Sierra Leone RSA Board Chair Assures Stakeholders in Moyamba & Pujehun

October 13, 2019

By Mohamed Lamrana Jalloh

The Chairman Board of Directors of The Sierra Leone Road Safety Authority (SLRSA) Sheikh Mustapha Bawoh at has told Stakeholders in Moyamba, Mattru Jong and Pujehun that the SLRSA cannot succeed without their support.

He made this statement at a Jam packed hall of District Stakeholders in Moyamba, Mattru Jong and Pujehun during the formal commissioning of the Authority’s 3 branch offices in the above mentioned districts.

Mr. Sheikh Bawoh said, the success of the SLRSA hinges on the shoulders of its stakeholders. He said the role of stakeholders both at national, Community and Regional levels should not in anyway be overemphasized.

He admonished them to take full advantage of the opportunity by ensuring that all vehicles; motor bikes, are licensed and insured. and that riders and drivers must always carry their Driver’s License and respect law enforcement officers.

“This is one of the series of goodies you stand to benefit from the the Management Team if the SLRSA and by extension the president Bio’s New Direction government depending on the support and positive collaboration we get from all stakeholders,” Mr. Bawoh said.

It could be recalled that in about a year ago after his appointment as the Chairman Board of Directors of the Sierra Leone Road Safety Authority – SLRSA, Mr. Bawoh has not only been providing the necessary support to the Executive Director Panda-Noah but has made it his responsibility to ensure that the Authority succeeds in delivering quality, efficient and sustainable service to the people of this country and thus help change the many negative stories on our roads.

AIM Sierra Leone Endorses ‘Bondo’ as part of Culture but Frowns on Cutting

October 13, 2019

By Ahmed Sahid Nasralla (De Monk)

The Amazonian Initiative Movement (AIM) is doggedly poised to transform the traditional Bondo Society in order to maintain our culture and tradition, but is calling for the elimination of the ‘harmful’ act of cutting.

In partnership with Purposeful, AIM is implementing a pilot project on the first alternative rite of passage in Sierra Leone commencing in December 2019.

The organization, working in five Northern districts of Port Loko, Karena, Bombali, Tonkolili and Koinadugu, has trained Soweis in Port Loko district and has had three public declarations of Soweis to stop the practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). The Soweis have handed in their working instruments, including their head ties in return for blue and yellow head ties as a sign to show that they are Soweis but are not practicing FGM anymore.

The Soweis are sent to adult literacy school to learn the basics; how to write and spell their names; and they are also empowered with basic skills in agriculture. The aim is to replace their livelihood and to train them to conduct the Bondo without any harm to initiates.

“I want people to know that I am part of the Bondo society and I like it so much but I hate FGM because of my experience and that of other women and children which I witnessed. We still have the highest infant mortality rate in the world but yet we are afraid to talk about FGM. If we don’t talk about FGM it will be difficult as a country to address infant mortality because one of the things promoting that is FGM,” said AIM’s Founder and Director, Rugiatu Neneh Turay.

According to AIM, Sierra Leone has more Bondo bushes than schools, hospitals,’Igbalehs’ and ‘Gbanikas’ and the North and North-West practice the worst form of FGM.

“Every village in this country has a Bondo bush and in the northern part, you have what we called ‘Yanka’ where women are still taking about two to three years inside with girls. All those years inside there they are not attending school. So If any Government is talking about promoting education, the focus should be more in the rural communities than in the urban towns,” noted Rugiatu.

Rural women and girls are the ones suffering the most, according to AIM. Most people that are educated hardly involve their children but they are the ones sponsoring the construction of Bondo bushes. It is difficult to find a politician in the North that is sponsoring the building of Bondo bushes but in the South and East, politicians have been bankrolling their construction, it also claims.

“We want politicians to stop the act of constructing Bondo bushes because they are not doing same for the Poro society. They are taking advantage of the high illiteracy rate among rural women to promote what will always put them at the back. We must put a stop to this,” Rugiatu appealed.

