The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), Kono, has on the 2nd November, 2022, concluded two days awareness raising campaign on the “Negative Effects of Corruption” in Kangama and Gondoma communities, in Nimiyama Chiefdom, Kono District.
Public Education Officer, ACC, Hawa Deen Conteh admonished the audience on the dangers of corruption and the benefits of a corrupt-free society, adding that curbing this menace remains a cardinal focus of the Commission. She furthered that choosing not to contribute to addressing this anomaly will inevitably weigh its damaging costs on all without any respite, and would bear poverty and underdevelopment as the unwanted fruits. She therefore advised them to join the fight by becoming “Whistleblowers”, and assured them of adequate protection as provided for in Section 81of the 2008 Anti-Corruption Act as amended in 2019 .
“The unprecedented achievements of the Commission from 2008 to date are indications that the fight against corruption is winnable with your unflinching support,” Hawa Deen underscored whilst speaking on the Commission’s recent and unprecedented successes in various indexes and assessments. She informed them that the strides made in radical public education, prevention work-through systems and processes review, the functional Integrity Management Committees in various MDAs, the prompt action taken to address audit reports, to name but a few, have yielded better dividends with the people’s unreserved support.
The Senior Public Education Officer, Kono, Sam P. Gogra encouraged the participants to join the ACC in winning the fight against corruption while stating that “it is better to have more converts than convicts in the fight against corruption”.
He noted that this menace exists in every facet of society; Schools, Health Centers, Security and Mining Sectors, Markets, Local Courts, amongst others. He emphasized that the grassroots will never prosper and develop if corruption in the aforementioned areas is allowed to thrive. To this end, he provided toll free lines of 077-985985, 077-986986 and encouraged them to muster the courage to report corruption.
On the amendments made to the 2008 Anti-Corruption Act, Gogra disclosed the changes and the punitive measures provided for in the Act, stating that the fine on a count charge is now 50 Million (Old Leones) or jail term of not less than 5 years.
Town Speaker, Tamba Nanoh of Kangama in his statement lauded the ACC for taking anti-corruption crusade to their door steps and promised to disseminate integrity messages to other parts of the Chiefdom. He however called on the Commission to extend this to the other fourteen chiefdoms in the District.
