By Landing Colley
The seven administrative councils in the country has been issued an ultimatum to submit their 2017 and 2018 financial statement as well as audit report and management letter to the National Assembly select committee on Regional Government and Land, Ombudsman and IEC on 29 of January, 2021.
Honorable Musa Amul Nyassi, the committee chairman warned that no council will be spared in the ultimatum issued to them.
“We are here to serve as watchdogs and nobody will be spared in ensuring what must be done. What we see is the work, you either do it or you give the room to somebody who is prepared to do it,” he told the councils’ officials.
“As all council members confirmed that their report for both 2017 and 2018 is intact while 2019 in progress.We are recommending that submission of all reports 2017 and 2018 on 29th of this month,” he added,
He said it is a remarkable achievement that National Audit Office has confirmed that for the first time they received some council financial statement of 2019.
Bakary Trawally, director of audit responsible for the councils, said “this is the first time for entire councils attempt to summit financial statement of 2019. They all summited the issue of financial statement but whether they are true and fair that will be confirmed when we start auditing.”
He explained that Banjul City Council was audited up to 2018 and 2019 and has been submitted with the financial statement but not yet audited likewise Kuntaur Area Council, Basse Area Council and Janjangbureh Area Council. Also, Brikama Area council was audited up to 2019 with both the management letter and audit report and the draft has been sent to them in order to finalize the report.
“Mansakonko Area Council has been audited up to 2018 but according to the chief executive officer they were unable to respond to the draft that was sent from the audit office if they do not respond before the deadline, they will finalize the report based on the draft. Kanifing Municipal Council KMC has been audited from 2017 to 2019 and all the report has been finalized,” Trawally confirmed.
He went on that “Kerewan Area Council has been audited up to 31st December 2017 the last audit exercise was done at a time when they were on top of all the councils. In that case there was no auditing exercise done for them but this year, they audited 2018 and 2019 while draft is with them [council officials] to respond,” he told lawmakers.
