ACC presents monitoring reports on MDAs to stakeholders in Makeni
The Monitoring and Compliance Unit of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has on Thursday 2nd and Friday 3rd May 2013 presented monitoring reports to stakeholders at the SLTU Hall in Makeni. The monitoring reports were on the Ministries of Local Government (Local Councils), Health and Sanitation, Education and Agriculture.
Welcoming participants to the occasion, the Regional Manager, ACC North who also chaired the program Mr. Patrick Sandi, observed that it was an epoch-making event as the Commission was making another giant stride in combating graft in the country. Manager Sandi assured stakeholders that they will be opportuned to make inputs and suggestions to the reports. Mr. Sandi further maintained that before monitoring, diagnostic studies would have been done on MDAs to identify the shortfalls in their practices and procedures and proffer recommendations in the bid to reduce on the opportunities of corruption. These recommendations, Manager Sandi emphasized are to be implemented by MDAs, failing which sanctions would be invoked as provided for in Section 8 (4 and 5) of the AC Act 2008. Mr. Sandi encouraged ministry officials to see the process of monitoring as being in their interest and not meant to embarrass anyone. ACC Manager North re-echoed that the ministries of Health, Local Government, Agriculture and Education are very critical to Sierra Leone’s development agenda and as such their operations were to be transparent at all levels.
Addressing participants, the Chief Administrator Makeni City Council (MCC) Mr. Alhaji Alhaji Bangura who deputized the Mayor opined that Local Councils are an integral part to the development process of Sierra Leone. Mr. Bangura encouraged all to be nationalistic so that the country will forge ahead.
The Deputy Commissioner ACC, Mr. Morlai Buya Kamara underscored the point that to win the fight against corruption a lot of hard work has to be put into it. He disclosed that the monitoring reports are indicative of the fact that very little progress has been achieved by MDAs in terms of implementing the recommendations proffered in the Systems Review Reports. Mr. Buya Kamara urged stakeholders and officials of the ministries to take the report seriously this time around as the Commission was poised to deal with defaulters. The Deputy Commissioner implored all, particularly Civil Society Groups to give feedback to the Commission on people’s reactions to the findings of the reports.
Presenting the report on Local Councils and Agriculture, Mr. Patrick Monrovia, Head of Compliance Unit at the ACC noted that the exercise was done in 2012 and hoped that some improvements have taken place in the implementation of the recommendations; though there were gaps that needed to be filled he emphasized. The Head of Unit cited the strengthening of the Internal Audit and Human Resource Units of the Local Councils, as a challenge to be addressed by the Councils. He furthered that resources expended on vehicle maintenance and fuel by the Ministries of Agriculture and Health were also questioned by the reports.
Monitoring and Compliance Officer at the ACC, Mr. Samson Saidu highlighted lateness, absenteeism and lack of proper financial management by Heads of Schools in the utilization of school fee subsidies. He however, cautioned that such practices were to be stopped forthwith.
Similar presentation of the monitoring reports will be made this week in Bo and Kenema respectively.
ACC Makeni
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