The North-West Regional Office of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on Wednesday, 20th August 2025, engaged staff and students of the Port Loko School of Nursing (PLSN) on integrity and the role of higher institutions in supporting the fight against corruption.
The engagement, held under the “Meet the University” Campaign, formed part of the Commission’s public education drive aimed at sensitizing students and staff on corruption and soliciting their support in combating graft within tertiary institutions.
Addressing the gathering, ACC’s Regional Director, Zainab Othman, underscored the critical role of the nursing profession in delivering quality healthcare and safeguarding the nation’s human resource base. She described nursing as a calling rooted in compassion, service, and responsibility, stressing that a good nurse is judged not only by clinical skills but also by character and adherence to ethical principles. She encouraged student nurses to uphold professionalism, transparency, and accountability, which are crucial in preventing and combating corruption.
Madam Othman highlighted the prevalence of corruption in tertiary institutions and its negative impact on the quality of education. She cited Section 128(3) of the Anti-Corruption Act, 2008 (as amended in 2019), which criminalizes examination malpractice, making it punishable by a fine of Fifty Million Leones (Le 50,000,000) or five years imprisonment, or both. She urged school administrators to adopt best practices and institute mechanisms that promote transparency and integrity.
As part of the session, Madam Othman also explained several key corruption offences under the Act, including offering, soliciting, and accepting an advantage; misappropriation of public and donor funds; examination malpractice; soliciting advantage on behalf of a public officer; and corrupting a public officer, among others.
The engagement ended with a call for collective action to promote integrity within higher institutions. The ACC reaffirmed its commitment to education, prevention, and enforcement in ensuring that schools and colleges remain centres of excellence, ethics, and accountability.
