The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has urged young people to embrace integrity as a way of life and develop the courage to speak out against corruption, stressing that the fight against corruption must begin with individuals and be nurtured from an early age.
The call was made on Thursday, 20th August 2026, during a Peace, Integrity and Leadership Training organised under “Catch Them Young: Combating Corruption Through Educational Debates and Peace & Integrity Training,” a Social Change Initiative of Rotary Peace Fellow Alex A. Bah. The training brought together Senior Secondary School pupils from seven Western Area schools at the Conference Room of the ACC, Integrity House, Tower Hill, Freetown.
In his statement, Patrick Sandi, Coordinator of Operations, ACC, described the initiative as complementary to the Commission’s mandate of preventing and combating corruption. He underscored the nexus between peace, integrity and the fight against corruption, noting that loss of trust between citizens and those who govern undermines the progress of society. “When there is loss of trust between the governed and the governors, society doesn’t thrive,” Mr. Sandi remarked, adding that the fight against corruption is also an extension of peacebuilding.
He encouraged the young participants, who were subsequently inducted as Peace and Integrity Ambassadors, to remain courageous, resilient and vigilant in promoting integrity and speaking out against corrupt practices, including where such practices involve influential persons.
The Commission’s message was further reinforced by Sylvanus Blake Esq., Deputy Director of Public Education and Outreach, ACC, who facilitated a session on “Integrity, Accountability and Young Citizens: Understanding Corruption and Our Role in Preventing It.”
Mr. Blake explained corruption as the misuse of public office for private gain, but cautioned the pupils against viewing corruption solely as the responsibility of public officials. He stressed that accountability begins with the individual and urged the young people to practise integrity in their everyday lives and develop the courage to speak out against corruption.
The training also featured a session on “Peace Begins With Us: Young People, Conflict Prevention and Social Cohesion,” facilitated by Titus Mohamed Kallon, Acting Director of Conflict Prevention at the Independent Commission for Peacebuilding and National Cohesion, who emphasised active listening, respectful communication and dialogue as tools for conflict prevention.
Delivering the keynote on “Integrity in Action: Building Ethical Leaders for Sierra Leone’s Future,” Mark Ivan Kapindy Vandy, Head of Media and Public Relations at the Sierra Leone Ports and Harbours Authority, the initiative’s Integrity Champion Partner, challenged the pupils to make integrity part of their daily choices and reminded them that “public office is not personal property. Public resources are not personal resources.”
The programme also featured a session on “Young People, Leadership and Peacebuilding: Becoming Agents of Positive Change,” facilitated by Ansumana Keita Esq., Executive Director, Patriotic Advocacy Network, as well as a practical session on “The Art of Debate: Critical Thinking, Evidence, Persuasion and Respectful Disagreement,” facilitated by Bah.
The training culminated in the induction and pledge of the participants as Peace and Integrity Ambassadors, formally committing them to promote peace, uphold integrity, reject wrongdoing and demonstrate responsible leadership in their schools and communities.
The initiative will continue with an Inter-School Integrity Debate Competition, through which the participating pupils will apply their skills in critical thinking, evidence-based argument, persuasion and respectful disagreement.
Through its support for the initiative, the ACC continues to emphasise early values formation, public education and youth engagement as critical pillars in building a culture of integrity and strengthening Sierra Leone’s fight against corruption.
