The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has told beneficiaries of the World Bank- supported Social Safety Net (SSN) project in Yaima Hendubu, Kamboma Section, Small Bo Chiefdom, Kenema District, that the direct cash transfer scheme is meant to improve their livelihood.

Speaking at an awareness raising event held at the Yaima Hendubu community centre on 25^th May, 2022, Deputy Director of the Public Education and External Outreach Department, ACC, Abubakarr Turay, told beneficiaries and residents of Yaima Hendubu that the funds provided through the National Commission for Social Action (NaCSA) are meant for the beneficiaries to provide food, medical and educational support for themselves and members of their households.

Mr Turay said the ACC is handling the Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM) of the project in order to maintain integrity and transparency in the cash transfer scheme so that the funds do not end up in the wrong hands. He therefore admonished them to always report to the ACC any instances of corruption experienced in the project.

Mr. Turay equally encouraged the beneficiaries and general audience, to continue to support the work of the Commission, by resisting any act of corruption and reporting any such act to the ACC through 077985985/077986986 or the nearby ACC Office in Kenema, Bo, Freetown, Kono, Makeni and Port Loko.

SSN Kenema District Monitor, Alex M. Lansana, gave an overview of the SSN, informing the people that the project is implemented by NaCSA with Rokel Commercial Bank in charge of directly paying the cash to the beneficiaries. “The ACC’s job is basically to ensure that the correct thing is done and those with complaints are given the platform to report to the Commission,” he said.

Communications Officer, Alex A. Bah, updated the people on the remarkable strides of the Commission to defeat the scourge of corruption. He said the Commission has made a recovery of Thirty-five Billion Leones in the last four years and conducted systems and processes reviews of public offices to make them resistant to corruption. He also spoke about the Commission’s investigation and prosecution of high profile cases and its massive public education drive across the country. He reminded them that the ACC came into being due to the outcomes and recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Report at the end of the country’s decade-long civil war, which noted corruption as a primary cause of the conflict.

During the question and answer session, a number of beneficiaries spoke on the massive impacts of the cash transfer in their lives. One of the beneficiaries, Aminata Brima, gave testimony of how the money benefited and improved her life. She said she used it for food and petty trading; something that has helped improved their (household) livelihood