President Kabbah Opens Anti-Corruption Office in Bo
By Marian Samu

18th October, 2004: The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) is one of Government's initiatives established to rid the country of corrupt deeds and practices that are preventing it from progressing as a nation. Since its inception, the commission has been operating from just one main office in Freetown. With the necessity for effective and efficient performance countrywide, the Anti-Corruption Commission has thought it expedient to have offices in the provincial headquarter towns. On Friday, 15th October, 2004, President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah opened the first ACC office outside Freetown, in the Southern region's provincial headquarter town of Bo.

In his keynote address to formally open the office, His Excellency, President Alhaji Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, underscored that the opening of the Bo office brings the people of Bo nearer to achieving his goal that all citizens of Sierra Leone should have the opportunity to participate in the promotion of an accountable and transparent government, adding that plans are under way to open an office in Makeni, the Northern Provincial headquarter town.

President Kabbah reiterated his views that corruption is an impediment to the promotion of good governance and that it is an evil that should not be tolerated in our society. He also stated that corruption restricts development, retards economic growth and undermines programmes that are designed specifically to benefit the poor. The negative impact of corruption, he noted, is greatest on the poor and vulnerable in our society, and therefore runs contrary to our poverty reduction strategy goals.

"In short, corruption seriously impedes our efforts to pursue proactive reconstruction and development of our country", he emphasized.

The President also stated that corruption is a national security issue, and that its effects will continue to undermine the economic social and political stability of the country. "We maintain our resolve to fight it," the President stressed. Because of these reasons, he said, support for the Anti-Corruption Commission is high on his agenda, adding that the Commission stands as an example of his government's commitment to tackle issues of public trust and good governance.

President Kabbah proffered that whilst it is important for government to continue to demonstrate the necessary commitment and political will to tackle the problem from the top, other strategies must exist to support the process. These, include inter alia:
- Civil Society involvement to create an environment for open discussion;
- Public officials to be held accountable by insisting that the workings of government and its finances be more open to scrutiny;
- Involvement of professional associations in the fight against corruption; and
- Civil Society becoming strong advocates for reform and adopting a "zero tolerance" aim for such strategy.

President Kabbah also stated that all stakeholders, both public and private, should be encouraged to get involved in making sure that outdated and irrelevant rules, policies and procedures are revised and opportunities for corruption removed, and that public sector employees, particularly at senior levels must demonstrate good examples to their subordinates: "They must lead from the front and help develop a set of best practices in the public service", he maintained.

He commended media reports as being helpful by bringing into the public domain issues of corruption, stating that it is good for the nation because it helps strengthen existing forms of checks and balances that deter over zealousness by public officials. He called on the media to continue to play their role in the fight against corruption, but admonished them to adopt high standards of professionalism, motivated by sincerity and national interest rather than the need to gain political "mileage", or secure personal benefits.

The President expressed the hope to see more emphasis on structural reforms in areas such as public procurement, the civil service, the judiciary and financial management, in order to reduce bottlenecks and promote efficiency, transparency and accountability.

On the issue of donor community involvement, President Kabbah emphasized continued increased dialogue between the government and the donor community so as to enable the donor community to provide maximum support, noting that the fight against corruption cannot be won in Sierra Leone without the assistance and participation of the donor community. He reiterated the United Kingdom's support since the inception of the ACC. President Kabbah also took this opportunity to launch the Commission's Annual Report, which was presented to him by the ACC Commissioner, Mr. Val Collier.

Earlier, the Paramount Chief of Bo District, P.C. Rashid Kamanda-Bongay IV, poured libation and called on the ancestors of Bo district to help them and the ACC to succeed in their endeavours.

The British High Commissioner to Sierra Leone, Dr. John Mitchiner, described the opening of the ACC office in Bo as a sign of the ACC's endeavours to make its work accessible to those in the provinces. He appealed to the people of the Southern Province to help in rooting out corruption and make the work of the ACC a success in the southern region.

Dr. Mitchiner noted that the British government has been working with the government of Sierra Leone in its fight against corruption since 2000 when President Kabbah asked for help to combat corruption through the creation of the ACC. Since then, the United Kingdom has been one of the greatest supporters and that the UK will continue to offer assistance centred principally on training and development needs of ACC staff.

He further emphasized that tackling corruption is one of the major keys to ensuring long-term development and stability and stressed that tackling corruption is a key element of the British government partnership agreement with the government of Sierra Leone for future development support. Continuing British government support for Sierra Leone, the High Commissioner stated, is contingent, in part, on the Sierra Leone government continuous show of commitment to rooting out corruption, particularly at the highest levels.

"If those in the highest positions of responsibility stray into corrupt practices, they may make short term personal profit from disreputable and unscrupulous partners - but they will fail to attract to this country the reputable partners; investors and donor countries so needed for sustained development. And they thereby threaten political stability by eroding the people's trust and confidence in their government", High Commissioner Mitchiner stated.

While describing the opening of an office in Bo as worthy of note as it highlights the response of a national institution to the aspirations, calls and demands of the citizens, the Director of the Decentralization Secretariat, Mr. Emmanuel Gaima, called on all not to take the event as a period of celebration, but one of reflection and retrospection on the ills that have necessitated the setting up of an Anti-Corruption Commission. He said the Government of Sierra Leone has taken a bold and decisive step to decentralize governance and that the Anti-Corruption Commission, in opening on office in Bo, has made another major contribution to the realization of government's decentralization policy. He stated that the regional presence of the ACC has the potential to promote increased access to the Commission and ultimately confidence in its operations.

Mr. Gaima called on all Sierra Leoneans to be committed and build coalitions with a view to defeating corrupt tendencies. He said that Sierra Leone cannot afford to be refered to as a nation with lost glory, owed not so much to a lack of good programmes or policies, but more so to negative enlightened self-interest which undermines growth and development, engendered by corrupt practices. He appealed to all to remember the occasion as a WAKE-UP CALL and COMMITMENT to join the fight against corruption in a dispassionate manner, and help build mother Sierra Leone.

The President officially declared the building open and was taken on a conducted tour to take a look at the various rooms and equipment.

-END-