April 28, 2017
The Auditor General of Sierra Leone, Mrs Lara Taylor-Pearce has been decorated with the award of “Grand Officer of the Order of the Rokel” by His Excellency the President, Dr Ernest Bai Koroma. The prestigious award was presented to the Auditor General during the nation’s 56th Independence anniversary on the 27th April, 2017 at a colourful ceremony at State House, Freetown.
Mrs Taylor-Pearce was honoured with the award in recognition of her diligent and dedicated service to the state particularly in the field of public finance and auditing. It was highlighted that since Mrs Taylor-Pearce became the Auditor General of Sierra Leone in 2011, she has set out nearly a thousand recommendations for improving public financial management. It was also revealed that the Mrs Taylor-Pearce’s tireless leadership of the ASSL has greatly increased the profile of the institution.
The colourful ceremony attracted government ministers, other public officials, development partners, members of the diplomatic and consular corps and Sierra Leoneans from various walks of life.
Mrs Lara Taylor- Pearce has won the hearts of many of her compatriots with fearlessness and judiciously guarding her country’s financial resources. It would be recalled that in December, 2015, she bagged the Anti-Corruption Commission’s iconic National Integrity Award for her steadfast fight against corruption. Hard on the heels of this award, just Twelve months later, Mrs Lara Taylor-Pearce also landed another major integrity award given to her by the esteemed anti-graft civil society organisation, Accountability Now Sierra Leone, in recognition of her tireless efforts at protecting the public resources of her country.
Since she became the Auditor General of Audit Service Sierra Leone, Mrs Taylor-Pearce has demonstrated remarkable courage in her audit of government institutions accountable for public funds, and has consistently and fearlessly exposed accountability shortfalls wherever they occur in her Annual Reports since 2011. Furthermore, she has exhibited an uncompromising commitment to high ethical standards and a passion for accountability and transparency in the discharge of her responsibilities.
The Auditor General’s track record of probity and distinguished stewardship transcends her country’s borders. In 2014, such was the distinction with which she represented her country on the Governing Board of the African Organization of English- Speaking Supreme Audit Institutions (AFROSAI-E), that her peers on the continental organisation unanimously elected her Chair of that august body to a three year term (2014-2017). In November 2015, she was also decorated with an award in South Africa for her excellence and professionalism in the implementation of AFROSAI-E’s initiatives.