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toubab1020
12241 Posts |
 Posted - 16 Feb 2023 : 14:32:45
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SNIPPET FROM THE ARTICLE BELOW:
“It will be independent, fair-minded, thorough and composed of competent Gambians from the Accounting, Legal and Administrative sectors.”
Spokesperson Sankareh added: “President Barrow remains resolute, uncowed and doggedly determined to make sure that this Commission sees the light of day no longer than the first week of March 2023.”
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https://thepoint.gm/africa/gambia/headlines/barrow-endorses-commission-to-probe-allegations-of-financial-mismanagement-in-all-area-councils-and-municipalities
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#Headlines
Barrow endorses Commission to probe allegations of financial mismanagement in all area councils & municipalities
Feb 16, 2023, 11:12 AM
Following intensive hearings before the National Assembly’s Finance and Public Accounts Committee (FPAC) and audit exercises into the finances of area councils and municipalities across the country, the Gambia government has decided to further probe the alleged improprieties.
Speaking during the breakfast programme – ‘Coffee Time with Peter Gomez’ – on West Coast Radio Wednesday, the Gambia Government Spokesperson and Presidential Diaspora Adviser, Ebrima G. Sankareh, confirmed that “a process is in motion to set up a Commission of Inquiry into the financial activities of all area or municipal councils throughout The Gambia, no exceptions - all of them”.
“In fact,” he said, “the legal instruments have been presented last week and President Barrow wasted no time in endorsing them. He has signed the legal instruments and the Commission is being constituted to probe into the finances of all area councils.
“It will be independent, fair-minded, thorough and composed of competent Gambians from the Accounting, Legal and Administrative sectors.”
Spokesperson Sankareh added: “President Barrow remains resolute, uncowed and doggedly determined to make sure that this Commission sees the light of day no longer than the first week of March 2023.”
The Commission consists of:
Jainaba Bah Sambou (chairperson), Samba Faal, Oreme E. Joiner, Baba M. Leigh, and Sukai Secka Sagnia.
The Commission is authorised to inquire into the conduct of all local government councils, in particular, the circumstances surrounding the loans acquired for and on behalf of a local government council between the periods of May 2018 and January 2023 among a host of others.
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toubab1020
12241 Posts |
Posted - 16 Feb 2023 : 14:53:24
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https://standard.gm/udp-head-of-communication-says-commission-of-enquiry-a-witch-hunt/
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Tombong Saidy, head of communication of the opposition United Democratic Party, has said the commission of inquiry into the conduct of all local government councils is nothing but a witch hunt against the opposition particularly, the UDP.
In a write up shared with The Standard, Mr Saidy said the commission is not an independent unbiased commission because all the commissioners are either supporters or sympathizers of the NPP and President Barrow. “All of the members are all willing puns being used by President Barrow in his political game to weaken the opposition but they will fail mercilessly,” Saidy said.
Mr Saidy added that if President Barrow and his government are serious about fighting corruption, “why can’t they start with the ministries and parastatals; the Covid-19 funds scandal, the Securiport contract scandal and all the issues raised by the National Audit Office pertaining to financial irregularities within his government.”
Saidy alleged that the main reason behind this ‘witch hunting’ is to derail the candidatures of the Mayor of Banjul, Mayor of KM and the Chairmen of the 6 regional area councils but “they will fail.”
“Enquiries into all public institutions are welcomed so long as they are just, independent, and fair and this witch hunting club is far from that. It is rather unfortunate that in this day and age Gambians would be allowed to be used as puns in frivolous political games. It is amazing that a person of ‘integrity’ is willing to cast aside his dignity, principles and respect for politics,” he said.
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"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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Momodou
Denmark
11521 Posts |
Posted - 16 Feb 2023 : 22:22:20
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The LG Commission of Inquiry – A Political Witch-Hunt?
By D. A. Jawo
There is certainly no doubt that President Adama Barrow is within his constitutional powers to set up a ‘Commission of Inquiry into the Conduct of all Local Government Councils and for Connected Matters’, whose primary objective is to conduct a thorough investigation into the financial and other activities of all the local government councils, a majority of whom are currently headed by the opposition United Democratic Party (UDP).
However, the timing of the commission is not only suspicious, but it seems to have all the hallmarks of a political witch hunt, with the following local government elections just a few weeks away. We have all seen or heard how President Barrow, both in words and action, had shown his determination to wrest control of the councils, particularly the KMC and Banjul, from his main political rival, the UDP, in the forthcoming local government elections.
