4. CONTD FROM PG.1 . He further stated that the World Bank and UNICEF were satisfied with the findings and look forward to seeing few issues being fully resolved observing that, the recommendations in their findings are aimed at making the PSSNYE better, as in his words, “better is always possible”. Dr. Kargbo also underscored that the PSSNYE project has started with a record USD$:42 Million Dollars funding and as and when properly utilized for the intended project objectives, more will always be a possibility. ‘’When we started in 2014 with the SSN it was with USD$7Million Dollars and we ended with USD$53Milion Dollars in 2023.Let us all continue to be steadfast, committed and unwavering in serving the needs of our people’’ , he added. In his statement, the Deputy Commissioner ACC, Au- gustine Foday Ngobie registered his satisfaction and fulfilment in the satisfactory World Bank Team ICR Report. He stated that it was not surprising because as he personally superintends the ACC’s role and the Grievance Redress component of the SSN and PSSNYE projects. ‘’ At the ACC, we take very seriously the SSN project and have always ensured that at every stage; we do not only participate but create the required impact. This is By: Sylvanus Blake, PRO - ACC The Audience at the Event a project with a zero corruption risk because we all did our best. On this day with a satisfactory report, I am, like all of us hear happy and proud. I am one of those who believe that we can make the required changes if we want to. We have what it takes. All we need is the resolve that we must do our best at all times, difficulties and temptations irre- spective. Today we have created that history. I am proud of all of us and I thank the World Bank, UNICEF, Government of Sierra Leone and all of us who have made this a historic reality’’ , the Deputy ACC boss observed. Mr. Ngobie furthered that the Commission will continue to work tirelessly with its partners to ensuring that the risks of corruption undermining the PSSNYE and other projects are eliminated. He also stated that the GRM aspect of the PSSNYE will continue to create the desired impact. He pledged the Commission’s unflinching commitment to the PSSNYE and oth- er projects. The project Implementation Conclusion Report on the SSN is a holistic assessment of the implementation of the project in line with the objectives/targets, best practices and standards, and also an assessment on the ongoing implementation of the PSSNYE with recommended action points. In his statement as Chairman of the program, the Commissioner of NaCSA, Ambassador Ernest Ndomahina laud- ed the World Bank and UNICEF for the support and appreciated all players and stakeholders for the satisfactory report. He pledged NaCSA’s continued steadfastness to the successful implementation of the PSSNYE and all other pro - poor development projects and programes in the spirit of national development. Valuable contributions were also made by Heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies present at the presentation of the Report. seriously and have grand aspirations to sanitize th system. "The fault lies with all of us, and that is why we should all hold ourselves culpable and try t o change this narrative" he stressed. He added that if all stakeholders, including parents make their input, and there will certainly be good output where by students graduating will be fit for purpose. He therefore urged all to commit to fightin g corruption within the Educational sector, emphasizing the urgency. "If we want to curb corruption we need to start at the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education" the Civil Society Representative, Alphonso Manley and Executive Director, Civil Rights Coalition underscored i n his statement. He commended the passion of the Minister and the Commission and also suggested a review of the Code of Conduct for Teachers. Director of Intelligence and Investigation Department, ACC, Evelyn Kuyateh earlier in PowerPoint sli des presented some of the interventions made by the ACC through its Elite Scorpion Squad, showing Whats App messages, Examinations taken in Special Rooms among others. The Committee resolved that there would be future engagements/meetings geared towards reviewing t he existing Communique and curbing the menace in the Sector. By: Alex A. Bah, Public Relations Assistant, ACC CONTD FROM PG.2

3. Page 3 The leadership of the Anti - Corruption Com- mission, Sierra Leone (ACC - SL) has, on Tuesday 24 th October 2023, played host to a delegation from the Carter Center, Atlanta, United States of Ameri ca, comprising, Erica Phillips, Program Assistant on Rule of Law and Mohamed O. Jalloh. The Carter Center is a United States based nongovernmental organization, founded by former United States President Jimmy Carter that seeks generally to promote the rule of law, democracy, human rights and good governance, and has worked in over 80 countries including Sierra Leone, whe re it is currently supporting three human and women’s rights related projects. The meeting was held in the office of the Deputy Commissioner, ACC. Speaking on behalf of the Carter Center, Madam Phillips said the eng agement is aimed at understanding how the ACC works, and how to explore possible areas of mutual interests in public accountability, transparency and civic engagement for partnership. Madam Philips who is in Sierra Leone on a week - long assessment of the projects, stated that the Carter Centre had identifie d the ACC, as an institution to hold discussions with, considering the positive strides made in the fight against corruption in the country. In his statement, the Deputy Commissioner ACC, Augustine Foday Ngobie