By Bernard Abass Kargbo – Public Education Officer, ACC
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on Monday 9th December 2024 climaxed the commemoration of the International Anti-Corruption (IAC) Day with the launch of the 5th Generation National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS 2024-2028), which will guide the fight against corruption for the next five (5) years, at the Miatta Conference Center, Brookfields Freetown.
The commemoration and launch of the NACS attracted dignitaries from various Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), religious leaders, and other key stakeholders in the private sector.
In his statement, Commissioner of the ACC, Francis Ben Kaifala Esq. reiterated his commitment to the fight against corruption, as it was six (6) years ago when he took over the leadership of the Commission, stating that the project he and his team have been working on is very straightforward, which is to control and or eradicate corruption, “The Project we have been working on is for us to eradicate or control corruption, ensure that our country does not leave the way it had, that has kept us in a position that is not so admirable in the world”. He further stated that because of this challenge, we have been called upon to act and change the narrative and make our country the envy it used to be.
Mr. Kaifala assured his audience that the direction in which the fight against corruption is going has not been a coincidence, but a calculated and well-planned approach that was directed by His Excellency the President, Brig (Rtd.) Dr. Julius Maada Bio and he was to lead the charge fearlessly. “We had a clear plan as to how this fight should go, it was his agenda and I was to lead it fearlessly” Commissioner Kaifala averred. He furthered by highlighting the emphasis on the 4th Generation of the NACS, which was ‘enforcement’, as there were strong laws in existence that were not being enforced, noting, “we embarked on a journey that was to put enforcement at the forefront of our efforts and fight against corruption”, which has been a framework for other African countries.
Explaining the NACS in summary, the Chairman of the Team of Experts, Umaru Fofana, who led the process of crafting the document, urged all people to resist and reject corruption both at the giving and the receiving ends, emphasizing that, the cost of corruption should be very expensive and stringent, leaving no sacred cows. “The cost of corruption should be heightened and toughened, the same rules must apply to all no matter how weak or influential they may be or the position they hold” Mr. Fofana added. He further noted that more public education is needed to call out evil as evil “More education is needed to make shame really shameful”.
The Chair of the Expert Team ended his presentation by cataloguing some of the systemic weaknesses contained in the NACS, amongst which are the financial independence of the Audit Service, Sierra Leone, weak implementation of the Audit Service recommendations by MDAs and Local Councils, Internal Auditors in MDAs and Local Councils lack of the adequate resources to carry out their audit and the excessive physical cash transactions by MDAs and Local Councils, etc.
Earlier in his welcome statement, the Deputy Commissioner of ACC, Augustine Foday Ngobie, described the event as a remarkable one, as it was in the same facility-Miatta Conference Center that the 4th Generation of the NACS was launched by His Excellency, The Vice President, Dr. Mohamed Juldah Jalloh, which has been successfully implemented on a large scale and has given birth to the 5th Generation. Mr. Ngobie underscored that this Strategy is in tandem with the Government’s Big Five Game Changers, the Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2008, as amended in 2019, the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) and other international instruments.
The ACC Deputy Commissioner further informed his audience that the crafting of the NACS was done holistically by Sierra Leoneans. “Relevant to state is that this National Strategy has been carefully crafted, drafted, validated and produced by a team of Sierra Leonean Experts, who have wealth of experience in many diverse fields” he asserted. The Deputy Commissioner also stated that the Strategy is holistic and consultative, with all views represented so that it serves as a blueprint for ACC and Government in their efforts to addressing the critical issues corruption poses to national development.
Launching the Strategy, the Chairman of the ACC Advisory Board, Prince Goba Esq. commended the Team of Experts for the tremendous work, stating that had it not been for their expertise this document would not have been produced.. “Let me in the first place commend the Team of Experts who have done everything possible to launch this document,” Mr. Goba stated.
Mr. Goba further commended the Commission on its great achievements despite the numerous challenges confronting it.
The historic occasion was climaxed with the distribution of the hard and soft copies of the Strategy to MDAs and other stakeholders.
