Francis Ben Kaifala, ACC Commissioner, his fight against corruption, a significant stride in Sierra Leone at 64
Francis Ben Kaifala, ACC Commissioner, is today rated among the best 3 Anti-Corruption Crusaders in Africa. Since his appointment by President Julius Maada Bio, he has retrieved massive stolen assets and cash from corrupt officials and deposited to the state. More importantly, he has instituted preventive measures to further stem the tide of corruption in the country
The EFCC in Nigeria has mentioned you among the best three Anti-Corruption Czars in Africa. Since your appointment by President Bio, you have recorded the highest number of convictions and recoveries of stolen wealth and assets in Sierra Leone’s history. How did you achieve this success?
Well, it all boils down to strong leadership. I have enjoyed tremendous support from the leadership of His Excellency Brig (Rtd.) Dr Julius Maada Bio, who has provided unprecedented support to the fight against corruption in Sierra Leone. The Presidential support and will for the anti-corruption campaign in Sierra Leone is one that is unmatched in Sub-Saharan Africa. Since he appointed me to lead the fight against corruption, President Bio has given me the kind of support any head of an anti-graft agency like this would crave for. That is why we have built a new ultra-modern office facility-the Integrity House, made huge recoveries of Millions Dollars equivalent, successfully implemented the 4th generation National Anti-Corruption Strategy (2019-2023) and have performed very well in both local and international indexes-making Sierra Leone win the United States Millennium Challenge Corporation Compact with a pass of over 70% in the mandatory ‘control of corruption indicator’ from 2018-2024. This is huge when you compare that in 2017, before my appointment, we had failed the Corruption Control indicator of the MCC with 49%.
The convictions in the High Court are over 90%, with a Special Division within the High Court of Sierra Leone established with modern equipment and dedicated Judges to sit on anti-corruption cases and ensure trials are quicker and expeditious.
On another note, my Deputy Commissioner, Augustine Foday Ngobie, has also provided the kind of leadership needed to attain the kind of robust ACC we have now. When I came to the ACC, I made sure I worked with the management and staff that I inherited. I tapped into their various strengths and leveraged the opportunities in ways that were beneficial to the Commission. With this, we mounted robust public education and outreach campaigns across the country. We conducted rigorous and comprehensive systems and processes reviews of public institutions, thereby improving revenue generation in most of them. In some of these institutions, we mainstreamed anti-corruption measures and policies to make them more effective and efficient in the delivery of services. We also introduced the Elite ‘Scorpion Squad’, which conducted sting operations, nabbed persons/public officers who were engaged in acts of corruption. These actions and strategies, I believe, have worked very well in making Sierra Leone the envy in the fight against corruption. Sister countries like Liberia, Guinea, The Gambia, Cameroon and Uganda, to mention a few, have made visits to benchmark the fight against corruption, and the strategies employed, resulting in such remarkable achievements.
You’ve restored public trust in Sierra Leone. One of your policy drives is the prevention of corruption cases. Could you explain the preventive steps taken by ACC under your watch?
Certainly, Prevention is one of the potent pillars of the fight against corruption. And I have always paid much attention to it without de-emphasising the others-public education, enforcement and prosecution. In fact, I believe in the adage “an ounce of prevention is worth a ton of remedy”. Therefore, my leadership has focused on the review of practices and procedures, risk assessments in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAS), particularly in revenue-mobilising entities. Best Practices have been developed arising from these Reviews, and there is improved and efficient service delivery in MDAs. Moreover, under my watch, the Prevention Department has reviewed over 20 MDAs, including Ministries of Labour and Social Security, Lands and Country Planning, Water Resources, etc., Agencies, such as the Freetown City Council (FCC), Sierra Leone Maritime Administration (SLMA), Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ), the Serabu Hospital, etc. Additionally, the National Anti-Corruption Strategy, which is also another prevention approach in the fight against corruption, is implemented, recording huge successes. Integrity Management Committees (IMCs) have been established in 95% of the MDAs and 100% in City/District Councils, and they have been made very functional and effective.
What is the operational working relationship with EFCC boss, Olanipekun Olukayode and other African Anti-Corruption Czars?
The operational relationship with the current EFCC boss of Nigeria is very strong, productive and good. In fact, it dates back before the current head of the EFCC. Note that I was succeeded by the Head of EFCC as the President of the Network of Anti-Corruption Agencies in West Africa (NACIWA). But more specifically, I have provided advice and guidance relating to the anti-corruption fight in the sub-region and Africa generally, especially on the strategies we have employed to fight corruption in Sierra Leone, which have been very successful. Equally, with other Anticorruption czars in Africa, I have a very good working relationship with them. I have served as the West Africa Representative of the Association of Anti-Corruption Authorities in Africa, and also have served as a member on the African Union Advisory Board on Corruption, positioning me very well to interact with my colleagues and engage them deeply on anti-corruption measures, strategies, approaches and mechanisms that are result-oriented. In fact, in December, 2024, I delivered a Key Note Speech on the topic: “Asset Recovery as an Effective Tool in the fight against Corruption” to mark the end of the First Anniversary of the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission of Nigeria (ICPC) thereby reinforcing my good working relationship with my colleagues in Nigeria. EFCC heads have been my biggest allies since I took office – from Magu to Bawa, and now my dear big brother Olanipekun Olukayode, who is a fantastic Professional and I enjoy working with him.
As the nation and the world look forward to the 2028 Presidential elections, your name is increasingly being discussed as a potential future leader, given your leadership qualities, particularly in governance. Do you have a Presidential ambition in the 2028 elections?
My current focus and attention are on the fight against corruption, as a task that has been given to me by my President. However, people have the right to express their views and wishes. So, we leave that as it is and wait for the Lord’s appointed time. My belief is to trust in the Lord, as Leadership/Authority comes from God. But more emphatically, I have a responsibility which has been given to me by His Excellency the President, Brig. (Rtd.) Dr. Julius Maada Bio, and that is to help him control graft in the country, launder the image of the country as being the most corrupt-which I remain dedicated and committed to currently. If at the end of that, my President wishes me to succeed him, backed by the voice of the people, it will be great for Sierra Leone. Of all the names out there, I am the most capable to strongly continuing the great work President Bio has done for Sierra Leone. Moving forward will require a strong, educated, qualified, capable, disciplined, and unifier leader acceptable to both Sierra Leone and the International Community, which I could represent. But let the future decide. Let the Lord’s will be done. As Archimedes once said, “Give me a terra firma to stand and I will move the Earth”. Maybe that will finally be the solid ground for me to stand upon and move mountains for Sierra Leone and change its destiny for good, forever!
How does the immediate future look for the ACC in Sierra Leone, and will the current steam, as you earlier mentioned, be sustained?
It will be sustained, that is my hope, and I am working in that direction. As you may know, I am serving my second and final term as ACC Commissioner. But what I have succeeded in doing over the past 7 years is to build a very strong institution. This is why even when I went for my Master’s program at Harvard University, in the United States of America, the Commission functioned and operated seamlessly like I had not travelled. The current ACC team and machinery I have developed are very strong and competent. I knew from the outset that no matter the momentous achievements I make here, if the Commission cannot function effectively immediately after my tenure, then I was not a visionary leader at all. With the achievements we have made and the systems we have built collectively in the past years, I can envision nothing but a bright and vibrant ACC that will continue to be proactive, robust, fierce and aggressive in the fight against corruption. More importantly, citizens all should be aware that the fight against corruption is for all and sundry, whilst the ACC will only provide leadership.