The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), in a bid to enlist the support of the civil society in the fight against corruption, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with three civil society organisations. The organisations are Campaign Against Tax Evasion (CATE), Technical Enhancement Awareness Movement (TEAM) and Youth Empowerment Development Association (YEDA). Speaking at the signing ceremony on Tuesday, the Director of the Public Education and Outreach Department, ACC, Shollay Davies said the Commission saw the establishment of partnerships with civil society organisations as very important in the fight against corruption in the country. He said even world leaders at the recent G20 Summit in Russia called for the enlistment of community based organisations to intensify the fight against corruption in the world.

The Commissioner of the ACC, Joseph Fitzgerald Kamara, said the signing of the MOUs symbolisedhis call for every Sierra Leonean to join in the fight against corruption. He described the fight against corruption as something that is not only limited within the formal sector and therefore urged all to re-examine ourselves to see how corrupt-free we are. The ACC Commissioner said it was important for all Sierra Leoneans to join the ACC in the fight against corruption because corruption affects all members of society in diverse ways. He said the organisations should now see themselves as ambassadors in the fight against corruption and also ensure that they report suspected acts of corruption to the Commission.

The Project Coordinator of YEDA, Idriss Amza Kamara, said his organisation is partnering with the ACC because they very well knew that the fight against corruption is not only meant for the ACC. He said joining the ACC in the fight against corruption was also a way to express their loyalty to the country and pledged his organisation support toward the drive.

The Coordinator of CATE, Amara Sesay, said transparency and accountability are part of his organisation’s core values. He said that was why they have been monitoring the country’s revenue generation drive to ensure that taxpayers comply with their tax obligations and those found wanting are brought to book. Mr. Sesay said they saw the partnership with the ACC, therefore very instrumental to their work.

The Secretary General of TEAM, Dauda Koroma, said corruption affects the less privilege, especially the young and unemployed in the country.  He said as his organisation implements youth programmes, they saw the fight against corruption as crucial to the development of the lives of young people.