The organization has received 150 girls for training, but they are going to be properly scrutinized to ensure children below age 18 are excluded.

“The Bondo society is for women, not children,” Rugiatu emphasized. “We are not accepting anyone that is below the age of 18. We want people to see and admire them and that is the value we want to bring back.”

Within the same project, they will also be trained on the use of signs and language. Unlike male secret societies such as Ojeh, the organization has realized that members of the Bondo society have degrading ways of verifying if one is a member.

“So we have decided that inside the bush, we will develop language and signs. Those that have gone through the practice should be part of the training to understand the signs and language. We need to stop degrading ourselves when we meet at the Bondo bush,” said Rugiatu.

Furthermore, AIM is implementing a project called ‘Replacing the Bondo bush with schools’; working with children and communities that have agreed to replace their Bondo bushes with schools.

In Tonkolili district recently, reported AIM, a community agreed to remove a Poro bush (the male version of Bondo) and the organization is now building a school in its place. The community agreed that the entire section should have a single Poro bush and the organization is in talks with the Soweis to also have one Bondo bush.

The organization believes this will help them monitor the Bondo bushes and ensure no cutting takes place.

“If we do not start to protect our children at this age for them to know that they are being trained into womanhood through our culture, they will think that everything about a woman is pain. The Bondo society is an institution where we meet and interact irrespective of our political alliances, educational background and status. When we are in the society we are all the same and so we want to ensure we bring back the good things that have been eroded,” said Rugiatu.

She added: The focus for now is to stop the cutting but we want to make sure we bring the good things back and we are ready to do so this December 2019. We are calling on everyone to see the need to join the campaign to maintain Bondo without FGM. Bondo is our culture and it is my identity as a Sierra Leonean woman but the trouble in there which is not good hygienically is what we are trying to address.”

InWE-Sierra Leone Raises Awareness on Child Marriage and Teen Pregnancy

October 13, 2019

By Foday Moriba Conteh

In the bid to end child marriage and teen pregnancy in Sierra Leone, Initiative for Women Empowerment Sierra Leone (InWE-SL), a female-led organization in partnership with Marie Stopes Sierra Leone and Girls Not Brides USA has on Friday 11^th October, 2019 conducted a one day awareness raising on Child Marriage and Teen Pregnancy at Kankaylay Islamic School in Wellington, Freetown.

Speaking at the ceremony, Founder/Executive Director Initiative for Women Empowerment Sierra Leone, Isatu Sawudatu Kargbo, said the International Day of the Girl Child is an international observance day declared by the United Nations on 11^th October 2012, adding that the observation supports more opportunities for girls and increases awareness of gender inequality faced by girls worldwide based upon their gender. She stated that the inequality include areas such as access to education, nutrition, legal rights, medical care and protection from discrimination, violence against women and forced child marriage.

The Executive Director said that in celebrating the day we must reflect on the successful emergence of girls and young women as a distinct cohort in development policy, programming, campaigning and research.

She disclosed that Initiative for Women Empowerment is a female-led organization established to address issues that are affecting women and girls in our society and to bring out possible solutions for their development for sustained nation building.

She admonished pupils to take their studies serious underscoring how education is the key to success, adding that education is a process of learning that one goes through in order to become somebody in society. In that vein she encouraged them to take this is an opportunity for them to achieve their dreams and become great people in society who will in return give back to society.

She called on the Government of Sierra Leone to review a customary marriage law which states that a girl will get married with the consent of her parents even when the child is not willing. That, she said, is tantamount to a violation of the right of the child.

Youth and Adolescent Mobilization Officer, Western Area -Marie Stopes Sierra Leone, Fayia Foray congratulated the girls as they celebrate a remarkable day in their lives, noting that the observation supports more opportunities for girls, increase awareness and about what they are doing as an organization.

