Freetown -The National Coordinator of Liberia CSOs Anti-Corruption Coalition (LCACC), James Koryor have held a strategic consultative meeting with the Commissioner of the Sierra Leone Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), Francis Ben Kiafala in Freetown.
According to LCACC National Coordinator, the meeting was held at the Headquarters of the ACC on Monday, July 8, 2019 in the office of the Commissioner.
Mr. Koryor stated that the meeting with the Sierra Leone Anti-Corruption Chief was a courtesy call and more importantly a study visit at the commission to get a better understanding of the current anti-corruption efforts in Sierra Leone.
The LCACC boss expressed thanks to the ACC boss for providing a space for such a unique interaction and strategic knowledge sharing meeting. Koryor also provided information on the current status of the fight against corruption in Liberia form a CSO perspective stressing that much have not been done in Liberia especially in recovering assets lost to corruption, which is one of the primary reasons for the establishment of the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission in 2008.
Mr. Koryor stated that if corruption is to be minimize in Africa, there is an urgent need for anti-corruption institutions to consolidate their strategies in fighting against corruption and learning form Sierra Leone. The LCACC boss furthered stated that since the establishment of the ACC in Sierra Leone the current leadership have done and continue to do tremendous work in reducing fraud, waste and abuse in the public sector in Sierra Leone and believe that those strategies implore are good lessons for country like Liberia especially the collaborative manner in which the ACC work with CSOs.
Mr. Koryor also use the occasion to express gratitude and appreciation to the Network Movement for Democracy and Human Rights-SL for the support in organizing the meeting and further committed his organization to a long-term strategic partnership with the NMDHR. The LCACC boss also inform Commissioner Francis Ben Kaifala that his organization is expected to launch a new flagship program that seeks to build a new generation of young leaders with focus on integrity building and will name such program in his honor in recognition of his commitment and approach towards the fight against corruption in Sierra Leone and Africa at large.
For his part, the Sierra Leone Anti-Corruption Commissioner, Francis Ben Kiafala welcome the LCACC Coordinator to the Commission and expressed his appreciation for the courtesy visit and the assessment of the current efforts of the ACC by a foreign CSO.
Commissioner Kiafala stated that the fight against corruption is not a one man or one institution business, but rather a collaborative and collective effort if corruption is to be eradicated in Africa.
The ACC boss furthered that Sierra Leone have made some significant strides in the fight against corruption all because of the political will of the President, H.E. Julius Maada-Bio. Stressing that those who also heads anti-corruption institutions should be proactive and innovative in fighting corruption because corruption fight back.
Commissioner Kiafala also stated that anti-corruption fight is not only to arrest and imprison corrupt persons, but to ensure that assets stolen are recovered in every way possible and that has been his approach and is working to ensure that Sierra Leone have a minimum corruption level in the next two years.
The ACC Boss furthered informed the gathering that through ACC effort, over 16 billion Leones, Millions of USD have be recovered and reported to the government. He stressed that no one country succeeds in the fight against corruption if the presidential and political will is not available.
Commissioner Kiafala stated that CSOs are critical to the fight and as such the ACC provide technical assistance and resources to relevant civil society organizations as partners to champion the cause especially on anti-corruption policy reform advocacies which have been very successful in Sierra Leone.
The ACC boss inclusion stated that the meeting should not be the first and the last but rather a start of a robust anti-corruption crusade across the region and look forward to an invitation to visit Liberia anytime soon.
The meeting was attended by the Deputy Commissioner, Augustine Foday Ngobie, Mr. Abdul Habib of NMDHR-SL, Melvin Sharty of NMDHR and the Director for Public Affairs and Outreach.