By Foday Moriba Conteh
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has stated on the 22nd July, 2020 that it wished to inform the general public that it has, in consultation and congruence with the Ministry of Basic and Senior Secondary Education (MBSSE), established and launched a Task Force, to eliminate malpractices and irregularities in public examinations to be conducted by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), following the signing of the Communiqué, on the 16th July, 2020, after a high-level consultative meeting held at the Atlantic Hotel in Freetown, involving key stakeholders in the education sector.
It further stated that the Task Force will collaborate with other partners, especially the Sierra Leone Police and MBSSE leadership, to promote and deepen integrity, accountability and sanity in the conduct of public examinations, namely; The National Primary School Examination (NPSE), The Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) and the West Africa Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
The Task Force, according to the ACC, will also be supported by a stand-by squad of the Elite Scorpion Squad of the Commission, who will swiftly move in, should intelligence establish organized examination malpractice cells and networks, and will arrest and detain all involved should they find evidence on site.
The Commission states how it wishes to draw the attention of the public to, Section 128 (3) of the Anti-Corruption Amended Act of 2019, which states that;
“A person who engages in corrupt activity or practice, in a programme organized or conducted by an educational institution or examination body, to confer advantage on himself or another person commits an offence”.
The ACC is further encourages the public to make complaints or reports to the ACC, at its 3 Gloucester Street, or Lotto Building, Tower Hill offices in Freetown, 10 Bo-Pujehun Drive, Kebbie Town in Bo, Reservation Road, Off Maxwell Khobe Street in Kenema, Mena Hills in Makeni, 27 Conteh Street in Port Loko and 37 Masingbi Road, 555 Spot in Kono; or on the hotlines 077-985-985, 077-986-986, or 515- free on all networks except Qcell.
The Commission also reassures the public of its unwavering commitment to controlling corruption at all levels, including in public examinations, which unfortunately had been largely plagued with organized and coordinated malpractices and irregularities.
