ACC Commissioner delivers lecture at Njala University, Bo Campus
The Commissioner of the Anti-Corruption Commission, Sierra Leone, Mr. Joseph Fitzgerald Kamara Esq. (in photo) delivered a public lecture at the Njala University Torwama Campus on Saturday 25th June, 2011 on the topic ‘FIGHTING CORRUPTION: A NATIONAL CONCERN’.
The lecture which commenced at 12:17 hours attracted over three hundred (300) students and forty (40) lecturers from the Torwama and Korwama locations of the Bo Campus. The session was chaired by the Acting Deputy Registrar Njala University, Bo Campus Mr. Joseph Magnus French, whilst the Deputy Vice Chancellor, Professor Gregory M.T. Roberts and Haja Hawa Turay member of the ACC Advisory Board were among the dignitaries that benefited from the lecture.
The Commissioner began his lecture by formally recognizing and introducing Haja Hawa Turay to the audience having gone through parliamentary approval upon her appointment by H.E Dr. Ernest Bai Koroma as member of the ACC Advisory Board.
ACC boss delivering the lecture
On the lecture proper, Commissioner, Joseph Kamara with PowerPoint presentation touched on the objectives of The United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) being strategic to the fight against graft in Sierra Leone. UNCAC, the Commissioner emphasized is to promote and strengthen measures to prevent and combat corruption more effectively and efficiently. He underscored the point that, UNCAC, also promote, facilitate and support international cooperation and technical assistance in the prevention and fight against corruption including asset recovery. The Commissioner, Mr. Kamara indicated that corruption has been nationally and internationally recognized as an issue. He therefore dilated on the causes, cost and conducive factors for corrupt practices and the types of corruption. Noteworthy also is that, the Commissioner at a point made the lecture interactive where he asked students to give practical examples from the University stand point that are types of corruption. The lecturer, Mr. Joseph Kamara also threw light on the three strategies employed by the Commission to fight corruption, which are: prevention, education and enforcement.
Cross section of Njala students listening to the lecture
As part of the lecture, Mr. Kamara made reference to the importance of record keeping as most government institutions have poor record keeping mechanisms. He used the example of unthinkable issues that surfaced during the investigations of the (33) thirty three 40 feet containers that were illegally loaded with timber but said to be scrap metal which were intercepted by the ACC.
In concluding his lecture, the Commissioner displayed slides that had to do with the Commission’s engagement with Civil Society groups, blind school etc. as moves the Commission has made to educate the public on the ills of corruption, consequently enlisting their efforts in destroying the threat. After the presentation, the Commissioner received a thunderous applause from students and lecturers as a manifestation of their appreciation and the appropriateness of the lecture.
The chairman Mr. J.M French after the lecture described the Commissioner as a teacher and not a Lawyer. Questions and contributions from the audience climaxed the lecture, as Mr. Charles E. Tucker and Mr. Sylvanus F. Boima made valuable and meaningful contributions.
Anthony B. Samu, ACC District Coordinator, Bo.
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