Bollore Transport and Logistics, a subsidiary of Freetown Terminal, has on Wednesday December 9, 2020, commemorated international Anti-Corruption Day with refresher meeting with staff on the ethical commitment of the company to promote the fight against corruption in all its forms.
The event was held at the port in Freetown on Thursday.
The Bollore Group is a signatory of the United Nations Global Compact since 2003, a voluntary initiative supporting companies to align their strategies and operations with ten Principles on human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption.
The Country Director of Bollore, Capt. Fabjanko Kokan said that corruption is a cancer that destroys the fabric of every society. He said that Bollore has a zero tolerance policy on corruption, and every staff of the company is mandated to act with integrity and comply with the code of ethics of the company.
He added that the event was part of supporting the United Nations accountability day, and said that the fight against corruption should be the responsibility of everyone because it negatively impacts the future of children.
“Corruption is worse than COVID-19 pandemic,” he commented, and added that that to create a better future for the children of Sierra Leone society needs to fight corruption.
Capt. Kokan went on to not reveal that Bollore had done a lot in the fight against corruption in Sierra Leone, but also pledged to do more to combat it.
In his keynote address, the deputy Director of Public Education and Outreach, Anti-corruption Commission (ACC), Alhassan Kargbo said that no serious investor will come to a country where corruption is rife. He said that corruption strangles the economy and every fabric of a country. He spoke of key sections in the ACC Act which deal with public officials and private persons. He made it clear that the Commission does not have all the solution to the problems, and that they rely on the support of entities and the citizenry to enable them fulfil their mandate. He enlisted the support of everyone in the fight against corruption, and applauded management of Bollore for inviting the ACC to give a talk on corruption, adding that Bollore is one of very few private companies to do so.
The Compliance Officer, Bollore, Mrs Olusola Sesay said that the company had always maintained a zero tolerance approach on corruption. She said that if a staff is caught in an act of corruption he would be dealt with according to the prescribed company regulations. “You should not receive money from a client for lifting his container and for settling claims; you have being paid by the company for that,” she told staff at the event.
The Deputy General Manager of Freetown Terminal Limited, Bertrand Kerguelen said that the staff of the company are duty-bound to promote the fight against corruption in all its forms which is prescribed by the company’s code of conduct.
By Alusine Sesay
11/12/2020. ISSUE NO: 7965