In a bid to update the public and other community stakeholders on the PNB campaign, share its success stories with them, and galvanize their support, intensive community engagements have been conducted in five chiefdom head quarter towns in Kenema District. These exercises started on the 28th February and continued on the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 6th March 2017 in Tongo-Lower Bambara; Boajibu, Giema Dama, Gorahun Tunkia and Panguma towns respectively.
In his presentation, the Public Education Officer Sam P. Gogra said, the Pay No Bribe Campaign is a DFID funded three year project meant to fight bribery and petty corruption and restore public and investor confidence. On the methods of reporting, he emphasized that the easiest means of reporting is by calling the free toll line 515 from all networks across the country and it is 100% anonymous. He stated that the PNB is a diagnostic tool aimed at addressing corruption allegations through administrative efforts such as warnings, transfers, terminations etc.
Public Education Officer Sylvanus M. Blake gave a vivid account of reports received as they relate to the pilot entities. He said that the resolve of the public to ensure that bribery is eliminated had resulted in the numerous reports registered on the PNB portal. The reports he said raised key concerns in institutions and how the PNB seeks to address them. He noted that the numerous complaints against the SLP for instance led to the summoning of Assistant Inspector Generals (AIGs) and other divisional heads of the Police by the SLP Leadership to find ways to resolve the problems. The issues of paying monies for bail and the erection of illegal checkpoints were major issues that were very outstanding in the reports. Mr. Blake stated that this prompted the AIG to summon all relevant stakeholders including the ACC on the 28th December 2016 and placed an unconditional ban on and requested the immediate removal of all ungazetted/illegal checkpoints in the East. This move saw the removal of twelve of such checkpoints in the East and similarly, a joint CDIID and ACC monitoring team of checkpoints, the banning of Saturdays classes in Kenema, condemnation of all illegal extortion of monies in schools and monitoring same for MEST, MOHS, EDSA and SALWACO.
In demonstrating the use of the reporting platform, the NMJD (Network Movement for Justice and Development) Animator Alpha S. Lavallie explained clearly the various methods of reporting on the PNB platform including the use of the mobile APP/Tablet. He reminded the participants that the system has provisions for reporting in the local languages of Krio, Temne and Mende, and that the system only accepts anonymous reports. Moses Kamara another NMJD Animator also made a passionate appeal to the various stakeholders to always contact them if they have issues to report on and not to treat them as adversaries.
Posters carrying PNB messages were distributed and displayed whilst questions and answers session formed the high point of the meetings.
