The people of Kalangba, in Gbendembu Ngowahun Chiefdom, Bombali District have pledged their unflinching support to the Anti-Corruption Commission in the fight against corruption in Sierra Leone, says an ACC press release.
This was demonstrated at a sensitization meeting organised by ACC’s Northern Regional office on Friday 10 August at the Kalangba Court Barry. Welcoming ACC staff on behalf of the chiefdom Pa Kapr Njai expressed appreciation to ACC “for bringing the Commission closer” to them. He noted that such an engagement would go a long way to minimize corruption in the chiefdom and change negative public perception about the Commission.
ACC’s Public Education Officer Al-Hassan Sesay said it was meant to educate them on the dangers of corruption, the work of the Commission and how corrupt practices in their communities hampered the development of the chiefdom.
He expressed the Commission’s determination to take anti-corruption messages to all rural communities and furthered that the meeting was also meant to solicit the support of the community in the fight against corruption.
Sesay also told the people that the commission alone could not fight corruption successfully and urged them to partner to eradicate it from the country.
The ACC Regional Manager, Patrick Sandi said the Act was not just for government employees but also covered the private sector. He said the Commission had the mandate to investigate all forms of corruption, no matter the amount or individual involved in it.
Sandi highlighted some common corrupt practices in the school system, the free health care programme, local courts, chiefdom administration and the police and warned that punishment for any such offence was a fine of not less than Le 30 Million or prison term of not less than three years or both.
Sandi said the ACC exists not just to arrest and convict corrupt individuals but also to prevent corruption. He encouraged them to resist, reject and report corruption. “Let us be serious about the fight against corruption, let us all support the ACC because it is for the people of this country” he said. Manager Sandi further explained the various methods of reporting a corruption offence and informed them about the 10% reward for informants.
Principal of Kalangba Agricultural Secondary School, Abdul K. Fornah urged stakeholders to ensure they did the right thing. He warned community members to desist from destroying the good image of their colleagues.