He disclosed that Marie Stopes has been around for over 33 years with the main focus on women and girls ensuring that they have access to correct Sexual and Reproductive Health Information and Family Planning.

He said that family planning services are defined as “educational, comprehensive medical or social activities which enable individuals, including minors to determine freely the number and spacing of their children and to select the means by which this may be achieved.” He encouraged the children to take their studies serious admonishing them to abstain from sex or use family planning services in order to avoid unwanted pregnancy.

A teacher of the Kankaylay Islamic School Wellington, Kadiatu Bangura, thanked Initiative for Women Empowerment Sierra Leone (InWE-SL) for the awareness raising confessing how it is the first time to have such an awareness on child marriage, teenage pregnancy, sexual reproductive issues in their school.

She advised children to abstain from sex or use family planning services in order to prevent themselves from unwanted pregnancy; she also urged Government to pay more attention on addressing issues of the girl child in the country.

Fatmata Bangura, one of the participants, thanked Initiative for Women Empowerment Sierra Leone, Marie Stopes Sierra Leone and Girls Not Brides USA for the awareness raising expressing hope that the awareness will impact positively on them as children. She revealed that they were hitherto ignorant of the negative effects of Teenage Pregnancy, Early marriage etc. but with the knowledge gained it will help them to be more robust in overcoming the aforementioned issues in their daily lives.

The event was climaxed with the distribution of exercise books to the pupils who participated in the event.

Orange Sierra Leone Briefs Newsmen on latest Successes

October 13, 2019

By Fatmata Jengbe

Orange Sierra Leone, a result-oriented GSM mobile operator, has on Friday 11^th October, 2019 briefed media practitioners about the company’s achievements and immediate plans. The disclosure by the company was made during a quarterly Press Conference held at Bliss Restaurant on Wilkinson Road in Freetown.

In her address to media practitioners, Head of Public Relations, Orange-Sierra Leone, Annie Wonnie Katta, dilated on how Orange is globally recognized as a multi- service provider in Sierra Leone for the past three years, and already they have stamped their innovative footprints in the country.

She furthered how progress made over the past three years has merely laid out the foundation for the rolling out of their wider ambition which is to introduce and implement new technologies for businesses of all kinds across the country.

She also stated that since the inception of Orange’s operations in Sierra Leone, the company has invested about $112 million dollars in the areas of networking, modernization and expansion of human resources as well as in rolling out its Corporate Social Responsibility.

“Orange has invested about $96 million dollars in modernizing and expanding its network infrastructure and remains committed to provide the best telecoms services in Sierra Leone to ensure its customers get an unmatched experience,” she revealed noting that the Company has embarked on network expansion investment to add to the 247 sites inherited from Airtel.

“We constructed 45 new sites in 2017 and 42 in 2018. In the beginning of 2019 the company committed to construct an additional 55 new sites. Today, it has completed 34 out of the 55 sites committed in 2019, thereby connecting more than 1,170 new localities, with thousands of Sierra Leoneans now accessing data, voice and financial services for the first time,” she maintained.

Annie informed how the company can comfortable boast of the owner of 367 sites across the widest network coverage in Sierra Leone covering about 74% of the country’s population. She stated that in respect of human resources, Orange has invested about $16 million dollars in the last two years.

“The company prides itself in capacity building by ensuring that its employees benefit from trainings to ensure retention and provides exposure opportunities to other Orange affiliates,” media practitioners were told.

She continued by stating that Orange-Sierra Leone, being a multi service provider and responsible corporate citizen places emphasis on corporate social investment.

In the last two years, according to her, the company has invested about $400,000 dollars mainly in the areas of women empowerment, health, education and the environment. She noted that Orange-SL still remains the first operator in Sierra Leone to contribute to the Government’s free quality education (FQE) agenda by pledging the sum of $1.5 million in material assistance over a period of five years beginning from 2019.

