By Adama Makasuba
Haruna Barry, acting Chairman of Janjanbureh Area Council, has accused his predecessor of refusing to return back the council’s official vehicle for the use of the chairman’s office.
“Why I raised this issue, I was so angry because I see government officials who were serving the same people and if they close, they have access to go their homes. So, for me, I was stuck on that road for almost 7 hours. So, that pains me. We have been seeing people who that are working for neither the government nor any organisation but they are driving expensive vehicles,” he said.
According to him, he has been boarding commercial vehicles for three years now to run errands for the office, adding he now deserve an official vehicle but he is denying by his predecessor.
“If I am representing nothing less than 200,000 people and if I am going for work, I have to board a commercial vehicle and if that vehicle got breakdown, I would not have access to go and attend my official meeting. So, this has been happening to me for almost three years now and it is time for me to speak about it.
“Why this happens is our chairman fell sick almost for three years and they passed a resolution to remove him which was approved by the then Minister of Local of Government. So, he still holds onto our vehicle without returning it,” he added.
“The council gave the vehicle to serve the people and if he is no more serving the people for three years, he should return the vehicle for the person who is in charge. So, let him return back the vehicle as he is no more working for the people.
“How can you represent more than 200,000 people and you are not mobile and what surprises me is why is it that the Ministry of Local Government cannot buy official vehicles for all the chairmen of the local governments. The reason that I challenge the government to buy vehicles for the councils is that the councils are so much challenged, the central government is not given us subvention support,” he lamented.