It all came to the surface in January 2022 when the government tried to use the problems that arose between the Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC) and its erstwhile Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Mrs Sainabou Martin-Sonko, culminating in the then Minister of Regional Governments, Musa Drammeh proposing a similar commission of inquiry on the KMC, which failed to proceed, apparently because it was not grounded on reality.
The apparent objective then, it appears, was to get the suspended CEO reinstated despite the serious allegations against her, no doubt to use her to curb the powers and authority of Mayor Talib Ahmed Bensouda.
While this commission targets all the area and municipal councils, even the biggest political novice knows that the main target is the KMC, which is by far the biggest and most financially lucrative municipality, and the Barrow administration is ready to do whatever it takes to gain control of it. However, many political analysts agree that it is not a pretty wise gamble as it has the potential to lead to some unpredictable consequences both for the elections and the government’s very own credibility among its development partners. Why not wait until after the local government elections when the political tension would have been much lower?
Let me quote from an article I wrote on the issue in January 2022, which I feel still holds water;
“To most members of the Barrow administration, the KMC is the biggest prize worth every drop of their blood, and as such, they would utilise every trick in the playbook to get rid of Talib, including using former Mayor Yankuba Colley to help them use the tricks that the APRC had been using to get the municipality under their grip for over 20 years.
“There is absolutely no doubt that the Talib administration had been the most successful that the KMC municipality has ever had, and it is in the interest of the entire country that Talib should be given a chance to continue with the excellent work he has embarked on.
“However, when we recall how the Ministry handled the corruption scandal involving the former KMC Chief Executive Officer and unsuccessfully used all possible means to get her re-instated, despite overwhelming evidence against her, it is evident that the target had always been to get rid of Talib at whatever cost. This commission of inquiry is, therefore, the latest attempt to achieve that objective.
“This blatant form of political suppression of those who oppose his administration is undoubtedly neither in President Adama Barrows nor national interest. It is sending quite a negative signal to the Gambia’s development partners that rather than embark on a genuine fight against corruption; the government is bent on witch-hunting its opponents and those who hold contrary views.
“There are of course many other corruption scandals that deserve commissions of inquiry than the KMC. We have recently, for instance, heard about the millions of Dalasi of COVID money allegedly squandered at the Ministry of Health and the Gam Petroleum fuel saga. Yet, nothing is being heard from the government about those scandals, let alone set up commissions of inquiry to reveal what had happened.”
We can also recall that during his Meet the Peoples Tour in December 2022, shortly before the presidential elections, President Barrow announced his intentions to impose an administrator on both the BCC and the KMC, the only administrative areas without a regional governor, no doubt, to curb the powers and influence of the mayors in those two municipalities.
During a meeting at the Buffer Zone, he gave an example of how the governors up country are the lords of the area councils. Therefore, he said the administrators he intends to appoint in Banjul and KM “will be heads of all government institutions within KM and Banjul and will represent the government as well.”
Therefore, the present trend with the Barrow administration is quite reminiscent of what had been happening under the Yahya Jammeh regime, which of course, should not be a surprise to anyone, seeing how the Jammeh enablers have made it back into government in a huge way. The trend seems to point to the Barrow administration gradually taking us back to those bad old days and becoming more dictatorial as he consolidates himself in power. It is even quite interesting that as we are yet to get a Vice President, the Speaker of the National Assembly, Fabakary Tombong Jatta, a prominent Jammeh loyalist, is the second in command in the line of succession. It is, therefore, only the President who is between him and the presidency, which sort of scenario was definitely unimaginable when Jammeh was booted out in 2017. This is definitely not the type of situation that Gambians bargained for when many of us risked everything to get rid of the Jammeh dictatorship. |
A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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Momodou
Denmark
11521 Posts |
Posted - 21 Feb 2023 : 21:53:59
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Imam Baba Leigh, one of the appointed commissioners in the recently formed Commission of Inquiry set up to look into Local Government Councils, has recused himself from the commission, citing a conflict of interest as he already serves as a Commissioner in the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). This, he said, will contravene Section 5 (3) of the NHRC Act 2017, which prohibits such appointments.
