The Public Education team of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) in the North-West Regional office has on Friday 14th and Tuesday 18th August 2020 engaged staff of the Port Loko City and District Councils on various issues on corruption and solicited their support in the fight against graft and bribery.

In his keynote address at the respective meetings, the Regional Manager Al-Hassan Sesay recognized the role of the councils in the development of the state and described them as service delivery institutions that are critical to the achievement of the development agenda of the country. As part of public education and prevention drive, he said, coalition building and partnership also occupies a cardinal part of the fight and explained the three pronged approaches employed by the commission in combatting corruption as issues discussed will resonate and relate to the operation of the councils.

Explaining key corruption offences, Manager Sesay stated that the 2019 Amendment Act of the ACC has made involvement in corrupt practices a very risky and expensive venture. He made a comprehensible explanation of related corruption offences including misappropriation of public and donor funds, abuse of office and position, bid rigging, using influence for contract, offering, soliciting and accepting advantage, receiving gift for corrupt purpose among other things. He also said that with the 2019 amendment Act of the ACC, the commission has been fully empowered to cancel all contracts deemed not to be in the interest of the public or a section thereof. The amendment act also narrowed the asset declaration regime, made provision for trial in absentia, restitution and jail terms and fines increased to five years and fifty million Leone respectively.

Working for the council, he notes, makes all of the staff public officers and by extension are covered by the ACC laws. He said the national corruption survey report captured the local councils as one of the sectors mostly corrupt which was indicative of public interaction and visibility as ingredients that fuelled this public perception about institutions across the country.

Manager Sesay encouraged the leadership of both councils to internalize the fight by making the Integrity Management Committee to be functional and operational and to also take the lead in supervising the activities of other IMCs of devolved sectors.

In his welcome address, the Chief Administrator of Port Loko District Council Alhaji Alhaji Bangura thanked the ACC team for such engagement.  He noted that most of them are new staff that were recently transferred to the council. He underscored the importance for sustained public education and community engagement and building support in combatting corruption. Mr. Bangura registered his commitment to supporting the commission and to put into practice the knowledge gained in performing their duties. The Deputy Chairman of the Port Loko District Council, Councilor Paul Idriss Kamara commended the strides made by the commission and shared similar sentiments of support to the ACC.

During the meeting with the Port Loko City Council, (PLCC) the Chief Administrator Augustine Sam said the ACC work is predicated on prioritizing national interest particularly in protecting public funds and property in Ministries, Departments and Agencies. He lauded the initiative to engage and educate staff of the council particularly so when new staff has just been transferred to the council and promised to enhance best practice and uphold integrity. The Deputy Mayor of PLCC Zachariah Bangura in his statement stated the importance to embrace and support the ACC adding that the engagement will guide and improve on their performance and efficiency of the council.

Senior Public Education Officer Sahid Mohamed Kamara said the essence of the meeting was to educate staff of the Council on what constitute corruption in their operations, informed about the 2019 Amendment Act of the ACC and the role of council in the fight against corruption.

Public Education Officer Mohamed Thullah who spoke on the role of the Council in the fight against corruption and how to make report said senior management must demonstrate leadership by example and must ensure best practice are evident in their operations particularly in the management and utilization of public and donor funds and in their revenue generation drive. He encouraged management to put in place internal control measures and monitoring mechanisms that will prevent incidences of corruption and emphasized that issues of double dipping, time theft and absenteeism are also of concern to the ACC. He highlighted various methods of reporting corrupt practices to the ACC and encouraged them to resist and reject demands of corruption.

Questions and answer session and the presentation of IEC materials formed part of the engagement.