ACC TAKES THE FIGHT TO BINKOLO COMMUNITY Sustained public education campaign continues to be strategic in the Anti-Corruption Commission’s (ACC) tripartite approach in combating corruption (Public Education, Prevention and Constructive Engagement). It was in this regard that the ACC Northern Region Office held an outreach meeting with the people of Binkolo Section, Safroko Limba Chiefdom on Thursday 19th June 2014. Dilating on the purpose of the meeting and the community’s role in the fight at the Binkolo Court Barry, ACCs Senior Public Education Officer, Al Hassan Sesay described the meeting as a deliberate step to equip remote communities with anti-graft messages, update them on the Commissions activities and enlist their support in the crusade. Sesay stated that Sierra Leoneans are not poor because they are black but because they are blind, emphasizing the point that people have been suffering from corruption because they were ignorant about its negative effects on their lives. He referred to corruption as an unpardonable sin that Islam and Christianity vehemently denounced. The Senior Public Educator said his audience should see the Commission as partner in the fight and not antagonist. In his statement on ACC and the fight against corruption in the country, ACC Regional Manager North, Ibrahim Ahmad Kargbo thanked the people of Binkolo for accepting the Commission in their midst and regarded them as crucial in the fight. Manager Kargbo referred to graft as selfish human desires to enrich the greedy at the expense of the general good. He told the people to brace up for the fight, as it cannot be conquered singlehandedly. Manager Kargbo catalogued some corrupt practices that are prevalent in their community in the health, education and local court sectors such as soliciting fees from primary school pupils, indiscriminate increase of school fees, extra charges, misuse of the girl child education funds, soliciting money to collect report cards, extra-lessons for BECE and WASSCE, abuse of the free malaria and diarrhea treatments, the free health care programme and bribery at the local courts. He encouraged the people of Binkolo to speak and stand against corruption so that social amenities could be enhanced. Manager Kargbo warned public officers working in Binkolo to desist from such practices, as they constitute punishable offences in the 2008 AC Act. He entreated members of the community to partner with the ACC to make Sierra Leone a better place. ACCs Public Education Officer, Abdulai Saccoh explained the various ways reports could be made to the Commission and guaranteed his audience of informant protection. He said the Commission’s work hinges on confidentiality in handling reports. Saccoh however cautioned against making malicious report, as it constitutes an offence and upon conviction, liable to a fine of not less than five million Leones or not less than six months imprisonment or both fine and prison term. The Public Educator informed his audience about the 10% reward given to an individual that gives information to the Commission, which leads to successful conviction and recovery of the stolen resources. Saccoh encouraged his audience to resist, reject and report any incidence of corruption to the Commission Earlier the Safroko Limba Chiefdom Speaker Umaru Kanu in his welcome statement lauded the efforts of the ACC in it’s strive to liberate Sierra Leoneans from the nuisance of corruption. Kanu implored the Commission to continue with similar engagement in other communities in the district and called on his people to join ACC to combat corruption as its negative ramifications does not discriminate. The meeting was climaxed with questions and answers.
Posted on: Thu, 26 Jun 2014 14:07:18 +0000
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