Baba Leigh said: "I have since discussed with the Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission and he has advised me as a full-time serving Commissioner of the National Human Rights Commission [and that] if I were to take up this particular assignment while a member of the NHRC [it] will be tantamount to a conflict of interest and a breach of NHRC Act."
Source: TFN |
A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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Momodou
Denmark
11521 Posts |
Posted - 22 Feb 2023 : 13:39:39
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Imam Leigh resigns from commission appointment
The Standard: February 22, 2023129
By Omar Bah
https://standard.gm/imam-leigh-resigns-from-commission-appointment/
Imam Baba Leigh, a commissioner of the newly established government commission of inquiry into local councils’ dealings, has resigned.
Imam Leigh, who was widely criticised by opponents of the government for agreeing to serve in what they called witch hunt, said his resignation was purely based on his work at the National Human Rights Commission, NHRC.
In a letter seen by The Standard, Imam Leigh said: “I send my compliments to the president, and I would like to thank him for appointing me to serve as commissioner in the recently established commission of Inquiry into the conduct of all local government councils and for connected matters. I have since discussed my appointment with the NHRC chairperson and he has advised me that as a full-time serving commissioner of the NHRC, if I were to take up this particular assignment while a member of the NHRC, it will tantamount to a conflict of interest and breach of NHRC Act 2017 section 5 (3) and the NHRC conditions of service 2020 chapter 7J (b) page 37 which refers to “external works and activities of NHRC staff and commissioner”.
“I have also been alerted to section 5 (3) of the NHRC Act 2017 relating to the appointment of commissioners which states that; a member of the commission shall, upon his or her appointment – relinquish any other office, post or appointment that he or she holds in the public service or any other employment, and serve the commission in his or her individual capacity and not on behalf of any organisation or interest group. I have been further informed that being appointed as commissioner to this newly established commission for a period of 3 months and beyond while also being a full-time commissioner of the NHRC will tantamount to holding another employment in contravention of section 5 (3) of the NHRC Act 2017 which prohibits holding such appointments and or employment,” the letter explained. |
A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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Momodou
Denmark
11521 Posts |
Posted - 22 Feb 2023 : 15:44:00
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Local Gov’t authorities accuse Barrow of violating ECOWAS protocol, Constitution
The point: Feb 22, 2023
https://thepoint.gm/africa/gambia/headlines/local-govt-authorities-accuse-barrow-of-violating-ecowas-protocol-constitution
The Gambia Association of Local Government Authorities (GALGA) has accused President Adama Barrow of violating the ECOWAS protocol and the country’s constitution by setting up a commission of enquiry into the conduct of all local government councils.
These concerns by GALGA were revealed in a letter sent to the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), the National Assembly select committee on local government, the Ombudsman and the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC).
The letter, obtained by this medium, states: “It is with great disappointment and concern that we write to bring to your attention recent actions taken by the President of the Republic of The Gambia that violate the constitutional rights of the undersigned as well as over 100 Councillors in Local Government in The Gambia.”
GALGA further emphasised that the said actions by central government also violate ECOWAS Protocol A/SP1/12/01 on Democracy and Good Governance Supplementary to the Protocol relating to the Mechanism for Conflict Prevention, Management, Resolution, Peacekeeping and Security; and risk destabilizing the country as well as other international norms and obligations of the Government of The Gambia.
"Unfortunately, the President, in purported exercise of his constitutional powers, established a Commission of Inquiry into the Conduct of All Local Government Councils and Connected Matters. Enclosed is a copy of the Commission Gazette which as you can see will span the three-month election window. There is no stated reason why the Commission should be established and run during the election calendar of Local Governments. There is also no reason why it was not established for the past 5 years or cannot be established after elections," GALGA states in the letter.
