By: Martina George, Communications Officer.
The Prevention Department of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) hason Thursday 12th September, 2024 presented a Review Report on the validation of corruption risk assessment in the Sierra Leone Community Mission Schools on the utilization of school fees subsidies. This event took place at the ACC Conference Room, Integrity House, Tower Hill, Freetown.
The review exercise is in tandem with the Commission’s primary mandate to prevent, investigate and prosecute corrupt offenders and provide accurate information to the general public on the dangers of corruption in our society.
Speaking at the occasion, the Deputy Commissioner, Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) Augustine Foday Ngobie, underscored that, it is the ACC’s responsibility to ask the assistance of the Sierra Leone Community Mission Schools to ensure that causes of corruption are identified in order to know ‘why we are suffering as a nation, especially in the Educational sector, ensure that these causes do not continue and how to get rid of them.’ He encouraged them to cooperate fully with the Prevention Department, by ensuring that they resolve all the recommendations proffered by the Commission.
In his opening remarks, Director, Prevention Department, ACC, Rashid Turay, registered his disappointment over how most of the sampled schools do not have Board of Governors to supervise the subsidies allocated.He furthered that the Commission will give the Sierra Leone Community Mission Schools time to respond to the various recommendations as provided for in the Education Act. Director Turayalso encouragedhis audience to ensure that all documents relating to the use of the subsidies are made available and ready before the time suggested by the Commission elapses.
Senior Monitoring and Compliance Officer, Moses A. Bangura, presented a detailed report where he clearly explained some of the anomalies discovered during the monitoring process, some of which he said were not appropriate, especially for a functional school.
In his concisesubmission, Ibrahim-Sorie Kamara-Kay, Head of Monitoring and Compliance Unit, Prevention Department, underscored that pursuant to the Anti-Corruption Act of 2008 as amended in 2019,Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) are given seven days to respond to the recommendations after the Report has been presented.
In her closing remarks, the Deputy Director of Education, Western Area Rural District Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education, Nanah Bockarie, commended the ACC for its good work and timely interventions in Sierra Leone. She further stated that schools will do their best to promote transparency and accountability in their operations.
The meeting was climaxed by suggestions and contributions.
