By: Sorie Yealie Kamara
It seems amidst the tremendous efforts the Anti-Corruprion Commission (ACC) has been making to tackle corruption in all spheres of the society using multi-pronged approaches yet some sections of the public still perceive the fight against corruption wrongly. For them, combating corruption is the singular responsibility of the ACC. This delusion about the fight against corruption would perhaps create a barren space for the Commission and nurtureafertile ground for the corrupt.
One may be tempted to say the current state of affairs relating to alleged corrupt dealings perpetrated by certain school administrators in the enrollment of some pupils who are supposed to sit for the West Africa Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE) emanate from such school of thought.
Although it is also an important area this piece would not dwell on the root causes of the ineligibility of the candidates for the ongoing (WASSCE) but rather on the allegations made by some pupils on social media, especially on Tiktok about money extorted from them as a prerequisite to take the examination.
Despite ACC’s efforts to conscientise the public against corruption, yet some members of the public tend not to reject, resist and report corruption especially when they are at the centre of perpetrating the despicable act. These kinds of people would only have the courage to revert to the Commission when rogues fall apart.
Certainly, these transactions constitute an offence in the Anti-Corruption Act of 2008 as amended in 2019 and attract fines and custodial sentence.
It is evident that to tackle emerging corrupt practices the Commission has transformed its legal framework over the years. This was done through the repeal and replacement of the Anti-Corruption Act 2000 with the 2008 Anti-Corruption Act which was also subsequently amended in 2019 to make corruption an unfashionable enterprise. This transition in my opinion was effected to expand the role of other state institutions and citizens’ participation in the overall fight against corruption with the ACC being at the forefront of this fight.
At this juncture, let us reflect on: How do we want the fight against corruption to be? Is it for your selfish interest or the State? Are you reporting corruption to the ACC or persecuting your enemies? Fundamentally, if these questions are genuinely answered then they can help us understand that the fight against corruption is neither a tool for political witch-hunt nor should it be left in the hands of the ACC. The public must also know that a national fight of such nature requires the participation of every Sierra Leonean so that we can beat corruption.
Certainly, the socio-economic needs of the citizens can only be met when the public choose to pitch tenet with the ACC to expose the corrupt.
Although ACC has intensified its public education drive by reaching out to different spectrumsof the society it should also redirect its efforts to hard to reach communities.
It should also intensify its prevention approach, especially in the area of monitoring of school enrolment of candidates for public examination and ensuring justice is served to the dishonest individual.
Therefore, it is important to note that citizens are obliged to play critical roles in the fight against corruption. These roles include to resist, reject and report corruption incidences to the ACC through its various reporting channels: toll-freephone numbers 077-985985/077-986986, letter, emails, or in person at the Commission’s Integrity House in Freetown and its Regional Offices.
