By Lamin Idriss Conteh (Cazorla)
The head of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), Francis Ben Kaifala, has said that corruption is a war that must be fought. He made the statement at the Golden Tulip Hotel in Freetown during an event to observe the International Anti-Corruption Day on Wednesday 9th December.
Kaifala said that as a Commission they have done a lot in the fight against corruption and that they were still doing a lot to make sure that the menace is minimized and, if possible, eradicated totally. He asserted that within two and half years, there has been a massive progress in that direction, and he vowed to employ all strategies to combat it.
In making reference to the theme for this year’s commemoration, “Leveraging youth capacity and involvement in the fight against corruption,” the ACC boss described corruption as the biggest enemy to the future of young people.
He spoke of the Commission working with different partners both in the private and public sectors to ensure that the fight against corruption is won, but he added that he would want to see the full involvement of the youths, and therefore urged young people to take responsibility and serve as ambassadors in the fight against corruption.
Kaifala went on to state that young people have a responsibility to play because if corruption persisted, they were the ones to suffer the most. Kaifala added that his efforts in the fight against corruption have been extensively recognized both nationally and internationally and with many awards.
He said: “We’re going to fight corruption with all our might. With the blessings of the pastors, bishops, ravines and imams, we are sure that the fight against corruption will be successful. This country has suffered a lot because of corruption”.
The Executive Director for the Centre for Accountability and Rule of Law, Ibrahim Tommy, recommended the efforts made by the ACC so far in the fight against the menace. He said the youths constitute the largest percentage of Sierra Leone’s population, noting that their role cannot be ignored. He stated that although there is a challenge in the fight, yet the ACC has received massive votes of confidence from the public over the two and half years they have been in office, but he admitted that without the involvement of the youths, the ACC will find it difficult to accomplish its task.
A representative from the Ministry of Youths Affairs, Mohamed Arteta Mansaray, also commended the efforts and steps taken by the Commission in ensuring that corruption is tackled in the country. He cited actions taken on the various Auditor General reports and compared that to what happened with the 2019 edition, which he said showed a positive sign in the fight against corruption. He also stressed that anyone caught in acts of corruption must be dealt with, irrespective of the person’s region, tribe, background or colour.
Mansaray called on each and every individual to come on board to help ACC in the fight. He emphasized that the Ministry of Youths Affairs fully supports the ACC to make sure that the dream of the Commission comes to reality. He also suggested that the institution work with youth forums like the National Youth Commission, Commission on Youth Affairs Forum, etc. in its fight against graft.
The Deputy Commissioner for National Youth Commission, Emerson Kamara, encouraged the ACC to involve the youths and make their voices heard on issues surrounding corruption, noting that they form the greater percentage of the total population of the country. He said no sooner youths see themselves as good citizens, and then the fight against corruption will be minimized.
The President for the Sierra Leone Bar Association, Michaela Swallow, suggested that civil education on corruption should be implemented in primary and tertiary levels so that youths will understand the dangers surrounding corruption. She advised young people not to see themselves as mere puppet, but as leading actors in the fight against corruption.
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