or obtaining an advantage for public officers, and misappropriation of public funds or property, which she noted carry severe punitive measures upon conviction.

Responding, the Chairman, Conference of Principals, Mustapha J. Mansaray thanked the Commission for the opportunity and platform provided for a frank and open conversation on the things that matter most towards the sanitization of the education sector. On the utilization of school fees subsidies, he promised to submit to the ACC, the Policy Guide on the same, highlighting also challenges in the teaching field.

The ACC Team and the Education Stakeholders after the engagement

ANTI-CORRUPTION COMMISSION

REGIONAL OFFICE KONO

18 SANSSIE STREET, OFF KAINKORDU ROAD

KOIDU CITY

SIERRA LEONE, WEST AFRICA

19th August 2022

NEWS ITEM

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Regional Office in Kono has, on the 16th and 17th of August 2022, held a community outreach meeting with stakeholders and residents of Sandor Chiefdom and alongside met with health workers and security personnel.

Speaking at the meetings held in Baudu and Workor communities, the Regional Manager-ACC Kono, Hawanatu Omotayo Kamara, informed the audience that these meetings are part of the Commission’s public education drive in preventing corruption by empowering them with the right knowledge on corruption, including what corruption is, how it can be mitigated and promptly reported.

She encouraged them to closely monitor community development activities in their various localities in order to ensure value for money and further added that the Commission’s operations are informed by the reports and complaints made by members of the public regarding the occurrence of corruption. Manager Hawantu Kamara read the toll-free lines and explained the other channels of reporting corruption to the Commission. She told them that whistleblowers are key in the fight against corruption and as a result, the Commission provides for the protection of its informants and witnesses, noting also that, whistleblowers are rewarded with 10% of the proceeds recovered by the ACC from an individual or institution reported.

In a related engagement with health workers and security personnel in the chiefdom, Hawanatu highlighted several provisions in the Anti-Corruption Act 2008 as amended in 2019, which increased the powers of the Commission to better deal with the problem of corruption. Manager Kamara informed the health workers and security personnel of the several complaints made by members of the public in relation to bribery, payment for free healthcare services and facilities and many more. She appealed to them to desist from such activities, which are unacceptable and would amount to corruption.

Speaking on behalf of the Health Workers at the Kayima Health Center, Saidu Sandwa said, they have been discharging their duties diligently. He, therefore, asked his colleagues to refrain from such practices in the health centre if they are engaged in them.

Chief Inspector Tamba I. Conteh, Officer in Charge of Yormandu Police Post, noted that his officers and members of the Local Police Partnership Board have been working cordially with the community people under the community policing partnership agreements. He also agreed to strengthen ethical standards in the discharge of their duties in the chiefdom going forward.

ACC Public Education Officer, Kono, Hawa Deen Conteh who spoke on ethics in the workplace stated that ethics is a key component of integrity that guides the behaviour and conduct of public officers to make sound decisions in the lines of duty. She also did a step-by-step online asset declaration process for the health workers and other public officials in the meeting and encouraged them to maintain high ethical standards in their daily operations.

Chief Jonathan Oliver Sourie, Chiefdom Speaker, Sandor, speaking on behalf of the chiefdom authorities, expressed gratitude to the ACC for sensitizing his people on the ills of corruption. He assured the ACC that, the knowledge gained will be adequately utilized and vowed that henceforth he is an anti-graft crusader and ambassador for the Commission.