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Sierra Leone’s Anti-Corruption Commission Plans For The 5th Generation Strategy (2024-28)

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Last updated: 2023/08/06 at 8:14 AM

By Sallu Kamuskay Published August 6, 2023 7 Min Read

7 Min Read

Sierra Leone's Anti-Corruption Commission Plans For The 5th Generation Strategy (2024-28)

Sierra Leone’s Anti Corruption Commissioner, Francis Ben Kaifala, has once again demonstrated his unwavering commitment to fighting corruption and restoring integrity to the nation. With the successful implementation of the 4th generation National Anti-Corruption Strategy from 2018 to 2023, which focused on strong enforcement measures, the ACC has achieved remarkable success in combating corruption and holding the guilty accountable.

Building on this success, Francis Ben Kaifala and the ACC have embarked on a new initiative to develop a 5th generation strategy for the years 2024 to 2028. This time, however, they have taken a commendable approach by assembling a team of Indigenous Experts who will consult with people from all corners of the nation and gather valuable insights. This inclusive and transparent process ensures that the voices of the people are heard and their opinions valued, instilling hope and optimism among Sierra Leoneans.

Taking to his social media, ACC Commissioner noted “Following the VERY SUCCESSFUL implementation of the 4th generation National Anti-Corruption Strategy 2018-2023 which had STRONG ENFORCEMENT as its key Pillar, ACC has assembled new set of Indigenous Experts to consult nationally and prepare a NEW 5th Generation Strategy (2024-28)”

Following the VERY SUCCESSFUL implementation of the 4th generation National Anti-Corruption Strategy 2018-2023 which had STRONG ENFORCEMENT as its key Pillar, ACC has assembled new set of Indigenous Experts to consult nationally and prepare a NEW 5th Generation Strategy (2024-28) pic.twitter.com/T8iSYiawAZ

— Francis Ben Kaifala🇸🇱 (@FrancisKaifala) August 6, 2023

The President of the Republic of Sierra Leone, His Excellency Brig. (Rtd.) Dr. Julius Maada Bio, has re-appointed Francis Ben Kaifala to serve another five-year term as Commissioner of the Anti-Corruption Commission Sierra Leone (ACC-SL), pursuant to Section 4(1) of the Anti-Corruption Act, 2008 as amended in 2019. The renewal of tenure of the Commissioner was communicated by a letter of re-appointment dated 19th June, 2023 and took effect on 29th June, 2023, following the expiration of the first term on the 28th June, 2023.

The First five year-tenure of Commissioner Francis Ben Kaifala has seen Sierra Leone make remarkable gains in the fight against Corruption and recorded unprecedented progress in local and international corruption perception indexes and surveys including; the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) Scorecard, the Transparency International Corruption Perception Index, the Afro-Barometer Report, the Public Financial Management (PFM) Consortium National Corruption Perception Survey Report, etc.

In the past five years, Sierra Leone has been consistently exceptional in its score in the ‘Control of Corruption’ Indicator in the Millennium Challenge Corporation Scorecard, moving from 49 percent in 2017, to 83 percent and 79 percent in 2021 and 2022 respectively. Similar exponential jumps have been recorded in other reputable global corruption measurement institutions like Afrobarometer which confirmed that corruption prevalence has considerably reduced from 70% in 2015 to 40% in 2020, and a huge reduction in corruption prevalence in key public sector institutions and increased trust in the ACC from 43% in 2020 to 53% in 2022.

In the same vein, during the leadership of Francis Ben Kaifala, the ACC and Sierra Leone received many local and international accolades, laurels, awards and recognitions for efforts in the fight against corruption. In addition, the ACC made record convictions; recovered over Forty Five (45) Billion (Old) Leones cash; recovered vehicles, houses, and other immovables; and the period witnessed the construction and movement of the Commission into the Integrity House at Tower Hill; which now serves as the Commission’s new Headquarters Building in Freetown.

The ACC, in the last five years, embarked on a massive public education campaign on corruption issues across the country, as well as conducted systems and processes reviews of public offices, especially revenue generating institutions. The Commission also made corruption unfashionable by investigating and prosecuting persons suspected of committing acts of corruption, including those holding very high positions in Government.

Reacting to the re-appointment, the ACC Commissioner thanked President Bio for his unequivocal re-appointment and similarly congratulated him on his recent re-election as President of the Republic of Sierra Leone for a Second term. The Commissioner also wishes to thank, and continues to count on the Deputy Commissioner, the Board, Management and staff of the Commission; as well as the People of Sierra Leone for their continued belief and support.

Francis Ben Kaifala is the immediate past President of the Network of Anti-Corruption Institutions in West Africa (NACIWA) and an elected Board Member of the African Union Advisory Board on Corruption (AUABC). He lectures part-time, Commercial Law, at Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone.

Francis Ben Kaifala is a result oriented leader. He holds a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) Degree with Honours from Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone and was called to the Sierra Leone Bar in 2007 having passed the Sierra Leone Law School’s Bar Examinations as the “Star Pupil”. Francis holds the LL.M in International Financial Law and Economics from Queen Mary University of London. He is also alumnus of the prestigious Fulbright Program and graduated with the LL.M in Comparative Constitutional Law, Administrative Law and International Human Rights at the University of Texas at Austin. He was Human Rights Scholar at the Bernard and Audre Rapoport Centre for Human Rights and Justice in the US; he is an Obama Africa Leader 2019 and Arch-Bishop Desmond Tutu Fellow 2022.

