Speaking at the meeting, Communications Officer ACC, Abubakarr Turay intimated the faculty that ACC’s choice of the Faculty of Nursing was based on the fact that the institution falls within two of the pilot sectors which the PNB targets: The Education sector and the Health sector. Mr. Turay explained the rationale for the PNB campaign referring to the Transparency International Barometer Survey report in 2013 which put the country at a very negative position which demanded immediate action. This was why, “The Government of Sierra Leone with funds from the United Kingdom Government through DFID initiated the PNB with the key objective of reducing incidences of bribery, in order to improve service delivery.” The Communications Officer also revealed that the PNB is an anonymous reporting portal that is not prosecution focused.
Responding to the PNB initiative, the Dean of the Faculty, Dr. Matthew J. Vandy informed the ACC that the Faculty of Nursing is not a breeding ground for bribery. He noted that the education sector generally may have had symptoms of bribery in the form of money for grades, and sex for grades but that is not a character of COMAHS and the Faculty of Nursing.
The Head of the Department of Community Health Nursing, Dr. J. Edem-Hortah also noted that the problem of bribery is something he cannot resonate in his human faculty as a practice of professional educationist and Medical practitioners. He argues that culture may have been one of the factors that influence the anathema for which he confesses the PNB is an appropriate treatment.
Throwing light on the problem of bribery, Public Relations Officer, Alhassan Kargbo, postulated that bribery is not part of our Sierra Leonean culture but rather a pollution of our very customs and practices, which he says – we can change. The PRO encouraged the faculty members to make a decision to reject, resist and report bribery at all cost for a better Sierra Leone. He reminded participants of the 515 toll free line, the PNB mobile APP, and the website www.pnb.gov.sl in the bid to interact with the PNB reporting platform.
Questions and answers session climaxed the meeting.
