3wThe Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) regional office in Kono has conducted a customized engagement with the Administrative and Academic Staff of the Kono University of Science and Technology (KUST) to reinforce anti-corruption messages and promote the ethos of integrity as a cornerstone of best practice. The meeting was held on the 3rd February 2026 at the University’s Administrative Building along Sukutamba Street, Koidu City.
Addressing staff, the Acting Regional Director of the ACC in Kono, Andrew Demby, Esq., commended the University for its pivotal role in advancing human capital development, an essential pillar of Government’s development agenda. He described education as the bedrock of society and stressed that all stakeholders must actively resist corruption that compromises the credibility and outcomes of the learning process.
Expounding on the purpose of the engagement, the Director observed that universities shape not only professionals, but values. He underscored KUST’s responsibility in producing academics and professionals who will help deliver key public services for the benefit of the wider population. This objective, he cautioned, cannot be achieved if admissions processes and the award of certificates are tainted by dishonesty. Accordingly, staff were urged to uphold transparency, accountability, and integrity in both academic administration and the management of public and donor funds.
The Director also provided a detailed overview of offences under the Anti-Corruption Act 2008 as amended in 2019, highlighting offences commonly associated with learning institutions. These include academic malpractice, soliciting and accepting an advantage, misappropriation of public funds and property, abuse of office or position, conspiracy to commit corruption offences, conflict of interest, embezzlement of donor or public property, bribery, and violations of procurement rules, among others.
In a complementary presentation, the Senior Public Education Officer for Kono, Sam P. Gogra, informed participants about the operationalization of the Whistleblowers and Witnesses Protection New Regulations, 2025, made pursuant to the Anti-Corruption Act. He assured staff that, once operational, beneficiaries will enter into binding protection agreements with the ACC and benefit from a reward and compensation regime. He further reminded institutions of the Commission’s requirements for maintaining gift registers, establishing functional Integrity Management Committees (IMCs), and declaring assets and liabilities within stipulated timelines. He reaffirmed the ACC’s readiness to support KUST in strengthening integrity systems.
Also speaking, ACC Public Education Officer, Kono, Patricia J. Sannoh, emphasized the Commission’s resolve to make corruption unfashionable and a high-risk venture. She referenced the recent auction of assets recovered as proceeds of unexplained wealth as a clear demonstration of the ACC’s commitment to ensuring that corruption does not pay.
Responding on behalf of the University, the Vice Chancellor and Principal, Tamba Jamiru, Professor, expressed appreciation to the ACC for the timely and interactive engagement. He noted that, given the University’s formative stage, such messages would “catch them young” and help embed a culture of integrity from the outset. He pledged his commitment to ethical leadership in the administration of the institution and called for continued collaboration with the ACC’s regional office, particularly to support the establishment of a functional Integrity Management Committee at KUST.