As elected officials, GALGA states further, they welcome public scrutiny and believe transparency and accountability is necessary, not only to allow the public to participate and be aware of local government administration but also to provide us with guidance and assistance to increase the efficiency of our various councils. |
A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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toubab1020
12241 Posts |
Posted - 23 Feb 2023 : 11:13:05
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https://standard.gm/beyond-the-optics-my-take-on-the-setting-up-of-a-commission-of-inquiry-by-the-government/
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By Dr Assan Jallow
February 23, 2023
Although we are in the middle of a political season, I do not consider setting up a commission of inquiry into the conduct of all local government councils (LGCs) as a political witch hunt or a waste of government resources. That is not the intent of setting up a commission of inquiry, as such is premised on the due execution of the Public Finance Act (PMA). However, political experts can argue about the timing of government initiatives to determine if there is a direct link between the commission of inquiry and the upcoming local government elections on April 15 and May 20, but that is not the objective of this article. However, my two cents worth is that creating a commission of inquiry is necessary and timely in our current situation to uncover any wrongdoing in our public institutions (i.e., government and local authorities) by our public officials (either appointed or elected). This is because the Gambia, characterized as a transitional economy, has a checkered past of public corruption, as revealed in the Janneh Commission and other previous commissions of inquiries, such as the (Alghali Commission), which ended up in the setting up of the Assets Management and Recovery Commission (AMRC). In this context, we must not be blinded by the optics but enamored to speak truth to power about the fact that corruption is endemic and has engulfed our country in unimaginable suffocation.
It is noticeable that many have been alleged to have participated in unimagined state capture, as evidence suggests that many terrible things have happened in our governance since independence and following the change of government in 2016. These are and are not limited to:
shady deals and contracts (for example, fraud during pre-solicitation and the solicitation, during bidding, bid evaluation, contract negotiations, and awarding), undercut contracts, signing contracts through single-sourced procurements, and giving government contracts to friends, relatives, and family members).
bribery, lobbying, extortion, parochialism, cronyism, nepotism, influence-peddling, graft, and embezzlement of public funds; and
Political corruption through the abuse of public authority for other purposes, such as the repression of political opponents and the widespread use of force by the police.
However, we have a crisis of information asymmetric in which the layers of accountability, transparency, and reporting are politicized and weakened to the extent that publicly available data are doctored or not found for the citizens to access and scrutinize. This is a key challenge, thus causing confusion and fragmentation in the fight against public corruption and threatening our ability to root out corruption and crimes facing our country.
Furthermore, the truth is that almost every house in the Gambia is affected directly or indirectly by public corruption. This is becoming increasingly problematic unless the necessary measures are taken to address this cancerous and evil scheme denying every Gambian access to adequate, affordable, and publicly available social services.
Based on this reasoning, did we ask how can an average public servant in the Gambia afford to pay the tuition fees of either their sons or daughters, relatives, and by extension, their special ones (friends with benefits – FWB) to pursue university education in the developed world, such as the US, the UK, France, and Germany? Have we even bothered to investigate how a public servant who earns, say D10, 000 per month, can afford to sustain a daily fish money of D1000 -D1500, depending on the number of households, excluding other daily and monthly expenses around the house? Are we surprised that most elected or appointed public officials live beyond their means? Where did the ill-gotten wealth and unimaginable spending spree come from and call for an investigation? These are incontestable happenings, and each of us can glean through our eyes to see the traded currency of public corruption and corrupt practices across our public institutions (ministries, departments, and agencies – MDAs and state-owned enterprises (SOEs); unless we desire to stay blind, act dumb and downplay it because of being incentivized through the scheme to either stay quiet and enjoy the spoils or protect a family member or friend. Why are we wicked or hate ourselves through incentivizing the rhythm of patronage and protection using deceit and deception to hoot and call it a political witch-hunt when the scars of our dealing are about to be uncovered? Isn’t that questionable? Of course, yes!
Sadly, it is only in the Gambia where someone who loots the public purse is identified as the “blessed one” (“Keey daafa tekki”) among his or her contemporaries as if corruption and corrupt practices are the units of measurement for success. That is a false ambivalence premised on a false metric and disastrous KPIs. We are living in interesting times, as corruption has become a way of life, where most among us tend to downplay such crimes and their existence in our public space, as some among us prefer to live the lives of panhandlers and wear it as a badge of honor. That is unacceptable.
Interestingly, there is perceived public sector corruption that’s human-induced and fueled by private sector players and collaborators who created the circumstance and environment for it to take place. Undeniably, corruption and bribery are the “new oil” where money is exchanged between hands “teeh kenn munut chii daara.” Furthermore, now, the center cannot hold as every “Kumba, Pateh, and Samba” have become an agent and driver of corruption and corrupt practices. Therefore, there is a need for the government to look into allegations of fraud and corruption in state-owned enterprises, especially the ongoing saga in GPA. More importantly, the misappropriation of 10s of millions of TRRC’s funds, the COVIDGATE, the Banjul Project, the Securiport contract, the Gampetroleum saga (a case in which the alleged individuals were acquitted and discharged based on “a lack of prima facie evidence linking them to the crime by the prosecution team”), and the unaccounted Timber revenue export trade issue, need to be investigated. As such, the establishment of many commissions of inquiries or extending such a commission to investigate these serious allegations of graft and stop the state capture in government and public institutions (SOEs).
