… Service Delivery in Focus
By Mohamed Konneh
Freetown, January 20, 2026 – The Audit Service Sierra Leone (ASSL) presented its 2024 Annual Report to media stakeholders on Tuesday, emphasising its central theme of service delivery, with specific findings from the health sector.
The report, which was tabled in Parliament in December 2025, was unpacked for journalists at the ASSL headquarters on Lightfoot Boston Street. Deputy Auditor General, Aiah Gbondo Tugbawa, stated that the engagement aimed to clearly communicate audit findings for public understanding.
“Our role is to audit and report to Parliament, whose role is to debate the report, summon those named, and take action on defaulters. The media is key to our work and to national development,” Mr. Tugbawa said.
Speaking on the report’s details, Senior Audit Manager, Mr. Morie Lansana, noted the ASSL’s increasing media outreach to broaden public awareness. He stressed that the auditor general’s work directly impacts the lives of ordinary Sierra Leoneans.
Mr. Lansana explained the selection process for audited institutions, which includes those of significant government, public, and donor interest, major revenue-generating bodies, and entities with large budgets. He clarified that all issues in the final report represent unresolved audit queries.
“We examine the government account prepared by the Accountant General, which is key. This gives us a fair knowledge of fund utilisation as we audit the government’s financial statements,” he stated.
He highlighted prevalent irregularities, including institutions failing to pay taxes or remit deducted taxes, compliance issues within ministries, payroll discrepancies, and instances where payments were made for services not rendered or assets purchased but not physically verifiable.
“The 2024 report contains a specific chapter on donor resources and also scrutinises local councils, where internally generated revenue remains a challenge,” Mr. Lansana added.
He confirmed that this year’s edition was dedicated to service delivery, with the health sector standing out prominently.
In his remarks, Auditor General Abdul Aziz underscored the critical partnership with the media for national development and accountability.
“We have to walk the talk, and as auditors, we don’t need to work alone. The media is a partner, playing a critical role in reporting our work,” Mr. Aziz said.
He urged a shift in focus from purely financial losses to tangible service delivery, posing the question: “The same report came out last year, but what has changed?”
“Our work hinges on the lives of our people. We aim to apply pressure on responsible institutions to ensure services are delivered,” the Auditor General stated, drawing specific attention to longstanding issues like water shortages at Connaught and Rokupr Hospitals.
“The media has reported much on cash losses. Let us go beyond this and start looking squarely at service delivery to the people,” he concluded.
