By Alhaji A. K. Bangura, ACC Senior Communication Officer
On 29 January 2026, the Outreach Unit of Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC)’s Public Education and Outreach Department engaged over 100 petty traders at the Aberdeen Road market in the western part of Freetown. The engagement detailed the impact of corruption on the informal sector of the economy and aimed at empowering the traders to resist and blow the whistle on all forms of corruption at the slightest opportunity.
Delivering a statement at the event, Senior Communications Officer, Alhaji A.K. Bangura, highlighted the effects of public sector misconduct on the informal economy. He noted that aside from the fact that corruption leads revenue losses constraining the generation of funds to support social structures such as schools and hospitals, it exacerbates poverty and inequalities. ‘This is particularly noticeable considering unnecessary bottlenecks petty businesses are forced to go through to access credit and entrepreneurial skills,’ he said.
Despite the fact that it accommodates more than 90% of the workforce and contributes about 40-42% to the GDP, Bangura stressed, the female-dominated sector is riddled with bribery and underhand transactions that usually constrain the growth of the average petty trader’s business. He opined that businesses at the market would be stagnant unless corruption is severely dealt with. ‘The importance of the informal sector cannot be contested, but we need to fully support the ACC in its campaign against corruption at all levels of our society.’
In his contribution, Aiah Sourie, Head of Unit (HoU), noted that the community should consider resisting and reporting corruption as a civic responsibility and an indicator of needed active public participation in promoting transparency and accountability. He urged his audience to be brave enough ‘to report corruption without fear of intimidation from anyone or any institution.’ The ACC, Mr. Sourie added, under statutory instrument, may enter into a protection agreement with corruption whistle blowers and witnesses, and ‘this bold move signifies the Commission’s commitment to empowering the public to face up to corruption and expose it.’
He encouraged the traders to disclose corruption to the ACC on any of the following toll-free mobile phone lines: 077985985, 077986986, or 8515. And if the person who has reported the incident reasonably feels threatened or insecure, the HoU disclosed, they may apply to enter a protection agreement with the Commission. ‘Once the application is complete, the Commission would initiate measures to protect the whistle blower or witness at all cost,’ he concluded.
Responding to the corruption messages, chairperson of the market community, Madam Mariatu Kargbo, who had earlier welcomed the ACC team, described the engagement as timely hoping for similar interactive engagements in the near future. She pledged that the market would fully support the campaign against public sector malfeasance. ‘I have been a victim of corruption before. And I want you to consider our market as a partner in the fight against corruption.’
The meeting, moderated by Margaret A. Jones, Senior Communications Officer, ended with a question-and-answer session.
