By: Binta Jaiteh
The Chief Executive Officer of Kerewan Area Council (KAC), Sainabou Martin-Sonko, has informed the Finance and Public Accounts Committee (FPAC) of the National Assembly thatKAC’s finance director Abdoulie Khan was unable to attend the FPAC session due to a ferry breakdown.
KAC was scheduled to appear before FPAC for the presentation and consideration of its activity report and financial statement for 2020-2021 but the engagement could not proceed because the chairman of the council was absent and the committee rescheduled it for the second time.
CEO Martin told the committee that the finance director could not attend the session due to a ferry breakdown, adding that the finance director came upto Barra yesterday [Monday] but was unable to cross to Banjul due to the breakdown.
She explained that from the information she gathered from the finance director, there won’t be any ferry service in the next 24 hours.
“We have learned a lesson and I can assure you that next session, we will come before the session,” she stated.
FPAC chairperson Alagie S. Darboe told the KAC board that the absence of the finance director “is serious”.
“I don’t think the committee can proceed with the meeting without the presence of the finance director.We will engage the office of the Speaker to seek a permit so that we can finish the business on Friday,” the FPAC chair said.
FPAC member Tamsir Cham said the ferry breakdowns need to be addressed with urgency, adding that he was a victim of the situation as he got stranded at the Ferry Terminal for 24 hours on Thursday.