The Head of Public Relations continued by saying that Orange-SL will be launching their Orange Social Venture this week during which innovation, entrepreneurship and leadership will be featured. She added that on the 31^st May Orange-SL in partnership with the Directorate of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI) launched their first coding school in Sierra Leone with an estimated cost of about 2.75 billion Leones also disclosing how the coding school will commence in December 2019, with the aim to train youths in coding and other software skills in readiness for the country’s digital transformation and to foster entrepreneurship, reduce unemployment as well as develop the country’s in innovation ecosystem.

She assured the nation that they will continue to use their network asset and strength by being the first movers always in the introduction of interesting offers, products and services, noting that two weeks ago they launched “Chacha”, a non-binding and non-commitment daily subscription offer that gives 10 minute talk time that starts immediately after subscription and by dialing 808 subscribers can benefit from their daily, weekly or monthly offers.

She said that Orange remains committed to be the best as a class multi-service provider, a major contributor to the well-being of Sierra Leoneans and also lead the digital transformation. “We have tried to understand the needs and value of Sierra Leoneans and how we can connect them with the Orange brand.

Our aim is to give people what is really essential in their lives and relevant to their localities with international standards, providing them with an unmatched experience and the platform to grow,” she expressed optimism.

The Country Can’t Afford Excessive Public Spending… Sierra Leone Govt. Must Enforce Strict Austerity Measures

October 13, 2019

Commentary

By Amin Kef Sesay

As the former President of Brazil, Lula da Silva, said, “Poor countries must give an example of honesty, of ethics so that we truly deserve the solidarity from millions and millions of people who would like to contribute but sometimes are not sure their money will go where it should go.”

Public outrage is building fueled by regular reports of Government extravagance in decorating offices, travelling with big entourages, inexplicably excessive catering costs, using public funds to pay for frivolous goods and services and staying in five-star hotels.

The huge appetite of our civil servants to spend money like the country is as rich as UAE has to stop. All the MDAs must be put on a strict spending diet and their frivolous salaries and perks curtailed.

MDAs that refuse to restrict their budget spending to the ceilings given them should be sanctioned by the Ministry of Finance.

Belt tightening, cost-cutting; these should be the watchwords for all the MDAs – Knowing that the economy is constricted, foreign aid not flowing in liberally as it used to.

Permanent Secretaries, vote controllers, ministers, heads of the MDAs, you guys know that that there are many opportunities to cut or minimize costs and stop abuse of public money, with the aim of improving the quality of public expenditure, making resources available for the implantation of the National Development Plan, and to combat waste, inefficiency and corruption.

To pay the current huge public debt, abuse of public funds by Government officials must stop. Parliament, Audit Service and ACC must act strongly on this issue as have other platforms and organizations.

There should be strict new guidelines for the purchase of cars, overseas and local travel, housing, the use of consultant services, catering and advertising. Parliament and the public must be empowered to monitor compliance.

Government is duty-bound to provide citizens with value for money. In terms of rebuilding confidence in the Government, the NPPA must develop a plan to ensure that competition is not undermined by collusive practices; such as unearthed at the COI on the Sewa Grounds Market project.

Vehicles – The cost limits for official cars will be standardized; Bulk purchasing will be used to reduce costs; No compensation for use of personal cars.

Overseas delegations – Business class only for Ministers; Direct routes to be used; Number of officials to be kept to a minimum.

Housing – Better to repair, refurbish and build new Government quarters than to rent at exorbitant rates.

Our approach to reducing costs and eliminating wasteful expenditure in the rest of Government should focus on: The largest is consultant services. There are of course necessary engineering and advisory services employed by Government departments. However, we need: Better contract management; stricter control of consultancy fees; each Government entity to develop a consultancy reduction plan over the course of this financial year.

Catering and event costs: Guidelines should be developed for reducing event costs, including better use of Government facilities rather than outside venues for meetings; No public funds to be used for purchase of alcohol.

