AYV News, September 17, 2024
The Regional Manager of the Anticorruption Commission in the NorthWest Region Fatu Florence Kamara has told staff and volunteers of the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security that the commission is poised to sanitize the agriculture sector and maximize its potential for the development of the nation. She expressed this strong determination during a preventive customised engagement on the 12th September, 2024 at the Ministry’s District Office in Port Loko.
Giving an update on the significant strides in the fight against corruption, Manager Kamara underscored the role of the agriculture sector in propelling economic growth and emphasised that the sustained presence of corruption has adversely affected the realization of the sector being an engine for economic growth in Sierra Leone.
She pointed out that the commission is concerned on the utilisation and management of inputs, machinery and other support in terms of supply and distribution of fertilizers, seedling management and resources allocated to the ministry. She informed them that the ACC in 2012 and 2016 had made interventions in the ministry that resulted to putting together an institutional anti-corruption policy and monitoring for compliance at the Ministry of Agriculture respectively and will continue to do same in addressing other malfeasance in the sector.
She explained related corruption offences but not limited to misappropriation of public funds and property, protection of public revenue, abuse of office and position and influencing a public officer, offering, soliciting and accepting advantage, bid rigging among others.
In his statement, the Public Education Officer Mohamed Thullah encouraged the leadership of the ministry to establish and operationalize Integrity Management Committee to internalize the fight against corruption. He further went to state that an effective and efficient IMC will promote strong internal system to controlling corruption on a sustainable basis for the efficient management of resources and maintaining best practices.
He also underscored the significance of maintaining high ethical standards and integrity and cautioned them to resist and reject demands of corruption and to be mindful of their interaction with the public as well as supporting the fight against corruption.
Earlier in his brief statement, the Senior Public Education Officer Junisa Sankoh said the customized meeting was one of the many public education engagements undertaken by the Commission to educate the public on the evils of corruption as well as building public support and explained key approaches to the fight against graft.
Welcoming the ACC team, the District Agriculture Officer, Emmanuel Ballah Marah thanked the ACC for considering the Ministry of Agriculture to benefit from the Commission’s public education drive that will immensely serve as a guide to the workforce of the ministry. He expressed conviction that getting the agriculture sector right means getting the economy right and eventually will impact the development of the state. He therefore called for a holistic approach to the fight against corruption whilst citing climate change challenges that have significantly affected farming activities and yield across the country.