Over the past weekend we have seen a leaked letter from the Finance Minister revoking directives issued by the Non-Executive Board Chair of the National Revenue Authority.
This comes against the backdrop of the revocation of the clemency issued to Baimba Moi-Foray after a huge public outcry over his release.
While it does look as if we have entered into the league of “revocations” by Government officials starting with the President, the good thing is that the Government and its officials seem to be demonstrating that they are ready to correct some wrongs.
What is particularly pleasing is the “directive” which the Finance Minister says he is acting upon, to institute a forensic audit of the Customs and Excise Department. This is a unit which has constantly frustrated the private sector causing many to either abandon doing any business involving importations or move into other areas. It is a fact that as long as you deal with imports in Sierra Leone you can NEVER be honest. We have listened to agitated frustrations from importers about some employees strolling to work after mid-day which is when they begin to sign documents for people who have been waiting since 8am in the morning. These people have shied away from speaking on record because their imports will suddenly attract increased duty and even when the containers have left the quay, officers will still follow them to their destination to supervise the un-stuffing. The irregular payments defying any attempt to have a fixed figure as it operates in other West African countries is another bible reading in its own stead. All of this is not to suggest that the importers themselves are clean, but as the finance minister argues it makes for an “unhealthy” business environment that has defied regulation by successive governments.
What also is surprising is the realisation that an audit can reveal discrepancies. Indeed one may ask, has this government suddenly woken up to the fact that audits are a good governance tool that can help them? So if the Finance Minister after a “meeting” is directed to institute an audit conducted by none other than Audit Service Sierra Leone, then we have to thank the suspended Auditor General for opening our eyes to what has been happening in our Government offices over the years and now.
Indeed before her time, audit reports were nothing to pay attention to. Since her time we have now realised that the true source of corruption has not been the politicians per se, but our civil servants acting under the guise of the politicians. We have since realised that the institutionalised corruption is not being perpetrated according to tribe or political party, or region, but by ordinary Sierra Leoneans. Again the insight gained into the workings of our government offices from State House to our Universities and further down the ladder has been nothing but phenomenal.
At the end of the day the Politicians are required to set the example, because when they give an inch to the civil servants they take a mile. Indeed the blame always rests on them because as politicians they are the leaders and they must take responsibility for whatever is happening even if they do not know that those things are happening under their noses, the ordinary does not care to know that. Indeed whatever goes wrong today is the fault of the president. This is why the Presidency needs the prying eyes of the Audit service with the courage to say it as it is. Otherwise there are those who will continue to say the President is responsible to collect receipts from the hotels when he travels, even though there is a government official assigned for that task.
This is why we say if the President is courageous enough to revoke the clemency of Baimba Moi-Foray and institute further actions to right that seeming wrong, then we call on him to equally be courageous and revoke the suspension of the Auditor General in the interest of the “public good.” And the law allows him to do that {Section 137(6)}.
For us it is the Audit service which has undoubtedly become the foremost organ to promote good governance and management of our resources as the Anti – Corruption Commission nor the Police are capable of seeing or bringing to light the issues challenged by the Audit service.
We remain to be “Proudly Sierra Leonean” in the same spirit that we supported and continue to support Leone Stars. We have called. Lonta.
