SLPHA Champions Integrity & Ethical Leadership Among Young People
The Sierra Leone Ports and Harbours Authority (SLPHA) has reaffirmed its commitment to promoting integrity, ethical leadership and responsible citizenship among young people through its support for the “Catch Them Young: Combating Corruption Through Educational Debates and Peace & Integrity Training” initiative.
The initiative, spearheaded by Rotary Peace Fellow and Head of Public Relations at the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), Alex A. Bah, officially commenced on Thursday, August 20, 2026, with a Peace, Integrity and Leadership Training for Senior Secondary School pupils from seven schools across the Western Area.
SLPHA is supporting the initiative as an Integrity Champion Partner, reflecting the Authority’s broader commitment to accountability, transparency and responsible leadership.
The one-day training, held at the ACC’s Integrity House in Tower Hill, brought together young people to discuss peacebuilding, conflict prevention, integrity, accountability, ethical leadership, responsible citizenship and debate.
Representing the SLPHA as the initiative’s Integrity Champion Partner, Head of Media and Public Relations, Mac’Ivan Kakpindi Vandy, delivered a keynote address titled “Integrity in Action: Building Ethical Leaders for Sierra Leone’s Future.” Addressing the pupils, Vandy challenged them to understand that integrity is not simply a principle to be discussed, but a value that must be practiced in everyday life. He described integrity as “doing the right thing when nobody is watching,” while cautioning the young participants against seemingly small acts of dishonesty that could gradually shape their character and determine the kind of leaders they eventually become. Vandy further reminded the pupils that public leadership comes with a responsibility to protect and properly utilize resources entrusted to them. “Public office is not personal property. Public resources are not personal resources,” he emphasized. He also challenged the pupils to move away from the often-repeated description of young people as “leaders of tomorrow.” He told them, “you are leaders today,” urging them to begin demonstrating integrity, responsibility and ethical leadership in their schools, homes and communities now.
For the Sierra Leone Ports and Harbours Authority, supporting the Catch Them Young initiative is part of recognizing that the fight against corruption and the promotion of accountability cannot begin only when individuals assume positions of authority. It must begin much earlier, by cultivating the right values, attitudes and sense of responsibility among young people. The Authority believes that exposing young people to integrity, accountability, peaceful dialogue and ethical leadership can contribute to building a generation of citizens who understand that leadership is fundamentally about service and responsibility. The initiative is also aligned with the broader importance SLPHA places on integrity in public-sector management, where transparency, accountability and responsible stewardship of public resources remain critical to institutional credibility and public trust.
The training was facilitated by professionals from the peacebuilding, anti-corruption and youth development sectors, including representatives of the ACC and the Independent Commission for Peacebuilding and National Cohesion. Participants were subsequently inducted as Peace and Integrity Ambassadors, pledging to promote peace, uphold integrity, reject wrongdoing and lead by example.
The next phase of the initiative will see the participating pupils take part in an Inter-School Integrity Debate Competition, designed to strengthen critical thinking, evidence-based argument, persuasion and respectful disagreement. SLPHA’s support for the initiative therefore goes beyond a single event. It represents an investment in the values that should underpin the country’s future leadership and public institutions.
As the Catch Them Young initiative moves from training to action, SLPHA is encouraging the young participants to understand that integrity is not something reserved for the future. The future of ethical leadership begins with the choices they make today.
