By: Alex A. Bah, Public Relations Officer, ACC
The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has underscored the importance of placing integrity, accountability and probity at the heart of the Draft Code of Conduct for Ministers, Deputy Ministers and other Political Appointees in Sierra Leone.
ACC Deputy Commissioner, Augustine Foday Ngobie, made this statement on Thursday, 1st October, 2026, at a Consultation Workshop to review the Draft Code, organised by the Ministry of Public Administration and Political Affairs (MoPAPA), with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), at the Foreign Service Academy, Tower Hill, Freetown.
Mr. Ngobie described the initiative as historic, noting that it represents a conscious and deliberate effort to establish clear standards of conduct for persons entrusted with political and public responsibility.
He said the ACC welcomes the initiative because integrity, accountability and probity in public life are central to its mandate. Drawing on the Commission’s experience in supporting Codes of Conduct in key sectors, he said its participation would provide guidance on critical issues including conflict of interest, asset declaration, registration of gifts and other ethical obligations of public office.
The Deputy Commissioner urged participants to contribute meaningfully towards refining a Code that is realistic, workable and capable of commanding institutional ownership and compliance.
He stressed that the Code should not be viewed merely as an instrument for restricting the conduct of political appointees, but as a framework for strengthening the discharge of their mandates, promoting the judicious use of public resources and State assets, and enhancing accountability to citizens.
Mr. Ngobie commended His Excellency the President Brigadier (Rtd.) Dr. Julius Maada Bio for his leadership in advancing the initiative and thanked the Ministry, Consultant, Committee and UNDP for supporting the process.
Delivering the keynote address, Minister of Public Administration and Political Affairs, Hon. Amara Kallon, commended the ACC for its leadership and commitment to the process, noting that strengthening ethical conduct among those entrusted with public responsibility is essential to building public confidence in governance.
He said the Draft Code places accountability and integrity at the heart of public leadership, providing standards for the conduct of political office holders and the judicious use of public resources. He stressed that citizens are not an interruption to Government’s business, but the reason Government exists.
Secretary to the President, Barba Brima Fortune, said codified standards of behaviour can protect office holders from undue pressure, strengthen accountability and support effective governance and national development.
Earlier, Deputy Minister, Hon. Philip T. Tondoneh, said persons entrusted with public responsibility have an obligation to uphold the highest standards of conduct, noting that the Code should reflect the realities of governance in Sierra Leone.
The consultation brought together Government officials, representatives of public institutions, UNDP, civil society, the media and other stakeholders to review and refine the Draft Code, with a view to establishing a practical and credible framework for ethical conduct among Ministers, Deputy Ministers and other Political Appointees
