ACC partners with maternal child health aide in Magburaka
The Anti–Corruption Commission on Friday the 13th August 2011 met with the Maternal Child Health Aide (MCH-Aide), at the Magburaka Government Hospital.
Declaring the purpose of the meeting, the Tonkolili District Coordinator for ACC, Mr. Abdullia Saccoh, said, the MCH-Aide Nurses are strategic players in the development of Sierra Leone, the Commission relies on their different contributions in the fight against corruption. He added that partnership with the ACC will enhance improvement in their standard of living and prevent them from been corrupt when they become public officers in the future.
He encouraged them to make adequate use of the presence of ACC in Magburaka. He stressed that the Commission prefers making converts rather than convicts of corruption.
He further told the MCH-Aide students to love the country and change their corrupt Behaviour, Opinion, Attitude and Thoughts(BOAT) for our Children and children yet unborn.
In his overview of the Commission, the Public Education Officer, Al-Hassan Sesay of the ACC, explained what brought about the establishment of the Anti-Corruption Commission, the mandate, Vision and the three pronged approaches employed in the fight against corruption, Public Education, Prevention, and the Confrontational Approach.
He reiterated that, when the public has sound and adequate knowledge of the Commission and its operations, it will help them identify what makes them culpable or non-culpable by law and desist from corrupt acts and join the fight against corruption.
MCH-Aide Nurses at the meeting
In his address, the newly transferred Regional Manager North for ACC, Mr Patrick Sandi, started by defining some key terms in the Anti-Corruption Act 2008 that are sometimes confusing to some people. Words like, Public Body, Public Officer, Public Revenue and Fund, advantage, etc.
He highlighted some of the 27 offences as contained in the AC Act 2008, Part iv from section 26 -52 that are likely to be committed by Everybody in and out of Sierra Leone, such as, Corrupt Acquisition of wealth, Possession of an unexplained wealth, Offering, Soliciting and Accepting an Advantage, Corrupting a Public Officer, using Influence for Contract, Bid Rigging, Conflict of Interest, Misappropriation of Public Funds or Property, Donor Funds and property, Gifts, to name a few.
Manager Sandi went on to say that, it takes two to tango. So corruption is a two way traffic, the Giver and the Receiver.
Speaking on how to report and protection of informants, the Public Education Officer, Fatmata Finda Bockarie commented on the importance of reporting to the Commission, the different means used to report and the reward an informant receives for reporting to the Commission.
She also talked about the report centre, its operations and how it receives and processes reports from the public. She said some reports sent to the ACC are not corruption related but the Commission endeavours to respond appropriately to all reports received from the public. She encouraged participants to report corruption and assured them of the Commission’s protection and confidentiality and the 10% reward they stand to benefit when they report to the Commission. She gave them the ACC free hotlines they could use to report corruption.
In the chairman’s opening remarks, Mrs Theresa Moiwo, MCH-Aide Training Coordinator Tonkolili District, admonished all present to listen attentively to the message from the ACC because it is their Commission and should be ready to work with them at all times.
Aminata Sesay giving thanks to the ACC
Giving the vote of thanks, Aminata Sesay (above) an MCH-Aide Nurse in Training, thanked the ACC for creating a forum like this which she referred to as awareness raising and confidence building. She admitted that most of the issues discussed are affecting them directly and indirectly. she called on the ACC to continuously be visiting their school for such engagements in the future and to keep on the good work in developing this country.
She promised the ACC that the MCH-Aide Nurses in training in Magburaka will remain law abiding and will report any incident of corruption.
Questions and answers formed part of the session.
Stay with Sierra Express Media, for your trusted place in news!
© 2011, https:. All rights reserved.
