...Afrobarometer report reveals
December 17, 2015 By Victoria Saffa
A report published by Afrobarometer in collaboration with Campaign for Good Governance (CGG), ITASCAP and a Political Science lecturer at Fourah Bay College, Ms. Lena Thompson, has revealed that Sierra Leoneans expressed lower levels of trust in the President, local government councillors, the National Revenue Authority (NRA), the ruling All People’s Congress, and the Army than they did in 2012.
According to the report, the proportion who says they trust President Koroma somewhat or a lot declined from 70% to 52% with 7 out of 10 in disapproval of the performance of their Members of Parliament.
Whiling presenting the findings in the report yesterday, Programme Officer at CGG, Ibrahim H. Sesay, said less than one-third (31%) of citizens say they trust the police somewhat or a lot, while Sierra Leoneans remain divided over their trust in the National Electoral Commission (NEC).
Sesay said majority of Sierra Leoneans say the level of corruption in the country increased over the past year, adding that public trust in several institutions has declined over the past three years, but most dramatically trust in the President.
He said the report also reveals that perception about corruption among the police decreased, although the majority of respondents still think most police officers are corrupt and the institution is the most corrupt.
The CGG programme officer said the report is the second in round six of the Afrobarometer survey conducted by ITASCAP in collaboration with CGG and Ms. Thompson, adding that during the field work ITASCAP interviewed 1,200 adult Sierra Leoneans between 22 May and 10 June 2015.
In his reaction to the report, Public Relations Officer at the Anti-Corruption Commission, Alhassan Kargbo, conceded that corruption is still a serious issue in the country, adding that: “I have no doubt in the report because corruption has been a menace in the society.”
He made reference to the recent report launched by Transparency International-Sierra Leone where Sierra Leone scored 119 out of 174, thus suggesting that the Anti-Corruption Commission is working hard to minimise corrupt activities.
“I am not going to challenge the Afrobarometer report and the Transparency International report, I will admit that corruption is too high and I am therefore calling on the public to stay away from bribery. The report is an opportunity for us to stay away from bribery,” Kargbo stated.