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Momodou
Denmark
11513 Posts |
 Posted - 27 Jul 2021 : 19:11:02
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Commendations for Mayor Bensouda: On track against corruption
By Madi Jobarteh
The decision of Mayor Bensouda to suspend his CEO and Director of Finance and report them to police for investigations for corruption has been recognised by anti-corruption campaigners to be the most effective means in combating corruption. That is, to fight corruption, it must be taken up at the highest level by bringing top officials to book. When senior officials are confronted it sends an unambiguous message to the rest that indeed there are no more sacred cows! Hence the decision by the Mayor is indeed in the right direction. It is a pragmatic deterrent.
One American CSO defined corruption as thus: “Corruption is the abuse of office for personal gain, and it takes many forms. It’s the politician taking a bribe before awarding a building contract to the briber. It’s the city council member paying for his family vacation with public funds. It’s the official demanding bribes from citizens in exchange for access to clean water.”
In this definition, we can clearly see this KMC saga in it in full. In fact, the Late Kofi Annan, former UN Secretary General once said that “Corruption is a curse and an attack on the foundations of any civilized society. It undermines morality, democracy, good governance and the rule of law. It swallows resources needed for development. And it is an affront to people who bring high ethical standards to their work and dealings with their fellow human beings and who expect the same in return, in the time-honoured tradition of "do unto others. Corruption is evil and insidious, and must be opposed at every turn.”
The only reason the Gambia is so poor with citizens deprived of the most basic social services and necessary public infrastructure is simply and squarely due to corruption in the Government. When a government is corrupt, society itself becomes corrupt as citizens are forced to bribe in order to access basic services that they have already paid for with their taxes. To tell the truth, corruption is an epidemic in the Gambia thanks to the Government!
Corruption has thrived in this country because the governments we have since Independence are not interested in transparency and accountability. Corruption cannot be fought and defeated when there is no transparency and laws are not enforced to ensure accountability. The Gambia does not lack good laws to combat corruption, what it lacks is the political will to fully enforce those laws to prevent, detect and prosecute perpetrators. It is for this reason that Mayor Bensouda needs commendation and encouragement for showing that political will! Now, let us call the President, NAMs, Mayors, Chairpersons and Councillors to emulate him.
In fact, Kofi Annan said it best when he noted that if corruption is a disease, transparency is a central part of its treatment. The President of the World Bank Jim Yong Kim buttressed this point even better by saying that only radical and greater transparency should drive the prevention and uncovering of corruption.
In the world of human rights, the greatest threat is corruption. Every human right violation there is, at the core of it lies corruption. Perpetrators violate rights simply because they want to unduly access resources, illegally maintain power and enjoy privileges or cover up their excesses. Hence to ensure access and control and hide, perpetrators such as public officials bend laws and inflict pain on individuals in order to silence and exterminate anyone who would serve as an obstacle to their diabolical objective.
This is why, while we commend the Mayor, it is necessary we also urge him to go further to review the bylaws of KMC just to ensure that there is radical and greater transparency and then enforce those bylaws. To be transparent means he should also bring in the use of technology in the work of the Council so as to make financial management more effective, open and accessible to all stakeholders especially citizens.
In fact, the Local Government Finance and Audit Act has stipulated that the budget estimates of Area Councils should be pasted in every ward for public scrutiny. But how many times do citizens see the budget of the municipalities and area councils? To ensure effective transparency and accountability and combat corruption, it is necessary that area councils pursue participatory budgeting processes in order to bring citizens into the budget making process. The truth is there is so much corruption in the local councils and this is precisely why they are largely unable to address the basic needs of residents. This must stop.
Talking about laws, it is important to highlight the passing of the Access to Information Bill 2021 on the first day of this month. I hope the President will assent to it by July 30, marking the 30-day limit as required by the Constitution for him to do so. This is one of the best laws to create radical and greater transparency hence bring about accountability. This is why such laws are also called sunshine laws because sunshine is the best disinfectant.
While we commend the Mayor for this remarkable and necessary action, one wonders why Pres. Adama Barrow has never prosecuted any senior public official in his Government for corruption for almost five years in office. It is an open secret that his Government is notorious for corruption which has been exposed countless times by his own Government and by the media and citizens. In fact, some of these cases are now before the National Assembly Petitions Committee. Yet Pres. Barrow has never found it necessary to bring anyone to book. Why? Clearly the President is protecting corruption and its perpetrators for which the National Assembly also has a duty to act against that.
For The Gambia Our Homeland
Related topics:
https://www.gambia.dk/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=17729
KMC Mayor Unveils D12 Million Scam Indicting CEO and Finance Director: https://gainako.com/kmc-mayor-unveils-d12-million-scam-indicting-ceo-and-finance-director/
KMC SCANDAL: This is what the CEO, Sainabou Martin-Sonko said:
The staff came to my office on a daily basis in distress situations seeking financial support from the council in terms of acquiring a shelter for their families, paying for school, medical bills etc, and my hands were tight because I cannot approve loans for staff due to the embargo on loans for staff as a result of a general resolution.
