AYV News, September 4, 2023

The Deputy Commissioner of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), Augustine Foday Ngobie has assured Civil Society Organizations that their “voices are always part and parcel of the Campaign” against Corruption that the ACC is leading.

He confirmed this whilst making a statement at a One day Training for Civil Society Organizations on the theme “Combating Corruption with a Human Rights Based Approach in Sierra Leone – Developing a National Anti-Corruption Strategy Led by Civil Society”,  at the Methodist Church Hall, Kingharman Road, Freetown, organized by the Human Rights Defenders Network – Sierra Leone in partnership with Restitution Impact Limited.

Mr. Ngobie reechoed the enormous contributions they play as non-state actors, serving as the bridge between the ACC and the public in their complimentary role shown through their various advocacy campaigns.

He added that the Corruption Perception indexes that shows the Commission’s remarkable performance were conducted by Independent Civil Society bodies like the 2019 National Corruption Perception Index conducted by the Center For Accountability and the Rule of Law (CARL) and its partners; Global Corruption Perception Index by Transparency International; 2020 Global Afrobarometer Survey Index conducted by Institute for Governance Reform (IGR), among others.

“The relationship with CSOs is further reinforced in the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) which underscores that anti-corruption bodies must relate and collaborate with Civil Society Organizations in a bid to sustain the collective approach to the fight against corruption with the people at the center”, the DC averred.

He furthered that the ACC has been providing capacity as well as financial support to CSOs in carrying out their advocacy campaigns that fall within its mandate and purview. He therefore thanked the Human Rights Defenders Network, and assured them of the Commission’s unreserved support within the framework of its mandate.

Earlier, Director of Education, Communication and Training of the Human Rights Commission, Sierra Leone, Richard Tamba M’bayo revealed that the Commission has been working with the ACC to maximize its very mandate. “If you have Corruption at its minimum, human rights will be at its maximum”, he underscored.

He therefore commended the ACC, adding that the amendment of its 2008 Act in 2019 with stiffer sanctions re-empowered the institution in its efforts to tackle the menace – Corruption.

Co-Founder and Director of Restitution, Chris Duckett also talked about the negative impacts of Corruption and how the institution-Restitution, has been working with its partners to help recover and return stolen assets to its place of origin. This he said is what informs the partnership forged with the ACC.

Similar training will hold on Thursday 31st August, 2023, ar the same venue, targeting Representatives from various Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies.