By: Nyima Sillah
The National Assembly Member (NAM) for Kiang West has called for the immediate termination of the services of all the finance directors, and finance and accounting officers in the various local governments.
NAM Lamin Ceesay made this call on Monday at the National Assembly as members met for the presentation of papers and report of the Assembly’s Finance and Public Accounts Committee (FPAC) on the 2019 audited accounts of the government, theauditor general’s report on COVID-19 response (phase2), annual activity reports & audited financial statements of the public agencies/ institutions, area,and municipal councils.
“Looking at the councils, I want to come up with a resolution that all the finance directors and accounting officers of various councils must be terminated immediately,” NAM Ceesay recommended to the House.
Referencing the recommendation of the FPAC report, NAM Ceesay pointed out that the report revealed thatnone of the area councils has a proper financing reporting framework. He said the recommendation also highlighted the urgency and need for a national reporting framework for all public institutions.
“The poor reporting format of area councils is what prevents them from making adequate disclosures. You(councils) cannot disclose your expenditures. You don’t even reconcile your information,” he said. NAM Ceesay then stressed: “All the councils, all the finance officers, and the accounting officers that are representing the President because the President appoints them, they must be immediately called back, then terminated and answer to FPAC and if they are found wanting of any corruption, let them be liable of something.”
Legislator Ceesay pointed out that the anti-corruption bill is still before the Parliament and expressed the wish that even after its promulgation, it would go back to “these issues” to ensure accountability.