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Momodou
Denmark
11832 Posts |
 Posted - 05 Aug 2007 : 19:35:02
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Foroyaa Editorial:
100,000 TO EACH KMC COUNCILLOR TO REHABILITATE ROADS
There are seventeen wards in the KMC area. There is Tallinding ward with 19,773 inhabitants; Faji Kunda ward with 12,744, Latrikunda Sabiji ward 11,289; Abuko ward, 4,345; Serrekunda ward, 18,901; Bundung six junction, Mauritani ward, 21569; Bundung Borehole/Bantaba ward, 19,500; Kanifing ward, 6, 275; Old Jeshwang ward, 8,480; New Jeshwang/Ibo Town ward, 24, 219; Bakau New Town/Fajara ward 15,981 and Old Bakau Cape Point ward 12,901.
It is confirmed that each councillor is given 100,000 dalasi to be utilised to rehabilitate the roads in their respective wards. This amounts to a total of D1.7 million dalasis for road rehabilitation.
The drivers who use the space adjacent to Serrekunda School have confirmed that the road connecting their parking space with Papa Sarr Street is impassable as the gravel poured there turned into clay. Residents of many communities in the KMC area are lodging similar complaints. Foroyaa, therefore, suggests that all councillors go back to their respective areas and honestly give reports of the state of the roads after the rehabilitation they claimed to have undertaken.
Those coming from Old Jeshwang have lodged complaints of worsened condition of the road going to the school. Those in Churchill Town have also complained of the same condition.
Road construction or rehabilitation is a technical matter. The Local Government Act has created ward development committees as well as technical committees.
The ward development committees are supposed to meet periodically to look at all the problems in their respective areas.
These problems are supposed to be discussed by councillors and budgets prepared to address them.
Section 13 of the Local Government Finance and Audit Act states that “No appropriation of funds by a council shall be made out of the funds of the council unless it is approved in a budget.”
According to Section 8 Subsection (7), “A council shall allocate at least sixty per centum of the budget for development activities, excluding the recurrent costs of those activities.”
Each council is required by Section 18 of the Local Government Finance and Audit Act to have a contracts committee comprising the Chief Executive as Chairperson, the Director of Finance, the Director of Planning and Development, two elected councillors to be appointed by the council, two members of the public to be appointed by the Secretary of State.
According to Section 18 (1) “All procurement by a Local Government Authority shall be carried out in accordance with the Gambia Public Procurement Act, 2001 and the monetary thresholds and regulations prescribed by and under that Act.
To build roads requires procurement of stones, granite or other materials for road construction.
What the council should have done is to rely on the councillors and ward development committees to identify the roads that need priority attention and cooperate with the Department of Technical Services to conduct studies on how to rehabilitate them. In short, road construction must go with some form of drainage so that water will not be stagnant on the road.
Foroyaa wish to caution the councillors to keep receipts of their purchases of gravel and other items utilised for road rehabilitation. The Auditors may call them some day.
The end result of expenditure of public funds is public accountability. No skill to do work, No right to receive funds to do it!!
source: Foroyaa Newspaper Burning Issue
Issue No. 89/2007, 1 – 2 August 2007
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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Momodou
Denmark
11832 Posts |
Posted - 05 Aug 2007 : 19:36:51
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KMC DISBURSES D1.7 MILLION AMONG WARDS
By Bubacarr K. Sowe
The Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC) has recently distributed 1.7 million dalasi among seventeen councilors for the purpose of rehabilitating roads in their wards, Foroyaa has been told.
Duwa Jaiteh, Director of Administration at the KMC, has confirmed the disbursement of 100,000 dalasi to each of the ward councillors. Mr. Jaiteh said: “Each councillor was given D100,000 dalasi to go back to their Ward Development Committee Members and discuss with them with a view to fill all the necessary roads needing attention”. He said that this was a request made by the councillors at a council meeting. “It was unanimously agreed to assist them in the rehabilitation of their roads”, he said.
KMC’s Chief Executive Officer, Abdoulie Sanyang, told Foroyaa he was satisfied with the work in some of the areas he had visited.
Mr. Sanyang said “there is a contract committee in place to monitor these things. I’m sure they will come with a positive report. I’m sure councillors are responsible and they will not deceive their electorate”.
The wards that the KMC CEO said he had visited were Faji Kunda, Bundung-Mauritania and Six Junction, Bundung Borehole and Bantaba, and Latrikunda.
source: Foroyaa Newspaper Burning Issue
Issue No. 89/2007, 1 – 2 August 2007 |
A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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Momodou
Denmark
11832 Posts |
Posted - 05 Aug 2007 : 19:47:32
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OPINION:
RE: 100,000 TO EACH KMC COUNSILLOR TO REHABILITATE ROADS
I was totally amazed when I learnt in the Foroyaa Editorial of issue No: 89/2007 that all KMC councillors were given one hundred thousand dalasis each for the rehabilitation of roads in their respective wards. I felt so because of the kind of work I have witnessed being done on the roads around where I live. The potholes on the road which joins the Western end of Bundung Bantaba to Gambi-bolong Street was filled with refuse mixed with soil from the main
dumpsite in the areas. Similar works were done on the roads around Nboyo field.