He was honored by the Department of State of the United States of America as one of 12 Global “International Anti-corruption Champions” in 2021. He was also named one of “100 Most Influential People of African Descent 2021” by the UN/MIPAD Initiative. Moreover, he was awarded Alumnus of the Year by the Center for Commercial Law Studies at Queen Mary University of London in the United Kingdom. He is also a Commissioner of Oath of the Republic of Sierra Leone.

TAGGED: ACC Sierra Leone, Fight against corruption, Francis Ben Kaifala, Latest news, Sierra Leone

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By Sallu Kamuskay

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Sallu Kamuskay is a Sierra Leonean communication strategist, fixer, blogger, youth organiser, event manager, spokesperson, and public relations expert. His work has been regularly referenced and published by national and international media and public policy institutions. Sallu Kamuskay was a child during the brutal war in Sierra Leone. Growing up in the midst of conflict, Sallu witnessed unimaginable abuse of children and gross violations of human rights. The horrors he witnessed during the Civil War had a terrible impact on him at a very tender age. But despite the shock of the war, Sallu never lost hope. He started on a journey of recovery, studying, and working for a better future. At age 15, Sallu entered into the world of activism and advocacy. Sallu Kamuskay was the Vice President of the Young Leaders Organisation, a member of the National Youth Council. The Young Leaders is one of the oldest youth-led organisations in West Africa. The organisation was formed by a group of young leaders, and launched by the then Head of State/President of Sierra Leone. Sallu was part of the group of young leaders who participated in and contributed to the establishment of the National Youth Council. The Commonwealth supported the training for trainers programme with line ministries and youth stakeholders in which key, representatives of youth council, student union and civil society/private sector youth platforms were engaged and empowered in the effective engagement and inclusion of youth. Sallu is co-founder and Executive Director of the Salone Messenger, a global multimedia and public relations firm based In Sierra Leone. Sallu has worked on various developmental and policy issues such as Poverty, Climate Change, Human rights, Child Rights, Education, Health, Gender Equality, Civic Engagement, Government policies, Information Communication Technology for Development and the Sustainable Development Goals, and has also been contributing to various global events and advocacy campaigns. Sallu Kamuskay is the co-founder and Executive Director of the Salone Messenger, a global Multimedia and Public Relations Firm based in Sierra Leone with the latest news and information, on top stories, business, politics, entertainment, and more. Sallu is working with a leading technology company in Africa, Techfrica, that has recently developed and launched a social media, messaging Supfrica with over 150,000 downloads on the Google play store in less than 4 days. He is the Adviser and Media coordinator for the App to give people the platform to connect and communicate to help shape their future with a very fast internet that allows users that live in deprived and hard-to-reach areas with poor internet facility to be able to communicate as it allows and stronger on 2 and 3 G network reception. Sallu has over 9 years of experience in youth engagement, inclusion, and coordination both at local and global levels, giving voice to young people and engaging young people to build a better world. He has served as coordinator for the Wave Alliance which brought together youth-led organisations who attended an international training in South Africa organized by the International Organization – Waves for Change. Sallu is working with the MLT, Waves For Change, and the Government to develop safe spaces for young people, with a view to contributing to the overall development goals of young people including health, as well as to community rebuilding. Sallu is currently the Programme Director for the Wave Alliance, which is a coalition of youth-led and community-based organisations that have successfully introduced evidence-based Surf Therapy programs to young people in communities, with a focus on mental health, peace building and sustainable development. Sallu is currently the focal point and face of Africa’s Faces Social media platform which is a global Social media platform that brings together people from across the world to share their moments, connect, share videos, and interact with friends giving more preference to excluded continents like Africa. Sallu Kamuskay has devoted his time to working for or contributing to a number of national and international organizations and companies, including the Techfrica Technology Company, United Nations, ECOWAS, European Union, Commonwealth Africa Initiatives. This work has led him to travel to a number of countries to contribute to global youth platforms. Sallu is the lead Coordinator for Peace Tour programme, an initiative supported by the European Union, Africa Union, ECOWAS focusing on uniting and empowering young people and local communities. Over the years, Sallu Kamuskay has been using his Techno phone to be able to tell stories, the phone he used to tell the story of Gbessay during Ebola who was admitted at one of the Ebola treatment centers after rumors that she had Ebola when the actual sickness was ulcer, she was almost abandoned at the treatment canter with no medication provided to her. She could have died. Sallu told the story via social media and was able to secure funding from the United Sierra Leone to buy her medication and advocated for her. She was later discharged and taken home, He did the same to a patient that died and was abandoned in the street, Sallu Kamuskay used his phone and shared the message across, the corps was later taken and buried. It could have been more disaster without his voice. The story of late America Stress 3-year-old daughter. The hero’s daughter was abandon after his father's death. He shared her sad story and was able to get a sister who has taken the child as her own and is currently providing her with educational support. The article of America Stress can be read on the link below http://ayvnewspaper.com/index.php/k2-categories/item/7350-america-stress-a-hero-to-recognize. Sallu Kamuskay feels the stories of Gbessay, America stress and that of many others need to be told. The media house we have cannot better tell these stories, they are better reporters than telling human interest stories. He created the Salone Messenger platform and brought together passionate storytellers to be able to tell these compelling stories.