By Foday Moriba Conteh
In a bid to enhance proper coordination in providing reliable and relevant information on corrupt practices and other corruption-related matters to the Anti- Corruption Commission the institution has on Thursday 5th December 2019, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with two leading civil society organizations, Citizens Advocacy Network otherwise known as CAN; and a Sierra Leonean Tech Giant Firm, Fix Solution. The signing ceremony took place at the Anti-Corruption Commission Head Office at Gloucester Street, Freetown
The MOU will among other things, formalize the agreement among the three institutions to work in partnership to provide reliable and relevant information on corrupt practices and other corruption-related matters.
Underscoring the agreement package, CAN will support the public education drive of the Anti-Corruption Commission in the form of civic education while Fix Solution will provide innovative technological approaches in the fight taking the form of data gathering and analysis to support fact-based decision making.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Anti-Corruption Commissioner Francis Ben Kaifala Esq stated that it is always a great thing when the Commission enlarges its team and membership by enlisting the support of relevant sectors of the society who are not official members of staff but can play crucial roles in the fight against corruption.
“Our number is few, the task at hand is huge, the considerations are many, the challenges are great; but when we have credible institutions like CAN and Fix Solution who willingly came up and identified themselves with what the ACC is doing for country and decided to join us, is something which gives us great hope. We are therefore thankful to CAN and its partner institution, Fix Solution, for joining the ACC in this great crusade against corruption; and we look forward to working with them going forward to change the destiny of our country,” he said.
Commissioner Kaifala further admonished CAN that the partnership is not intended to take away any independence from CAN in its advocacy drive. “Let us work together as partners, but separate in our ways and mandates,” he said.
Executive Director of Citizens Advocacy Network Thomas Moore Conteh, disclosed in very unequivocal terms that corruption is a cankerworm that has eaten deeply into the fabric of our nation; which requires the intervention of all citizens to eradicate it—in a bid to change the face of the country. He expressed appreciation to the ACC for the fortitude, courage and determination shown in the fight. “Our intervention as partners will primarily be on civic education, as we believe that having an enlightened citizenry about the dangers of corruption is a great step towards eradicating the menace,” he said.
The Chief Executive Officer of Fix Solution, Engineer Soriba Daffae expressed gratitude that as a science-led institution that develops systems for Government institutions, the signing of the MOU is an opportunity for his company to provide the much-needed support from a more technological approach to ACC in its effort to eradicate corruption; and help bring to light some of the challenges in the fight– many of which have to do with data—and to develop tech savvy applications and deploy powerful anti-corruption analysis. “Our relationship with CAN is anchored on providing scientific data to inform discussions in their activism; and this partnership agreement with ACC is tailored along that drive,”,Mr. Daffae said.
The signing ceremony was chaired by Augustine Foday Ngobie, Deputy Commissioner of the ACC, who noted that the signing of the MOU is a giant step in the right direction towards liberating our country from the prevailing dangers of corruption.
