By: Mohamed Sylvanus Blake, Public Relations Officer, ACC
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on Tuesday 27th August 2024, played host to key accountability State institutions, to forge, synergize, and coordinate efforts, resources, skills, expertise and information in the bid to enhance, deepen and broaden the accountability and integrity space in Sierra Leone.
The meeting, which was held in the Conference Hall of the Commission’s Integrity House Tower Hill in Freetown comprised, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), the Audit Service Sierra Leone (ASSL), the National Public Procurement Authority (NPPA), and the National Monitoring and Evaluation Agency (NAMEA), focused on discussing the development of a Joint Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to streamline and sanitize the collaboration among these institutions,ensuring that their interconnected activities, operations, roles and mandatesare executed efficiently.
In welcoming the team, the Commissioner of ACC, Francis Ben Kaifala Esq., underscored the importanceand benefits of the creation of a common forum. He stated that as partners we have been complementing each other in many ways. It is critical that we develop an operational forum, to support each other through the exchange of vital data and information and knowledge sharingg, technically positioning our institutions to positively make use of the manpower, technical, and professional resources of each other as and when needed. He encouraged all to hold tight for fruitful deliberations.
In his statement on the purpose of the meeting, the Deputy Commissioner, ACC, Augustine Foday Ngobie, said that the Commissionn have had positive and progressive formal bilateral relationships with the NPPA and ASSL, through the MoUs signed, which have positively impacted and continue to impact the Commission’s work, the fight against corruption and the promotion of accountability and transparency. Mr. Ngobie also furthered that, the objective of the meeting was to see how the four key accountability institutions-ACC-SL, ASSL, NPPA, and NAMEA, can forge an Alliance through a Joint Memorandum of Understanding that will containtheir expected roles and responsibilities for effective collaboration and swift response to accountability and service delivery issues. ‘’We have all been working together to make the accountability regime and space effective, accountable, and efficient. I believe we still have more to deliver for our people, and having an integrated route to this will help substantially. This will be a good thing for the public to see’’,headded.
In his submission, the Director-General of NAMEA, Dr. James Edwin, emotionally said,“This is huge. Having a collective partnership like this,as discussed before, will be a dream come through. The sum is always bigger than the parts. The bilateral agreements and MOUs are good, but this will be best,’’he noted strongly. He also stated that when the MoU is fully developed, and operationalized,it will help to consolidate and direct our efforts, powers, and resources, share experiences, and undo bureaucracies. He pledged his institution’sunwavering commitment to the process.
Speaking at the meeting, Aiah G. Tugbawa, Deputy Auditor-General, ASSL, lauded the ACC for leading the process to further consolidate the partnership among the key accountability functionaries. He reiterateded that the mandate of ASSL, is to audit and report to the House of Parliament, noting that,ssince the ASSL signed an MoU with ACC-SL, which has been periodically reviewed, ASSL is impressed with the results obtained so far, in holding public officers/persons and institutions accountable for issues raised in Annual and Technical Audit Reports. Partnership of this kind will be mutually beneficial, Mr. Tugbawa emphasized. “At ASSL, we are accountants and auditors. When we need clarifications on and interpretations of legal and policy regimes regarding procurement, anti-corruption, and monitoring and evaluation issues, we can easily reach out for help to partneragencies, in the interest of our respective jobs andcountry. We are certain this will help enormously’’, he furthered.
Francis M. Gbaya Esq., the Director of Legal and Corporate Affairs, NPPA also expressed optimism for the move. He affirmed that such initiative will further synergize the collective efforts of all in promoting accountability and transparency in the public sector. Lawyer Francis Gbaya further said that the ACC and NPPA signed an MoU in 2018, which has helped the work of both institutions and the country, and was certain that this endeavour will bring about great results.
Speaker after speaker pledged their commitments to the execution of the initiative. Key officers from the four (4) institutions were identified to lead in the drafting of the collaborative framework within two weeks.
The meeting which ended in a high spirit of optimism for delivery, was chaired by Patrick Sandi, Director of Public Education and External Outreach, ACC.