Accommodation leases – Steps should be taken to reduce long term office accommodation and Government housing costs and make further savings from electricity demand in Government buildings.

It is the responsibility of the Leader of Government Business to engage with Parliament on measures to reduce costs if they intend to help the Bio government make Salone Betteh.

WOFHRAD-Sierra Leone Coordinator Talks tough on International Day of the Girl Child

October 13, 2019

By Theresa Vamboi

As International Day of the Girl Child was celebrated on the 11^th October 2019 with the theme “Girlforce Unscripted and Unstoppable” the Coordinator of Women’s Forum for Human Rights and Democracy (WOFHRAD), Madam Emilia, has called on all, especially young girls, to be focused and ready to stand the test of times to achieve their goals.

She highlighted that coming from a home where her father was a private in the military and a mother who was a palm wine seller, she never knew she was going to reach the point she has achieved in life. “But at some stage I said to myself no one is going to stop me,” she expressed determination.

She encouraged men to be mentors to our girls and not tormentors.

“They need your PROTECTION not your PENETRATION, yes they need you to GUIDE them not to MISGUIDE them. Let us make a world safe for our Girls. Do not take advantage of them because of their age otherwise they will get back on you.

On behalf of the Women’s Forum for Human Rights and Democracy (WOFHRAD-SL) I want to wish all our girls happy International Day of the Girl Child. And to all partners working to protect girls I say a very big thank you. To those men who have promised to protect our girls I say Bravo. To those of you who will not hands off our girls will see you at the PRISONS,” she maintained.

Legal Aid Board holds fruitful Discussions with Sierra Leone VP

October 13, 2019

By Amin Kef Sesay

Justice Miatta Samba, the Executive Director, Ms. Fatmata Claire Carlton-Hanciles and the Registrar and Program Manager, Mr. Joseph Dumbuya of the Legal Aid Board have held their first meeting with the Honorable Vice President, Dr. Mohamed Juldeh Jalloh.

Discussions centered around expanding and strengthening the work of the Board in Correctional Centers around the country, working closely with the Justice Sector Development Project, targeting activists of the various political parties for community outreach events, making conditions of service of staff particularly Lawyers competitive, having the Board on the Presidential Pardon Committee and tapping into donor funds meant for access to Justice.

The Chair and the Executive Director also briefed the Vice President on the achievements of the Board, noting that the Board has a presence in 14 of the 16 Districts in the country.

In the furtherance of its work, last week when Jenneh Sesay of Melron Street in Wellington paid a visit to the Legal Aid Board Office in Freetown to plead for legal assistance for her indigent son Ibrahim who was remanded at the Pademba Road Correctional Center, her plea was addressed by the Board as she received medical support for the severe burns in her face.

Jenneh is epileptic. In November 2018 she had an attack while preparing food for the family. She fell on the fire at a time when there was nobody to come to her rescue. As a result she sustained severe burns which disfigured her face.

She was admitted at the Rokupa Hospital and subsequently discharged. She returned home to face a new reality of living with a disfigured face. To add insult to injury, she also had to continue life at least for the time being without her son who is remanded at the Pademba Road Correctional Center.

The quest for justice for her son led her to visit the Legal Aid Board office in Freetown in July 2019 to plead for legal assistance for her son who had been charged with causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

At the Legal Aid Board she secured assistance for herself and her son. “We are going to assist you and your indigent son,” the Executive Director of the Board, Fatmata Claire Carlton-Hanciles told her. She referred her to Dr. Fadlu-Deen who is the Board’s focal person at the Connaught Hospital for further medical treatment.

As part of an agreement based on trust with the office of the Chief Medical Officer, sick clients discharged from correctional centers in Freetown are referred to the Connaught Hospital for free medical attention and treatment.

The Authorities at the Connaught hospital referred Jenneh to the Ministry of Health and Sanitation since hospitals do not have the facility for plastic surgery. The case was consequently referred to State House for possible assistance with plastic surgery abroad.