dilated on the overview and work of the Commission, appreciating the mo ve by the Carter Centre to identify and work with the ACC in areas that are critical to the overall mandate, mission and vision of the Commission. Mr. Ngobie explained that the ACC as an independent institution to lead the nationa l fight against corruption was established as a result of the findings and recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). He highlighted the powers of the Commission, the various Departments and their functions, adding that the Commission has in the p ast five years enjoyed huge Presidential Will and Commitment in the fight a gainst corruption accounting for its stellar performance in National, Regional and Glob- al corruption perception surveys, indexes and rankings. He stated that the National Anti - Corruption Strategy (NaCS), a five year document is the roadmap developed periodically by indigenous Team of E x- perts drawn from seasoned media, private and public sector professionals. Mr. Ngobie furthered that the ACC has and will continue to maintain strategic partnerships with Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), the media, and key governance institutions like the Audit Service, Human Rights Commission, Sier- ra Leone, National Public Procurement Authority etc, which he underscored was crucial to winning the war against corruption. The ACC Deputy Boss stated that the ACC was open to partnering with any well - meaning institution and organization that was determined to promoting and advancing the war against corruption in Sierra Leone. ‘’Our doors are always open to you Carter Centr e and all others who will want to join us. The war against corruption in Sierr a Leo- ne is a recalibrated one. We are scaling new heights and scoring new goals. We wish to continue. We continue to expand the anti - graft net through strategic partnerships and supports. The data on what we are doing in Sierra Leone, how we are d oing it, the results gained are available for your edification. Our fight is not against an- yone but for the State. Mr. Ngobie averred. The Director, Public Education and External Outreach Department, ACC, Patrick Sandi stated that the ACC runs a real time media organ, public and community sensitization campaigns, aimed at keeping the public promptly and adequately informed of the work of the Commission, the effects/dangers of corruption, the need for collective actions against corruption and how to report instances of suspected corruption. He further said, in addition to the traditional sensitization approaches of customized outreach meetings, radio and TV shows, jungles and others, the ACC has thoroughly engaged on the new media, making extensive and meaningful use of the social media to catch up with especially the youthful population and get them interested in the fight. Emmanuel Koivaya Amara Esq, Coordinator of Operations, ACC stated that the Anti - Corruption legal regime is one of the finest and strongest on the continent of Africa. He stated that the amendment of Section 89 of the Anti - Corruption Act 2008 in 2019, which now gives the Commissioner an option to choose non conviction based recovery route, which includes a full and complete recovery of all amounts deemed to have been misappropriated with a minimum of 10% interest charged and such persons holding themselves from public office for at least three years, has given the ACC the power to go after the wealth of the corrupt. In this regard alone, the Commission has caused the recovery and refund to the State of over Le: 45 Billion (Old Leones) since 2018. He stated that the rate of turn- over of corruption cases in Special Anti - Corruption Division of the High Court has more than double, since the creation of the Special Division within the High Court with over 90% conviction rate. The ACC was leading the fight against corruption in Sierra Leone in a fair but fierce manner, Mr. Amara concluded. The meeting in progress By: Sylvanus Blake, PRO - ACC ACC’s Deputy Commissioner. Augustine Ngobie making a statement Erica Philips making a statement on behalf of The Carter Center

2. Page 2 F ollowing an earlier meeting, held on Monday 23rd October 2023, between the Anti - Corruption Commission (ACC) and the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE), key partners in the educational sector, on Thursday 26th October, 2023 brainstormed in the Conference Room at Integrity House, Tower Hill, Freetown, on strategies to institute to combat corruption in the educational sector, beginning with examination malpractices. These partners and stakeholders include; the Ministry of Technical and Higher Education (MTHE), the West African Examination Council (WAEC), Sierra Leone Police (SLP), Office of National Security (ONS), Conference of Principals of Secondary Schools (CPSS), Sierra Leone Teachers Union (SLTU), Civil Society Representatives etc. Delivering his address as the Chair of the meeting, the Deputy Commissioner, ACC Augustine Fo- day Ngobie expressed his delight on the turnout and quality of representation, adding that the Commission does not find pleasure in making radical advances to curb anomalies in the educational sector, as it reserves high expectations of all its stakeholders, especially teachers. He said that the meeting is to advance discussions on more pragmatic, realistic, and robust measures to employ in curbing Examination Malpractices, and oth- er challenges confronting the sec- tor. Mr. Ngobie stressed the im- portance of all stakeholders and urged them to exert draconian measures to restore and maintain the once admirable standards of our educational system. He expressed the importance of re - visiting and