The Anti-Corruption Commission has marked the Day of the African Child with a discussion programme involving pupils from various secondary schools in the Western Area. The pupils were made to discuss issues relating to integrity clubs and how they could help the Commission in the fight against corruption in the country. The programme was held at the Prince of Wales School, Kingtom.

Welcoming the pupils, Senior Public Education Officer, ACC, Michael Sesay, admonished the pupils to see themselves as key players in the fight against corruption in the country. He said school pupils should advise their colleagues and family members to abstain from corrupt acts in order to prevent the repercussion caused to families when one of their relatives is convicted of corruption. “It is always the case that children and the family in general become traumatized when the breadwinner in the family is convicted of a corrupt act. This is why you children should see it as a duty to question your parents if you very well know that they are living a lifestyle above their normal income”, Mr. Sesay said.

Joseph Kangaju, Public Education Officer, ACC, said bad governance and corruption were part of the major reasons for the decade-long civil war in the country. He said many children lost their lives while others suffered and could not attend school during those periods. He said it was necessary therefore for the children to see it as a duty to join in the fight against corruption by serving their integrity clubs in their various schools which exist to raise awareness of issues of corruption among their colleagues.

Junisa Sankoh, Public Education Officer, ACC, said integrity club members should imbibe the values of integrity and make sure they serve as good examples to their colleagues in schools. He urged the pupils to revive the integrity clubs in their schools and encourage others to join.

The pupils pointed out some of the corrupt practices in their schools including the selling of pamphlets by teachers and the “selling of grades” to pupils. They pledged their support to join the ACC in educating their colleagues about the effects of corruption.

The event was chaired by Sheku Sesay, a teacher of the Ahmadiya Muslim Secondary School in Freetown.