By Mama A. Touray
The testimony given at the ongoing Local Government Commission of Inquiry by the Director of Internal Audits at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs has revealed that the Basse Area Council got no strategic plan and activity report.
And without a strategic plan, according to the director of the Internal Audits, the council has no sense of direction.
Mr Cherno Amadou Sowe in his testimony on Wednesday, 7th June, before the Commission of Inquiry reaffirmed that without a strategic plan, Basse Area Council has no sense of direction.
On the system audit for Basse Area Council for the period from 1st January 2020 to 30th September 2022 dated 11th April 2023 at the Commission, reference to page 14 of the internal system audit report indicated that there was no strategic plan and activity report at Basse Area Council.
In response to that, Mr. Sowe informed the Commission that “It is important because, without the strategic plan, it means the council does not have a sense of direction, so, it is important that the council develop a strategic plan because that plan is what informs what they do day to day.”
At the end of the year, or when the council wants to assess their performance, they will be able to have a document to fall back on (to cross-check), to compare their performance, and this made it necessary for the council to develop a strategic plan.
Concerning the activity report, he said it was noted by the audit team that there was no activity report and that this is supposed to happen every year.
He further told the Commission that the council should through its chair present an activity report of the year but the audit team has noted that it has not happened for several years.
The implication as stated in the audit report is that there is a lack of accountability and transparency because of the absence of the annual activity report of the council.
“One way to hold the councils and the councilors to account is through the activity report. In the absence of that there is no way to hold the council to account, if you don’t have something in front of you to say that this is what we have done during the year then it is going to be difficult for anybody to assess the effectiveness of the council” he disclosed.
Director Sowe said the permanent secretary at the Ministry of Local Government, Lands and Religious Affairs requested an audit to be carried out.
He said once the request was written to the permanent secretary, it was forwarded to the internal audit at that Ministry, while the former director assembled the team led by one of their internal auditors at the Ministry of Finance and Foreign Affairs.
The key objective of the audit, he explained was to assess and evaluate the adequacy and activeness of the internal control, risk management, and governance process of Basse Area Council.
Mr. Sowe further stated the objective of the audit “To be able to design the effectiveness of the internal control surrounding various process and systems including assess the level of compliance with applicable procedures of the council, assess and give reasonable assurance on the effectiveness and efficiency of operations of the council. Review policy documents surrounding budget execution including expenditures and donor funds and grants, review and design effective control of the internal control of the Basse area council”.
