The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) is profoundly concerned with enabling young people to imbibe the values of integrity, transparency, and accountability as they constitute a critical segment of the country’s population. In light of this and as part of its robust public education efforts, the Commission’s Northern Regional Office held an engagement with trainees of the Sierra Leone Opportunities Industrialization Centre (SLOIC) on the Institute’s Makeni campus on Thursday, March 7, 2024.
Delivering the keynote statement at the meeting, Aiah Sourie, Senior Public Education Officer, instanced the effects of corruption including weak public institutions; bad governance; huge losses of public funds that limit Government’s ability to deliver on its mandate; a dearth of foreign investors; and pent-up public resentment that could burst into civil conflict. But given his audience, Mr. Sourie underlined the impact of the scourge on young people and why they should inculcate values such as integrity and honesty.
According to the senior officer, corruption hinders the potential of young people by creating an unfair and unjust environment that deprives them of opportunities for growth and development. This, he underscored, is mostly done when depraved public officials divert funds for the implementation of youth empowerment projects. Consequently, he added, this sad situation makes young people unemployable or underemployed and exploited while a bleak future awaits them.
However, the officer brought to the attention of his audience that young people are perpetrators just as they are victims of corruption. He pointed out that youths, for example, pay unscrupulous public officers bribes to obstruct the course of justice when they are in trouble with the law, or even for services they deserve. Not only do they pay bribes in the streets, they also pay bribes for grades in learning institutions. ‘What is more pathetic is the fact that young people hero-worship public officials who have stolen their future through corruption. This has to stop but you should adopt integrity as good citizens.’ Mr. Sourie averred.
In his opening remarks as chairman of the awareness-raising engagement, Abdul Karim Bangura, ACC’s Senior Public Education Officer, urged the trainees to wean themselves of any and all actions that impinge on the development strides of the country. He further entreated them to join the ACC in its cause to achieve a corruption-free country where the socio-economic needs of every citizen are secured. In addition, Mr. Bangura assured the young entrepreneurs in training that the actualization of their dreams largely rests with the vision of the ACC, which they should religiously support and protect.
He further guaranteed the trainees that ACC is always ready to work with young people across the country. According to Mr. Bangura, the Anti-graft Commission closely works with learning institutions with the aim to instil values in pupils, students as well as trainees for productive leadership now and in future. He illustrated, ‘The ACC forms Integrity Clubs in schools and Accountability Now Clubs in tertiary institutions, which serve as structures to support pupils and students to develop values that guard against all forms of corruption.’
The National Executive Director of SLOIC, Ben A. Sei, thanked the ACC for the engagement and requested for further interactions to remind the trainees of the importance of fighting against corruption. He added that the SLOIC has been supporting young people achieve their dreams and make meaningful contribution to society over the decades, and ‘this is because our institute has upheld and continues to uphold integrity.’
The meeting ended successfully with the support of Fatimetou Khdiem and Emmanuel Sheriff, ACC District Monitors of Bombali and Tonkolili Districts respectively, and Jennifer Sesay, Data Operator.