It was all smiles when Jenneh reported how Government has agreed to fund her operation in India and also importantly to thank the Executive Director for ensuring she benefits from a facility meant for its clients. She will be leaving for India next week.

Ms. Carlton-Hanciles took the opportunity to thank the Government for the gesture and the authorities at the Connaught Hospital for their support to sick clients of the Board. “I cannot imagine releasing sick clients from prisons and cells into the community who do not have money to buy food let alone medical treatment,” she said.

Meanwhile, Jenneh’s son Ibrahim is among 141 inmates/cases represented by the Board in the September Criminal Call Over sessions of the High Court around the country. However, Ibrahim is still at the Pademba Road Correctional Center because he could not fulfil the bail conditions.

As her departure date draws near, Jenneh has still not got anybody to stay in her apartment whilst she is away in India which is why she is again seeking the assistance of the Board with fulfilling her son’s bail conditions.

Sierra Leone Deputy APC Leader & Former Minister of State Walk Free

October 13, 2019

Alhaji-Minkailu-Mansaray — Minkailu Mansaray

By Amin Kef Sesay

This news medium has intimated that the High Court of Sierra Leone, Holden at Freetown, presided over by the Honourable Mr. Justice Reginald Sydney Fynn Jr. has on Friday 11th October 2019 acquitted and discharged Alhaji Minkailu Mansaray, APC Deputy Chairman/former Cabinet Minister and Mohamed Allie Bah Former Minister of State, Vice President’s Office, on all counts of corruption offences for which they were standing trial after a “no case submission” on their behalf was upheld.

It was, however, made clear that the trial continues against former Vice President Victor Bokarie Foh and two others. After the ruling the Commission said it will review it and determine further steps to be taken where necessary.

In another development, Justice Fynn convicted Lieutenant Commander of the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF), Jonathan Michael Jenkins, on two counts of Soliciting an Advantage, Contrary to Section 28(2) and Abuse of Office, Contrary to Section 42(1) of the Anti-Corruption Act, No 12 of 2008 respectively.
The court ordered him to pay a total fine of One Hundred Million Leones (Le 100,000,000) for both counts or serve a jail term of Four (4) years on each count, concurrently. Justice Fynn Jnr. also ordered Lieutenant Commander Jenkins to pay the total fine immediately or suffer imprisonment.

Between the 27th October 2016 and 31st December 2016, at Kortimow Wharf in Port Loko District, Lieutenant Commander Jenkins being the Officer-in-Charge of a Forward Operations Base in Port Loko, solicited an Advantage to wit the sum of One Million Leones (Le1,000,000) from one Sheku Kamara, owner of a boat named ‘Saiyenoh’. He also improperly conferred an Advantage on himself by retaining proceeds from the sale of petrol and diesel seized from the said boat.

The Commission has assured the people of Sierra Leone of its relentless commitment in curbing impunity in the public service.

Sierra Leoneans Express Hope over imminent return of Frank Timis

October 13, 2019

By Samuel Serry Jr.

The mining sector in this country is one that many expect, if properly managed and the proceeds derived from it judiciously expended, will to a large extent accelerate economic growth. Indeed if news of an imminent return of Frank Timis is anything to go by, then Sierra Leoneans can only expect better days.

It was understood that the mining investor has through his legal representative contacted the Government of Sierra Leone to lift the suspension on his mining license to clear the way for a new investment package that will automatically employ over 20,000 Sierra Leoneans.

The exact details of the new mining agreement with Government are yet unknown but very competent sources say both parties have acknowledged a need to move forward with an investment that will significantly boost the country’s GDP and lift it out of its current economic quagmire.

It will be recalled that it was Timis who developed the Tonkolili mines with first class mining infrastructure including a railway that runs through Tonkolili, Port Loko and Bombali. However, his mining license was canceled in somewhat controversial circumstances in 2017 while 75% of his African Minerals shares taken over by a Chinese company, Shandong.

