This year’s list of recipients of national honours includes the Auditor General of Sierra Leone – Mrs Lara Taylor-Pearce, who has been awarded the highest rank – Grand Officer of the Order of the Rokel. She received the award from President Ernest Koroma at a ceremony in State House, marking the country’s 56th independence anniversary on the 27th April, 2017.
Since her appointment in 2011 as Auditor General of Sierra Leone, Mrs Taylor-Pearce has worked fearlessly and tirelessly in exposing grand corruption, serious financial mismanagement and policy failings across government ministries, departments and agencies.
But despite the thousands of recommendations she has made to the government on a range of good financial governance issues, the Koroma government continues to operate business as usual, with little sign of those recommendations being implemented.
Mrs Lara Taylor- Pearce (Photo) has won the hearts of many of her compatriots and has been praised for her fearlessness discharge of her fiduciary role, with a strong passion for high ethical standards, accountability, transparency, probity and openness.
In December, 2015, she received the National Integrity Award from the country’s Anti-Corruption Commission, for standing against corruption.
Last year, Mrs Lara Taylor-Pearce also won another award for integrity, from the civil society group – ‘Accountability Now Sierra Leone’.
Since becoming the Auditor General of Audit Service Sierra Leone in 2011, Mrs Taylor-Pearce has demonstrated remarkable courage in carrying out audit of government institutions by holding them accountable for public funds.
She has consistently and fearlessly exposed accountability shortfalls wherever they occur in her Annual Reports.
Many Sierra Leoneans believe that the country would be a far better place had there been hundreds more Lara Taylor-Pearce in leadership role across the various public institutions – including the top of office – State House.
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