Based on the above, I support such a commission if it is believed that funds have been misappropriated by any elected or appointed public official. Thus, people entrusted to deliver public goods/services must refrain from using our commonwealth’s resources. As such, our responsibilities as taxpayers are to give the government the benefit of the doubt under the radar of accepting responsibility and not under the rudder of concealment and partisan politics. Thus, we must avoid having preconceived notions and seeing government moves as a form of witch hunt based on our differing political ideologies. Instead, with objective reasoning and rationality, let us see the good in everything without attaching politics of emotions and patronage or using political lenses to share conjectures and unmerited opinions. For better outcomes, we must detach ourselves from emotions, allow the right things to take place, and save ourselves from setting bad precedence in future decisions and actions.
Recommendations
Although public corruption is evident and in full display in our ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) of government institutions. No one can deny it, as bribery and extortion are visible at our noses, and if it were an odor, then the country would be under intense quarantine. However, fighting corruption is a herculean task that requires the collective involvement and participation of all the stakeholders in our commonwealth through relational engagement, education, and persuasion with no acts of politicization. Therefore, to better have a heuristic understanding of public corruption and be able to exert authority in fighting it with a better and stronger political will and outcomes, I suggest the following:
Immediate presentation of the Anti-Corruption Bill before the deputies at our hallowed house of the National Assembly for it to be debated, agreed upon/consented to, and passed to the president for his assent. This is critical and does not assure that establishing a corruption commission will end public-private sector corruption in the Gambia. The benefit is that it helps creates better controls, deterrence, and detection measures in limiting the crimes of corruption and corrupt practices taking place by helping in the institutionalization of an audit trail to have a holistic view of funds transactions from Point A to Point B in order to determine and link those with misuse government funds and resources.
Assets declarations must be enforced, and individuals appointed or elected to public office should publicly declare their assets for the public to access through a publicly available database.
An effective immediate enactment of a Whistleblowers Protection Act is needed. This is critical in the fight against public corruption and for practical exposure to pique public interest. Hence, it will provide governance procedures for disclosing information concerning illegal, irregular, and corrupt practices.
The Public Finance Management Act must be enforced effectively and efficiently per its guiding principles, policies, and regulations to ensure fiscal accountability and responsibility in our macroeconomic environment.
Ensure the Auditor General’s reports are given the attention they deserve by the government. In ensuring that discovered anomalies are investigated, missing funds are returned to the consolidated revenue fund (CRF), effective immediately. Those found wanton are processed before the courts for the rule of law to take charge.
Dedicate more resources to the national police services (GPF) to enhance the investigative capacities of police in the fight against economic crimes, particularly bribery, and corruption in our public institutions.
Resources must be deployed to the judiciary, and by extension, a deputy public procurement officer (DPP) needs to be recruited as such a government position cannot remain unoccupied. Leaving this position unfilled is a travesty to public and administrative justice.
E-government must be implemented to curb public corruption, as digitalization has the prospect of limiting corrupt practices and bribery in government and local government services. We must stop theorizing and start implementing practical insights if we are committed and dare to ensure that resources are expensed for their intended purposes, particularly in providing basic services to the people.
To entrench and espouse a “Corruption Free Gambia, there is the need for effective multi-level organizational engagements, effective consultation, and participation of the Judiciary, the Civil Society Organization, the Legislature, and the Executive (government) through the executable mechanics of the established anti-corruption laws and legal instruments to punish corruption.
To conclude, I argue that corruption and corrupt practices cannot be acceptable norms and must be hated, discouraged, and reported through the #hashtag (see something, say something) by everyone regardless of age, gender, religion, political affiliation, and place of origin or abode. That is because corruption denies the citizens access to valuable resources meant for the public good and positions our country on the edge of waves of looming and unending political and insecurity crises. Moreover, misappropriated funds breed domino effects of socio-economic consequences and challenges that plunge a nation into “constrained vision,” deprivation, hopelessness, and poverty. Moreover, for the Gambia to survive, the corrupt and corrupted must be dragged before a competent court of jurisdiction to unearth their evil schemes, exposed, shamed, and jailed for their actions.