This makes those roads stinky and almost impassable for people on foot. People living in the compounds adjacent to these roads have been in hell since this refuse was dumped there in the name of road rehabilitation because of the foul smell emanating from the mess. I learnt that many of these residents were forced to always keep their doors close as a way of trying to prevent the odour getting
in and many of them could not stay in their houses during the day without burning incense (churai).
This is exposing the people living in these areas to all kinds of diseases particularly little children who could sometimes be seen scavenging at the sites. The reason why people kept away wastes from themselves to be dumped elsewhere is because of the fear that they could get diseases from them, if allowed to be accumulated around them. This is why they are taken to the dumpsite. To now take that waste from the dumpsite and place it among them is to re-enforce that fear instead of allaying it. We expect our representatives to
know that better. This money they are given for this work is our sweat and therefore we deserve that it should be used honesty and efficiently to better our lives and not to harm us.
With the hundred thousand dalasis, the councillors could do a better job for us than what I have seen in our area. It would have been better even if those potholes were filled with sand as I have seen some people doing. That at least absorbs any water that flows to the area of the road and makes it less muddy.
I also learnt that after this undesirable work in the area the people were ordered not to take their waste to that dumpsite again without being given an alternative. The people have been dumping refuse at that place because of the fact that for several years now, KMC refuse collection vehicles have not been seen collecting them. Now that this order is made, what do they expect the people to do other than be dumping their refuse indiscriminately. KMC
authorities should tell the people what to do with their waste because they don’t expect them to keep it in their homes. We expect to be treated fairly especially by people who are supposed to be our servants.
By a concerned resident
Bundung Bantaba Street.
source: Foroyaa Newspaper Burning Issue
Issue No. 90/2007, 3-5 August, 2007 |
A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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Karamba
United Kingdom
3820 Posts |
Posted - 05 Aug 2007 : 21:39:37
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| In the proper allocation of development resources, the sums could not be disbursed to ward councilors but allocated as budget lines. Ward councillors have responsibility to consult the area reps to determine current priorities for budget allocation. Disbursing raw cash to councillors is temptation to corruption and mismanagement of funds. |
Karamba |
Edited by - Karamba on 05 Aug 2007 21:42:06 |
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Alhassan
Sweden
813 Posts |
Posted - 06 Aug 2007 : 09:53:02
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Karamba,
Quite right Karamba. I would even suggest that the sums allocated is not sufficent to develop the said roads. only if one has seen the roads , one should know that they need proper reparation. I even discouraged people who tried to repair the roads and ask for money when you pass with a car. This I found disturbing. I hope the councilors use the funds to serv its purpose. |
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kondorong
Gambia
4380 Posts |
Posted - 06 Aug 2007 : 18:09:16
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What has become of the Public Expenditure Programme. Its a suprise that Councillors will carry cash in their pockets filling pot holes. Proper tender procedures should be adhered to and that cannot be ensured with one individual making all the decisions.
What do i know? |
“When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it--always.” |
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Karamba
United Kingdom
3820 Posts |
Posted - 06 Aug 2007 : 18:40:04
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Alhassan and Kondorong,
The bottom line of matters rests on the fact that many of these councillors stay with APRC for their pockets. They are not into development. The money GIVEN to them is only POCKET MONEY, so to put it. This way of dishing out raw cash to councillors is unheard of. Where is the system and procedures ?? |
Karamba |
Edited by - Karamba on 06 Aug 2007 21:25:50 |
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patrick
Gambia
22 Posts |
Posted - 06 Aug 2007 : 19:17:05
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| It seems there is still a lot to be desired in our belove Gambia. Sometimes i wonder how decisions are taken in the Gambia. Because some decisions appear a bit too naive to me. God safe the Gambia |
pk2 |
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kondorong
Gambia
4380 Posts |
Posted - 06 Aug 2007 : 20:12:31
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Well if people can go face Algali for not adhering to proper tender procedures, and now we are creating many Babanding Sissokho's; dishing out money to anyone they so wish,; then it sends a bad signal to good governance and accountability.
Well if state accounts have not been audited for many years, this should not be a suprise. i belive it took almost 9 years for the accounts to be audited and placed before the National Assembly as required by the Finance Act and the Financial Instruction commonly called FI. |
“When I despair, I remember that all through history the way of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time, they can seem invincible, but in the end, they always fall. Think of it--always.” |
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Karamba
United Kingdom
3820 Posts |
Posted - 06 Aug 2007 : 21:30:04
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To start with the King Rat, all other rats disappear in their holes with whatever they are able bite from the national cake. Where is Mansasulu to explain how such gross mis-allocation of public funds can be accomodated in a whole municipality ? |
Karamba |
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