He was largely credited by reputable institutions including the World Bank to have contributed to Sierra Leone’s rapid economic growth between 2014 and 2016 by paying over US 100,000,000 (One Hundred Million United States Dollars) as advance tax to Government. Timi’s US$3.2 Billion investment was undoubtedly the major reasons for the good road infrastructure we see in Sierra Leone today.

There is palpable anxiety in every street corner with news of the return of Frank Timis. There is no doubt that this will not only bring our economy back on track but will also restore hope to a country desperately anxious to catch up with the rest of the world.

Sierra Leone CSOs throw weight behind ACC at Budget Hearing

October 13, 2019

By Brima Sannoh

As the ongoing budget hearing gains momentum, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) on Wednesday 9th October 2019 presented its budget for the 2020 Fiscal Year to the Ministry of Finance at the Miatta Conference Centre in Freetown.

Making the opening statement at the presentation of the budget, Augustine Foday Ngobie, Deputy Commissioner of the ACC expressed unreserved satisfaction to the Government of Sierra Leone and development partners for bankrolling the activities of the ACC over the past years, which has led to the outstanding results produced by the Commission. He reminded all that the fight against corruption was a national concern which features in Cluster 4 of the National Development Plan.

ACC’s Director of Finance Sheku Kanu, made the budget presentation on behalf of the Commission, in the presence of officials of the Ministry of Finance, Non-State Actors, District Budget Oversight Committees, Civil Society Activists and the Media.

According to him, the Commission was able to far exceed its major deliverables in the area of public education and outreach activities, strengthening of public sector institutions, recovery of stolen public funds, cases investigated and prosecuted, and conviction secured.
Speaking on the challenges confronting the Commission, Mr Kanu highlighted the lack of office accommodation, inadequate allocation for capital development expenditure, inadequate staff, among others.

He said the Commission was requesting for Eight Billion Leones for recurrent costs for the 2020 fiscal year in a bid to complete its proposed headquarter building at Tower Hill, maintain the courtroom dedicated for the hearing of corruption cases and fully operate its North-West Regional Office which will be formally opened this month.

Jacob T. Senessie, Assistant Director of Budget of the Ministry of Finance, who also served as Chairman of the occasion, praised the ACC team for its brilliant presentation and staunch defense of its budget; and expressed commitment on the part of the Ministry to continue to provide the necessary resources for the Commission to achieve its desired goal of controlling corruption in the country.

Abu Bakar Kamara, Coordinator of Budget Advocacy Network recommended that the Ministry of Finance revisit the policy of giving only 10 percent of funds recovered to the ACC. He suggested that a higher percentage of funds recovered should be allocated to the Commission to further arm them to enlarge the scope of their non-conviction assets recovery.

Gladys Hastings Spaine, Secretary General of the Women’s Forum expressed satisfaction over the fight against corruption, especially the unprecedented war waged on examination malpractice.

In his contribution, Thomas Moore Conteh, Executive Director of the Citizens Advocacy Network stated in very unequivocal terms that the resources requested for the ACC were in sharp contrast to the enormous task surrounding the Commission.

He said if the country was to continue to make massive gains in the fight against corruption; the ACC should be given the required support, especially in light of the massive recoveries made by the Commission in the last one year. “Based on the results produced by the ACC over the year, instead of limiting the scope of the Commission, the Ministry should rather make genuine efforts to provide more incentives for its work,” Mr Conteh added.

Similar sentiments were re-echoed by other non-state actors including Moses Mambu of the Civil Society Consortium on Accountability and Service Delivery, Alphonso Manley of the Civil Rights Coalition and Charles Kef-Kobai of Forward Sierra Leone.

Abu Bakar Kamara of Budget Advocacy Network moved a motion that the Eight Billion Leones requested by the ACC for its recurrent costs for 2020 be adopted; a motion that was seconded by Gladys Hastings Spaine of Women’s Forum.

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