Finally, if we want to save ourselves from the wrath of any enabling and circumstantially enhancing environments that make it possible for this worst of all evils (corruption) to survive and thrive, we must be unapologetic, firm, strategic, and uncompromisingly endeavored to see to it that justice and fairness prevail in the fight against public corruption in the Gambia. In this case, their collaborators (i.e., drivers and agents of corruption or economic loot enhancers) must be given heavier fines and jail terms, and the business environment must be cleaned up.
Let us end the #Steal#Corruption #CorruptPractices#Bribery.
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"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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toubab1020
12241 Posts |
Posted - 25 Feb 2023 : 12:23:52
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https://thepoint.gm/africa/gambia/headlines/local-govt-ministry-receives-complaints-of-d30m-financial-irregularity
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#Headlines
‘Local Gov’t Ministry receives complaints of D30M financial irregularity’
Feb 23, 2023, 12:49 PM | Article By: Ali Jaw
The National People’s Party has stated that the Ministry of Local Government and Lands has received several written complaints from councils regarding alleged financial irregularities ranging from D10 million to D30 million.
The claim by the ruling party came on the heels of criticisms and verbal protests against the government proposed commission of inquiry to investigate dealings of local government councils across the country, which some critics say is a premeditated witch-hunting exercise by the Barrow administration.
“May we begin with reconfirming the commitment of our party to the sacred ideals of peace, stability national reconciliation, unity, and the continued progress and development of our beloved country, the smiling coast of Africa,” Sulayman Camara, Secretary of communications, read a statement of his party in a presser held on Sunday.
“The Ministry of local government and lands has received several written complaints from councils about alleged financial and administrative irregularities involving various amounts from 10 to 30 million dalasi as well as critical staff matters.”
Mr Camara has also stated that The Gambia’s democratic space under current President Adama Barrow is boundless.
“In The Gambia under President Barrow, the democratic space is boundless and there is zero interference in the province of the Judiciary,” he said, adding that the zero-interference approach to the judiciary has been demonstrated on numerous occasions by the Barrow administration.
Making reference to recent electioneering comments by the UDP leader, Camara recounted: “The UDP leader also said if the results of the coming election are not tabulated properly, they would announce their own results. This is quite unfortunate, by trying to undermine the integrity of the independent electoral commission.”
He further opined that the UDP is under “a spent force and on life supporting machine”, which was “manifested in the last presidential elections”.
The NPP is a progressive people’s movement, a party of peace, hope and inclusiveness, where all opinions are respectfully counted; where politics of insults are shunned, he said, citing statesman Halifa Sallah as having once said “people who insult have nothing to offer”.
“His Excellency Adama Barrow will preserve the integrity, peace and harmony of this country, and he will not allow anyone to take the laws of the country into their own hands whenever decisions do not go their way,” he said.
He underscored further that the Gambian democracy has come of age, and “we have nurtured a mature and independent judiciary to which everyone can seek redress whenever they feel that their rights have been threatened.”
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"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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toubab1020
12241 Posts |
Posted - 25 Feb 2023 : 12:31:00
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https://thepoint.gm/africa/gambia/headlines/galga-asks-iec-to-compel-govt-to-postpone-commission-of-enquiry
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#Headlines
GALGA asks IEC to compel gov’t to postpone commission of enquiry
Feb 24, 2023, 12:23 PM | Article By: Jankey Ceesay
The Gambia Association of Local Government Authorities has demanded that the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) compel the Government of The Gambia to postpone the Commission of Enquiry until the 21st of May 2023 when the local government elections are over.
The message was conveyed to the media via a press conference organised on Thursday at the council.
Reading a statement by GALGA, Landing B. Sanneh, president of the association and chairperson of Mansakonko Area Council, said the President had said there is no Council in The Gambia that has not been subjected to or can avoid the above scrutiny. There is therefore no logical basis or reason for the President to establish a Commission of Inquiry to look into the conduct of Councils when all the information that could be required is available and already in the hands of the Government and the Public.
He went on: “There is no stated reason the Commission should be established and run during the election calendar of Local Governments. There is also no reason why it was not established for the past 5 years or cannot be established after elections.”