reviewing the existing Communique that was signed few years ago, to assess its content and make it potent to mirror new developments. "Our 2008 Act as amended in 2019 has a clear provision in Section 128 sub - section 3 that criminalizes all forms of educational and academic malpractices (fraud) and it carries a sanction upon conviction, a minimum Fine of 50 Million (Old) Leones or a five - year minimum jail term, or both," he disclosed. In his statement, the Minister, MBSSE, Conrad Sackey underscored that there are many questions on qualifications from Universities, employers, and even the very holders and beneficiaries as they are mostly young people. He further said that this shows how big the trouble is, and if the trend continues, absolute control will be lost. This is what informs such a meeting, adding that examination malpractice is now pervasive, endemic, and wide- spread. "Somebody has to give these kids monies to buy exam papers; somebody has to leak the papers for people to cheat; somebody who is looking at the data of schools and sees that a school has 250 students at SS1 and SS2 and that same school submits examination entries of about 1000. Somebody should know that is not right and somebody else at WAEC Deputy Commissioner, ACC, Augus- tine Foday Ngobie and Conrad Sackey, Minister MBSSE . has accepted that," the Minister disappointingly averred. He also said that the issue of exam malpractice is systemic, and all parties should take responsibility, accept culpability, and commit to addressing the anomaly. The Minister further stated that, even Universities are not exempt from this as the issues of Sexually Transmitted Grades and Dissertation Originality are among the most prominent and pervasive issues, more so now, when there is generative Artificial Intelligence (AI). Hon. Sackey committed to making the resources available to expedite work on updating and reviewing the Communique in the bid to commence effective interventions to tackling corrupt practices in the sector. Mustapha G. Koroma, Head of West African Examination Council (WAEC) Sierra Leone, in his presentation detailed the role of WAEC and the challenges including Examination Malpractice. He provided a Statistical Data and Analysis of the most recent examinations conducted, showing increasing figures of candidates involved in different forms of malpractices . He dilated on the award of fictitious continuous assessment grades by school authorities to candidates who are not even eligible to take the school exams. Dr. Josephus Jeremiah Briama, Chief Technical and Higher Education Officer, Ministry of Technical and Higher Education in his contribution noted that, in order to tackle this anomaly it is important to take the issue of examination malpractices By: Alex A. Bah, Public Relations Assistant, ACC ACC’s Deputy Commissioner Augustine Foday Ngobie making a statement at the meeting CONTD PG.4

1. 30th - 3rd November 2023 Issue 1 Volume 12 INTEGRITY HOUSE, TOWER HILL FREETOWN, SIERRA LEONE EDITORIAL TEAM EDITOR - IN - CHIEF Abubakarr Turay EDITORS Sylvanus Blake Alex A. Bah LAYOUT & GRAPHICS Philippa M Davies EDITORIAL ADVISERS Augustine Foday Ngobie Patrick Sandi CONTD PG.4 In the presentation of the findings on the implementation of the Social Safety Net (SSN) project and review of the just commenced Productive and Youth Employment (PSSNYE) project, the World Bank Mission has on Thursday 26th October 2023, lavished praises on the Anti - Corruption Commission (ACC) and other and implementers of the Social Safety Net (SSN) project, in a well - attended programme at the Conference Hall, 5 th Floor of the Freetown City Council Building, Wallace - Johnson Street in Freetown. The engagement organized by the World Bank, UNICEF and the Government of Sierra Leone, brought together stakeholders and key players in the SSN project including Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), such as; the Ministries of Social Welfare, Gender and Children Affairs, Youth Affairs, Basic and Senior Secondary Education, Tech- nical and Higher Education, Agriculture and Food Security, Labour, the National Commission for Social Action (NaCSA), Anti - Corruption Commission (ACC), National Youth Commission (NaYCOM), and the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA). Presenting the findings of the Implementation Conclusion Report (ICR), Abu Kargbo, Senior Social Protection Specialist stated that the findings represent the position of the World Bank Mission Team. He said that the SSN project which started with USD$:7 Million Dollars and 700 beneficiaries in 2014 , ended satisfactorily in June 2023 , with over one Million beneficiary households benefiting, and a total budget of USD$:53 Million Dollars expended, which is no mean feat and for which he commended the Government, ACC, NaCSA and other players who were a ACC’s Deputy Commissioner, Augustine Fo- day Ngobie making a statement at the event Some of ACC staff at the meeting (front row R - L) - Coordinator of Operations, ACC Emmanuel K. Amara Esq. and Projects Coordinator, ACC, Patrick Morovia By: Sylvanus Blake, PRO - ACC part. He furthered that after its implementation, the World Bank required the Government of Sierra Leone to do its ICR, before the Bank could send a team to do its own ICR. Noting that, during the 10 days assessment, the team looked at the relevance, efficacy and efficiency of the project in meeting to its targets. Dr. Kargbo recognized the specific role of ACC in attaining the level of success the project achieved. Dr. Kargbo implored all stakeholders to inculcate the same commitment and dexterity invested in the SSN and the PSSNYE - which has started off well as the signs are promising