Patrick Sandi: Sierra Leone Telegraph: 23 January 2020:
Sierra Leone has progressed ten places upwards in Transparency International’s Global Corruption Ranking, moving from 129 in 2018, to 119 out of 180 countries surveyed in the 2019 Transparency International Corruption Perception Index (TI-CPI). (Photo above: Sierra Leone’s Anti-Corruption Czar – Francis Ben Kaifala).
The country also increased its score from a stagnant thirty points in 2016, 2017, and 2018, to thirty-three in 2019, making a three points gain, scoring above the sub-Saharan average of 32.
The CPI, released on Thursday 23rd January 2020, reveals that for the first time, in more than five years, Sierra Leone is ranked under 120, and the thirty three (33) points scored is the highest the country has ever achieved since its inclusion in the TI index.
Sierra Leone now leads sixty one countries in the global campaign against corruption, and more than 28 African countries, including Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria, Togo, Kenya, among others.
This year’s report reveals that “Sub-Saharan Africa’s performance paints a bleak picture of inaction against corruption,” revealing that “a staggering number of countries are showing little to no improvement in tackling corruption.”
The report also suggests that “more than two-thirds of countries – along with many of the world’s most advanced economies – are stagnating or showing signs of backsliding in their anti-corruption efforts”. Nonetheless, Sierra Leone performed better than the average score in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The CPI is an annual survey indicator used by TI, the global civil society organization leading the fight against corruption, to assess perceived levels of public sector corruption across the world.
Within the past two years, Sierra Leone has increased its score in the ‘Control of Corruption’ Indicator in the Millennium Challenge Corporation Scorecard, moving from forty-nine percent (49%) in 2017, to seventy-nine (79%) percent in 2019, making thirty percent (30%) upwards.
By that report, Sierra Leone is among the top ten performers in our income category.
Similarly, Sierra Leone has also scored high in other global and regional anti-corruption rankings. In the Global Corruption Barometer of 2018, the country is ranked 3rd out of thirty five (35) African Countries surveyed on “Government’s Effectiveness in the Fight against Corruption.”
In the Afro-Barometer 2018, fifty four (54%) of Sierra Leoneans agreed that the government is performing “very well” in the fight against corruption.
In light of the aforementioned, the Commission wishes to assure all Sierra Leoneans of its relentless determination to ensure the country continues to perform favourably in national, sub-regional, regional, and global anti-corruption governance indices. For further enquiries on this and other ACC matters, please contact Margaret Murray, the Public Relations Officer on +232-78-832131.
About the author
Patrick Sandi is the director of public education and outreach in the Sierra Leone Anti-Corruption Commission
Alhamdulilah for such a wonderful work done God will Continue blessing the ACC in all their undertaken Aameen.
I will trust a President who says they are strong on corruption, when they will put their own brother in jail. Looking closely at the Chinese rice scandal.
The report is on the effort of the ACC in the fight against corruption. Unfortunately the bulk of Sierra Leoneans do not like this fight but want to benefit from the proceeds of the fight. We must however applaud this young man for his bravery and steadfastness, for that what he has done up to date.
The fact is that the president and a very good percentage of the Population (remember campaign of the NGC, etc) want the fight and the ACC is doing the Job. If we have new cases of Corruption, plesse Mr. ACC Commissioner do not hesitate to investigate; Because what your 2 senior predecessors are practising is counter-productive : one time ACC, ever ACC, and not Anti Corruption then defendant/advocate for Corruption. So keep it up! Mr. Afro-Man.
There is no silver bullet for fighting corruption. Sierra Leone has made significant progress in curbing corruption; however, thinking minds are always on the lookout for solutions and evidence of impact. Here are some ways that citizens of Sierra Leone and governments can make progress in the fight against corruption:
Support for effective law enforcement is essential to ensure it punishes the corrupt and break the cycle of impunity or freedom from punishment or loss. A strong legal framework, law enforcement branches and an independent and effective court system supported by President Retired Brigadier Dr. Julius Maada Bio. Civil society can support the process with initiatives such as transparency, unmask the corrupt operation.
President Retired Brigadier Dr. Julius Maada Bio’s digital reforms focusing on improving financial management will strengthen the role of auditing agencies achieved a greater impact than public sector reforms on curbing corruption. One such reform is the disclosure of budget information, which prevents waste and misappropriation of resources. For example, transparency promotes transparency and participatory budgeting by training members of parliament to comment on the proposed budgets of their central government.
Sierra Leone being successful at curbing corruption have a long tradition of President Retired Brigadier Dr. Julius Maada Bio’s openness, love of freedom of the press, transparency, and access to information. Access to information by civil society increases the responsiveness of government bodies, while simultaneously having a positive effect on the levels of public participation in a country.
Strengthening citizens’ demand for anti-corruption and empowering them to hold government accountable is a sustainable approach that helps to build mutual trust between citizens and government. For example, community monitoring initiatives have sometimes contributed to the detection of corruption, reduced leakage of funds, and improved the quantity and quality of public services. Access to information is not a piece of legislation. A country’s passing of such an Act signals a change in culture from one of secrecy to one of transparency and a strengthening of democracy.
To monitor local ministries, Transparency would produce an interactive map that the public populate with pictures and reports of potential irregularities and leakages. Without access to international financial system, corrupt public officials throughout Sierra Leone could not launder and hide the proceeds of looted assets. Major financial centers urgently need to put in place ways to stop their banks and coperate offshore financial centers from absorbing illicit flow of money. It’s time the corrupt face-up to the consequences of their crimes. Together we can make that happen! The numbers are encouraging progress.
Alas, there is some positive news having to do with our motherland. However, taking into account recent corruption reports relating to the 2018 Audit, as well as the Chinagate rice scandal, one has to tread cautiously in celebrating this indication of improvement in transparency and the fight against corruption. obviously, this survey was conducted prior to these latest scandals, so all the perceived improvement might have been a big scam all along by the administration.
Also, we know most of the targeted individuals were former regime officials, so no doubt, the administration’s energy levels in exposing such individuals were high. Now that we have reports of higher level officials within this administration in the scope of ACC, we are anxious to see if the same energy level will continue.
Good job – well done Mr. Ben Francis Kaifala. Continue the fantastic work. The mighty God will see you through. We believe in God and our trust in you, that’s why you were appointed to be there for the whole of Sierra Leone. Again thank you.