At the Grand Final of the Brain of Sera Lyoa Mamadu Juma Bah Memorial Inter-School Competition, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has called on pupils to commit themselves to the fight against corruption.

The event which took place at the Albert Academy School, Berry Street, Freetown,was organized by the West African Youth Network and the Patriotic Advocacy Network, and was premised on the theme “Actions to Speak against Acts of Corruption, Injustices and Marginalization in Schools”. The event was the round of 16, quarter final and semi-final stages that involved twenty (20) participating schools in Freetown, and involved debating competition, spoken words, music and rap, and drama competition in the various rounds.

Speaking at the grand finale of the event, on behalf of the Commission, Communications Officer of the ACC, Alex A. Bah, informed the audience that, in 2019, the ACC facilitated the enactment of stiffer laws to dissuade people from engaging in acts of corruption, thereby making corruption a high risk and low return venture.

He said that corruption, according to the Truth and Reconciliation Report, was identified as a fundamental cause of Sierra Leone’s decade-long civil war. He commended the pupils for depicting corrupt practices in schools, whilst encouraging them to support the fight against corruption. “It is only with our continuous and concerted efforts that we can succeed in minimizing corruption to the barest minimum, and ensure that we have a nation that is corrupt-free. By this, our abundant resources can be used to better our lives,” he added. Mr Bah ended by entreating the audience to collectively support the Commission in its efforts to defeat corruption and save the soul of the nation.