The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has capacitated staff of Falaba and Koinadugu District Councils and various ministries, departments and agencies devolved to these councils on the implementation of the 2019-2023 National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS) Action Matrix. The engagements were conducted by the North-East Region Office of the ACC at the Falaba and Koinadugu Districts Councils Halls respectively.
Addressing participants, ACC Regional Manager Mariama Navo underscored the significance of the engagement and described it as a process meant to drive through reforms geared towards preventing the spate of corruption. The Manager reminded her audience that the current strategy was the fourth generation, each spanning for five-year period. Miss Navo said the current strategy (NACS 2019-2023) was developed through a nationwide consultation across the country to seek the views of the public as to what should be done to tackle corruption in both public and private sectors. She defined the strategy as the country's roadmap to the fight against corruption, adding that it would contribute greatly in controlling corruption in all sectors.
The ACC Regional Manager informed her audience that, at the centre of the implementation of the strategy, is the local councils. She acknowledged the challenges faced by these institutions; challenges, she said, that are not insurmountable. She succinctly explained how the work plans of the various councils should be completed and what is required of them during the implementation process. The Manager called on councils and other public offices to take ownership and responsibility of the actions in the NACS work plan because every institution will be monitored quarterly.
In his statement, ACC Public Education Officer Abdulai Saccoh counted on the support of each sector to ensure transparent and accountable processes in government offices. Mr. Saccoh cautioned them not to see the setting up of Integrity Management Committees as witch hunt but rather to guide their daily operations. The Public Education Officer recounted some of the challenges faced during the implementation of the previous strategies such as staff transfers, lack of proper record management and lack of resources to implement programmes. Mr. Saccoh appealed to them to embrace the process and ensure that the strategy is successfully implemented.
