As part of its mandate to forge sustained partnership, coalition building, and prevention through public education, among others, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Regional Office in Kono on the 9th March 2023, had a successful partnership engagement with the trainers and trainees of the Yormatah Youth Farm Association in Tombodu, Kamara Chiefdom, in Kono District.

The engagement was to educate participants on the general operations of the Commission, share anti-corruption messages, and solicit their unflinching support in the fight against the scourge.

ACC’s Regional Manager Kono, Hawanatu O. Kamara in her opening statement, informed the audience about similar engagements the Commission is doing in schools and other institutions across the district with the purpose of instilling integrity values, and amplifying the importance of resisting, rejecting and reporting corruption to the ACC.  She called out to them as partners in development, and also as one of the engines of State transformation. “The session this will provide the platform for establishing friendship and profound relationship with you and also empower you to report suspected instances of corruption to the ACC for prompt action’’, she maintained.

Speaking at the program, ACC’s Senior Public Education Officer Kono, Sam P. Gogra said that the ACC has amended the 2008 Act to make it one of the strongest anti-corruption legislations in Africa. He further informed the participants about the re-introduction of the reward and incentive scheme for informants and whistle blowers who give cogent information to the Commission and leads to prosecution and successful conviction of and/or recovery of funds from corrupt individuals.  

Mr Gogra again told audience that from 2018 to date the Commission has secured over 90% conviction rate in the High Court of Sierra Leone, and made tremendous progress in both National and International rankings in the corruption perception indexes.

On reporting corruption offences to the Commission, the Public Education Officer ACC Kono, Hawa Deen Conteh stated that all offences can be reported individually to the ACC offices or by calling 077-985985/986986 toll free lines. She therefore admonished the tutors not to ask and receive bribes from the trainees, embezzle and or misappropriate donor and public funds meant for running the Association, adding that, such acts when found guilty would attract fines not less than 50,000 Thousand New Leones or a minimum imprisonment term of not less than five years or to both fines and imprisonment.

Earlier, the Head of the Association Aiah E. Gborie expressed his profound gratitude for the engagement saying it was timely and very educative. He promised on behalf of his entity to tirelessly support the Commission in its endeavours to win the fight against corruption.

The Association is presently implementing a Skills Development Project for various categories of youth in the district and beyond in the fields of, Poultry Management, Vegetable Production, Farm Hygiene, Monitoring and Evaluation and Engineering among others, with the objective of creating job opportunities for successful participants upon completion of their training.