The Anti-Corruption Commission Regional Office has engaged Conference of Principals of Secondary Schools (CPSS) in Kono District to unreservedly support the campaign against corruption in schools.
The partnership engagement was part of the Commission’s public education drive to identify corruption risk areas and vulnerabilities in the school environment and discuss strategies in mitigating them.
In attendance at the meeting held at the Islamic Secondary School in Koidu city on the 30th October 2023 were over 30 school authorities from the Municipality and elsewhere from the district.
ACC Senior Public Education Officer Kono, Sam P. Gogra while addressing the principals stated that the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) values the educational sector and the role played by the school authorities in keeping it viable. He referred to education as the bed rock for the development of every society adding that any act that blemishes the positive outcome of the learning process must be fought with determination by all well-meaning Sierra Leoneans.
He further expressed serious concerns over the many complaints the ACC continues to receive from the public regarding the over bloating of school registers for more subsidies, injudicious use of school fees subsidies, examination malpractices in public exams and the misappropriation and embezzlement of government subventions among many other illegal happenings. ‘’ All of the above acts are corruption offences in the 2008 ACC Act as amended in 2019 and any person caught committing them will pay a fine of not less than Fifty million Leones old notes or be incarcerated for a period of not less than five years.’’ He highlighted.
The ACC Senior Public educator further revealed that the commission has amended the 2008 Act to robustly fight corruption which makes it one of the strongest anti-corruption laws in the African sub region in addition to a reward scheme of 10 percent withheld by it for its operations for informants and whistle blowers who give reliable information to the commission for the sThe Anti-Corruption Commission Regional Office has engaged Conference of Principals of Secondary Schools (CPSS) in Kono District to unreservedly support the campaign against corruption in schools.
The partnership engagement was part of the Commission’s public education drive to identify corruption risk areas and vulnerabilities in the school environment and discuss strategies in mitigating them.
In attendance at the meeting held at the Islamic Secondary School in Koidu city on the 30th October 2023 were over 30 school authorities from the Municipality and elsewhere from the district.
ACC Senior Public Education Officer Kono, Sam P. Gogra while addressing the principals stated that the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) values the educational sector and the role played by the school authorities in keeping it viable. He referred to education as the bed rock for the development of every society adding that any act that blemishes the positive outcome of the learning process must be fought with determination by all well-meaning Sierra Leoneans.
He further expressed serious concerns over the many complaints the ACC continues to receive from the public regarding the over bloating of school registers for more subsidies, injudicious use of school fees subsidies, examination malpractices in public exams and the misappropriation and embezzlement of government subventions among many other illegal happenings. ‘’ All of the above acts are corruption offences in the 2008 ACC Act as amended in 2019 and any person caught committing them will pay a fine of not less than Fifty million Leones old notes or be incarcerated for a period of not less than five years.’’ He highlighted.
The ACC Senior Public educator further revealed that the commission has amended the 2008 Act to robustly fight corruption which makes it one of the strongest anti-corruption laws in the African sub region in addition to a reward scheme of 10 percent withheld by it for its operations for informants and whistle blowers who give reliable information to the commission for the successful conviction of a corrupt individual.
Patricia.J Sannoh, ACC Public Education Officer Kono, in her statement said that sustained public education including ‘Meet the School Campaigns’, radio discussion programs in the district have empowered both the public and students to always call the toll free lines of 515,077-985985, 986986 to report incidences of illegal charges and other offences in schools to the ACC. She further assured the attendees to be fearless but also, be fair in reporting corruption as the law makes provision for the protection of whistle-blowers.
In his response during the engagement, the Chairman Conference of Principals Ibrahim Sahid Koroma described the occasion as timely and educative. He reported that there are numerous challenges confronting them with regards the operations of schools. Despite that, he assured the ACC that they will always continue to provide the much needed services required of them.uccessful conviction of a corrupt individual.
Patricia.J Sannoh, ACC Public Education Officer Kono, in her statement said that sustained public education including ‘Meet the School Campaigns’, radio discussion programs in the district have empowered both the public and students to always call the toll free lines of 515,077-985985, 986986 to report incidences of illegal charges and other offences in schools to the ACC. She further assured the attendees to be fearless but also, be fair in reporting corruption as the law makes provision for the protection of whistle-blowers.
In his response during the engagement, the Chairman Conference of Principals Ibrahim Sahid Koroma described the occasion as timely and educative. He reported that there are numerous challenges confronting them with regards the operations of schools. Despite that, he assured the ACC that they will always continue to provide the much needed services required of them.