Mr Sanneh said that as elected officials they welcome public scrutiny and believe transparency and accountability are necessary, “not only to allow the public to participate and be aware of local government administration, but also to provide us with guidance and assistance to increase efficiency of our various councils but the enquiry has come at a wrong time”.
He added: “Violations of ECOWAS Protocols in principle we have no issue with objective and impartial investigations. However, the timing violates Article I(i) of the Protocol which guarantees the freedom of political parties to participate freely and without hindrance or discrimination in any electoral process.
“The Enactment of a Commission of Inquiry immediately before an election violates the spirit of Article 2 which provides: ‘No substantial modification shall be made to the electoral laws in the last six (6) months before the elections, except with the consent of a majority of Political actors’.,”
He urged the central government to respect its international obligations and withdraw the Commission in the interest of peace, stability and adherence to the principles of good governance and political freedom.
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"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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toubab1020
12241 Posts |
Posted - 27 Feb 2023 : 20:45:30
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https://thepoint.gm/africa/gambia/national-news/councils-commission-unwarranted-lawyer-martin
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#National News
Councils Commission unwarranted - Lawyer Martin
Feb 24, 2023, 12:44 PM | Article By: Sanna Jallow
Lawyer Assan Martin has said President Barrow and his Government’s plan to set up a commission to investigate area councils and municipalities is “untimely” and “unwarranted” at this particular point in time.
Lawyer Martin made the remarks in an interview with The Point following government’s announcement to set up a commission to investigate all area councils and municipalities across the country.
He further described the move as politically motivated as we approach local government elections. He also described the setting up of the commission as a duplicate of roles to previously established commissions.
He pointed out that the Auditor General's department could have been the best suited department to deal with financial issues within councils and not government setting up another commission.
He claimed that President Barrow is ill-advised at this particular point in time knowing that local government elections are approaching.
“Commissions should be set up based on judicious reasons and be fair enough with whatever is to be investigated but not established for the sake of being power,” he stated.
He advised President Barrow to remember that some of these things may come to work against him. “If you are digging a hole for your enemies make sure you do not fall into it,” he cautioned, saying setting up commissions for set up sake does not help anybody.
He added that authority most not be abused.
He noted that if government is to open another commission it should be to investigate the passports scandal, the First Lady’s Foundation scandal and Ministry of Fisheries.
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"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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toubab1020
12241 Posts |
Posted - 28 Feb 2023 : 11:16:30
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SNIPPET:
"This article was first published by The Point in 2018."
Have things changed since then ?
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https://thepoint.gm/africa/gambia/headlines/role-of-mayor-is-ceremonial-no-executive-powers-samba-faal
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#Headlines
Role of mayor is ceremonial, no executive powers: Samba Faal
Feb 27, 2023, 1:14 PM | Article By: Sankulleh Gibril Janko
Former mayor of Banjul, Samba Faal, has said some of the mayoral aspirants do not actually understand the role of a mayor, hinting that the job of a mayor is more or less ceremonial because they do not have executive powers.
In an exclusive interview with The Point on 9 May 2018, Mr. Faal, who on two occasions had been mayor of the city spanning a period over a decade and tipped as the most popular mayor of the council, said upon hearing what some of the mayoral aspirant are saying on the campaign trail means that “they do not really understand the job.”
“Most of them don’t actually know, they don’t understand the roles governing local governance, and I think before you get into something, you have to know what you are going into and that has not been the case from the look of things.”
“The Local Government Act itself is not giving executive powers to any mayor. The mayor is just a ceremonial head and his or her role is limited to chairing council meetings and being the link between council and government. The mayor supervises the activities of the council on daily basis,” he continued. “But the supervision is based on resolution of council. When council passes resolutions, and then it is the mayor’s role to work with the administration to make sure that the resolutions are being implemented and then report back to council.
Unfortunately, he argued, even former mayors who are vying for another do actually understand the role of a mayor.
“The mayor cannot add or deduct anything from the resolution that has been made by the council; the council is supreme, so the mayor’s role is purely ceremonial,” he reiterated. “You are like a messenger and the power is given more or less to the council who are the representatives of the people at the local level.”
He added that the councilors work with their people; conceptualise programmes and projects which are brought to council for implementation. This article was first published by The Point in 2018.
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"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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Edited by - toubab1020 on 28 Feb 2023 11:18:32 |
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