I came up with a vision - that is to revive the operations of the Staff Welfare Association and turn it into a sort of microfinance body that can acquire assets- land for resale to the staff and as well engage in any viable business activity in the interest of the Welfare Association as mandated by the recently approved Service Rules.
Through my leadership and direction, the Welfare Association brokered a loan facility from AGIB to acquire a piece of property measuring 100 x 1000 square meters, situated in Brufut to be relocated to interested staff who are eligible in accordance with the Service Rules.
True I gave a corporate guaranty to the Welfare Association for the mentioned loan facility oversighting to get back to the Lord Mayor even though we had discussed the issue on few occasions and did not come to terms on the matter. I did it purposely in the best interest of the general staff as I have had series of consultations with the Welfare Association executive and also have announced this intend to the general staff when we had the first meeting of the Welfare Association that was held in May this year.
However, the fact that the transaction is perceived to be illegal and the AGIB was instructed to freeze the account of the property vendor to null the entire agreement between AGIB and Welfare Association, and between the Welfare Association and the property vendor, I therefore truly regret my actions and any inconvenience that may have emanated from the loan acquisition from AGIB. I wish to seize this opportunity to promise that this is a great lesson for me and shall never be repeated in my lifetime.
Source: WOG
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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Momodou
Denmark
11513 Posts |
Posted - 06 Aug 2021 : 09:37:16
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THE REPUBLIC OF THE GAMBIA
Ministry for Lands,
Regional Government and Religious Affairs
The Quadrangle
BANJUL
Press Release Dated: 5th August, 2021
Re: Ministry of Lands & Regional Government Dispatches Inspectors to KMC, Issues Ultimatum
In the wake of the simmering tension that has engulfed the Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC) for weeks now, the Lord Mayor of KMC visited the Honourable Minister of Lands, Regional Government and Religious Affairs, Alhagie Musa Drammeh on Friday 23rd July 2021 and briefed him on the alleged fraud that was discovered at the council. However, the Hon. Minister advised him to put the said briefing in writing to be hand-delivered to him directly.
Before the receipt of that written report and to our utter surprise, on Monday the 26th July, 2021, The Lord Mayor held a press briefing and announced the Resolution of the General Council meeting sending on indefinite leave, various officials accused of fraud and withdrawing of their statutory allowances. Immediately, the Hon Minister became aware of the press briefing, he immediately called the attention of Major Bensouda that he has overstepped his powers and summoned him to a meeting the following day (27th July, 2021).
In that meeting, Minister Drammeh reiterated his position on the normal procedure as par the Local Government Act, 2002 particularly, the appointment and disciplinary matters that are solely vested in the Local Government Service Commission. He urged the council through the Lord Mayor to rescind Council’s earlier decision that is unlawful and improper.
Curiously, moments after leaving the Minister’s office, the Mayor signed a hand-delivered letter to the Hon Minister dated 22nd July 2021, conveying the unlawful decision of the General Council reached on the 26th July, 2021 without adhering to the guidance of the minister. What was sucking to the Ministry was the inconsistency in the correspondence. Even though council passed its resolution on the 26th July, the letter conveying the decision was dated 22nd July four days prior to council’s resolution.
On Friday 30th July, 2021, KMC Mayor paid a second visit to the Hon Minister on the same issue and during that meeting, the Hon Minister maintained the position that the action of the council was unlawful and urged council to revisit their decision and submit their recommendations through the office of the permanent secretary to the Local Government Service Commission who are the competent authority to deal with the appointment and disciplinary of the public servants of the council.
On the 2nd of August, the Hon Minister in reply to Lord Mayor’s letter stating Council’s unlawful decision and his resolve to dispatch an Inspection Team based on Section 150 of the Local Government Act. Minister Drammeh also admonished the KMC to allow officials unlawfully sent on indefinite leave to participate in the recommended inspections.
To the minister’s amazement, while the Inspectors were allowed entry into the KMC premises, the suspended officials were denied access even before the arrival of the inspectors.
Therefore, the Ministry intends to execute its full responsibility strictly adhering to the Local Government Act 2002 failing which, the full force of the law will be applied.
Curiously however, the Hon Minister received a reply to his 2nd August, 2021 letter with the Resolution passed by the General Council on the 3rd of August their decision that the suspended officials remain on Indefinite Leave as per their earlier Resolution. KMC however, acquiesced on the payment of salaries and entitlements pending the outcome of investigations.
Therefore, The Ministry of Lands and Regional Government insists that its inspectors be allowed unhindered access to continue their work as of Thursday 5th August, 2021 and are expected to engage all parties by Monday including those sent on Indefinite Leave without due process.
Under the circumstances, the Ministry expects full compliance with the inspection team failing which appropriate measures will be taken.
………………………..
Buba Sanyang
Permanent Secretary
Ministry for Lands, Regional Government and Religious Affairs |
A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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Momodou
Denmark
11513 Posts |
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Commendations for Mayor Bensouda: On track
