The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) office in the North-West region on Wednesday, 9th July 2025 engaged the Karene District Council on the implementation of the current generation of the National Anti-corruption Strategy (NACS) at the Council’s conference hall in Kamakwie town.
Addressing management and staff of the Council, the ACC’s Regional Director Zainab Othman described the Strategy as the roadmap of the country's efforts in fighting corruption. She pointed out that the Strategy, which spans from 2024-2028, provides a clear path to addressing key corruption issues that are inherent in Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and Local Councils across the country.
Commenting on the need to internalize the fight against corruption in MDAs, Miss Othman noted that the Strategy aims to confront corruption to promote transparency, accountability and best practices in the operation of public institutions. She encouraged the leadership of the Council to maintain a fully functional and operational Integrity Management Committee (IMC) to mainstream anti-corruption issues in the Council. She said that an effective and efficient IMC will promote strong internal systems that would control and promote effective and efficient service delivery.
Miss Othman said members of the IMC are required to pay keen attention to both generic and specific issues captured in the Strategy as the document gives them the opportunity to address corruption-related issues and how such issues can be identified and resolved.
She informed them that monitoring of the implementation of the Strategy has commenced in Freetown and similar engagements will be replicated in local councils in the regions. The leadership of the Council, she said, must quickly develop and maintain a gift register that will be used to declare all gifts received by public officers.
Earlier, in his welcome statement to the ACC Team, Chairman of the Council Abdul Kandeh Turay thanked the ACC for engaging staff on corruption prevention methods.
The Chief Administrator of the Council Lahai K. Macavoray promised to provide the required support to make the IMC fully functional and operational.
Sharing of copies of the Strategy and the presentation of the terms of reference for focal persons and committee members climaxed the meeting.
