The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has concluded a two-week training on ‘Online Asset Declaration Submission for Training of Trainers’, at the Commission’s conference room at its Head Office in Freetown. The training ran from 5th to 21st January, 2022, and participants were drawn from various ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) of government.
Participants were trained on how to digitally fill and submit the assets declaration forms using the Online Assets Declaration System.
Speaking at the start of the training, Deputy Commissioner of ACC Augustine Foday Ngobie, expressed on behalf of the Commissioner and Management, his appreciation for the high turnout of MDAs in the training. He made it clear to participants that the ACC needs their support in the fight against corruption and one way to do it is by declaring their assets, income and liabilities which will help promote integrity and accountability in public office. “We are taking the lead but you as public officials must be willing to partner with the Commission for us to succeed in the fight against corruption,” Mr Ngobie said.
The Deputy Commissioner further admonished participants to pay heed to the process as they are expected to cascade it to their colleagues. He maintained strongly that no manual process will be entertained in this declaration year. He therefore encouraged participants to direct their concerns and queries to the technical team conducting the training for any assistance.
Coordinator of Operations of the ACC Emmanuel Koivaya Amara Esq. explained to the participants the legal parameters of the Asset Declaration exercise. Whilst imploring all and sundry to abide by the law, he also warned that “assets declaration is an individual responsibility, while the punishment for failing to declare is also on the individual.”
Manager of the Assets Declaration Unit at the ACC Zainab Othman gave a brief introduction of the Asset Declaration exercise since its inception and encouraged all public officials within grade 7 and above to work within the stipulated deadline of March 31 to declare their assets.
The Anti-Corruption (Amendment) Act 2019 requires all public officers, from grades 7 upwards and all those with fiduciary (financial) responsibility to declare their assets when assuming public office, biannually, and when leaving office.
The IT Manager of the ACC Titus Salankole was the facilitator of the training and he took the trainees through the online assets declaration process.
