ACCOUNTABILITY INSTITUTIONS COMMEND 2023 AUDIT SERVICE REPORT
Accountability institutions in Sierra Leone including the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in the Sierra Leone Parliament, the Anti-Corruption Commission, Civil Society Organisations and the Media have all commended the 2023 Auditor General’s Report of the Audit Service Sierra Leone (ASSL).
According to these accountability institutions, the report is in line with the dictates of the Public Financial Management Framework for accountable governance in Sierra Leone.
The Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee and Deputy Speaker of the Sierra Leone Parliament, Hon. Ibrahim Tawa Conteh stated during the maiden hearing of the 2023 Auditor General’s Report that he will leave no stone unturned in dealing with issues highlighted in the report. He commended the Acting Auditor General, Abdul Aziz and staff of the Audit Service for meticulously doing a good job.
The Commissioner of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) in Sierra Leone, Francis Ben Kaifala has lauded the efforts of the Audit Service Sierra Leone (ASSL) for producing a report that seeks to improve the accountability governance framework. “I therefore thank the Acting Auditor General and staff of the ASSL for the significant strides made to produce the 2023 AG’s Report”.
He made this pronouncement during a press briefing on the 2023 Auditor General’s Report on Thursday 9th January 2025 at the Integrity House on Tower Hill in Freetown.
The dangerously educated Lawyer said the Anti-Corruption Commission is in consultation with Parliament who have the constitutional mandate to deal with issues in the Auditor General’s Report.
He however noted that the Anti-Corruption Commission by extension also deserves the right to deal with some of the issues in the report from the whistle blower perspective.
Ben Kaifala said he views Auditors as whistle blowers, noting that the ACC will look into the report, and quickly deal with the issues relating to revenue loss, payroll management and human resource, in consultation with Parliament.
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He said the AG’s Report has provided an incite that individuals who are given responsibilities to lead are sometimes either negligent, reckless or corrupt.
The ACC Commissioner said his institution would not encourage impunity in the cause of the review of issues in the Auditor General’s Report.
Budget Advocacy Network (BAN) has alongside other civil society organisations commended the work of the Audit Service Sierra Leone in producing the 2023 report that seeks to address the issues of transparency and accountability in public institutions.
The National Coordinator of BAN, Abubakar Kamara stated that his institution has included Audit Accountability as a priority in their strategic plan to advocate for the implementation of recommendations in the report.
During a media engagement by the ASSL on 8th January 2025, media practitioners hailed the Audit Service for upholding the constitutional mandate of reporting to Parliament every year, on the accounts of Sierra Leone.
Melvin Tejan Mansaray and Lawrence Williams of the Parliamentary Press Gallery and Editor of the Freetown Post Newspaper respectively, called for the timely and effective implementation of recommendations in the 2023 Auditor General’s Report. They called on the Audit Service to increase awareness on issues in the report across the country.
It could be recalled the Audit Service Sierra Leone submitted the 2023 Auditor General’s Report to Parliament which was tabled on 17th December 2024, in fulfilment of its mandate as enshrined in the 1991 Constitution of Sierra Leone.
Acting AG
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