The Gambia Association of Local Government Authorities (GALGA) last Thursday completed its first-leg of town hall meetings between local government authorities and opinion leaders on social justice, security and sustainable local governance in the Basse and Janjanbureh local government areas.
With impressive participation and involvement of majority of the target groups- chiefs, alkalos, chairpersons and chief executive officers, security, youth, women, persons with disability and other taxpayers- the engagements aim to educate and raise awareness of the taxpayer community on both their individual and collective responsibilities and those of the Local Councils in sustainable local governance and decentralization. It also targets to encourage even and just distribution of opportunities and services to taxpayers by Local Councils and the importance of peace and security for sustainable growth and development.
This activity, which falls under outcome 2.3 of the 2024 GALGA work plan that intends to increase taxpayers’ and other citizens’ understanding of the operations of Councils and the importance of peace and social justice to establish trust between Local Councils and the people for sustainable growth, it is supported by Konrad Adenauer Stiftung Senegal/The Gambia, as part of their partnership.
Addressing participants in Kulkulleh and Fatoto with the BasseArea Council and in Janjanbureh and Bansang in the Janjanbureh Area Council, GALGA program manager, AmadouJallow said, “This activity will create a platform for discussion on some of the common barriers to sustainable local governance and the need to encourage social justice and peace in the beneficiary Local Government Areas.”
He said understanding the importance of effective dialogue and engagement for improved Local Government service delivery, the town hall meetings will also encourage the participants to willingly involve themselves in the affairs of their various Local Councils and subsequently be prepared to vie for leadership positions, whether at village, ward, constituency or regional levels.
Mr Jallow said the activity will be implemented in five rural local councils. “We will now be continuing on the second-leg of the engagements in due course, which will take us to Kuntaur, Kerewan and Mansakonko Local Government Areas.”
GALGA president and sitting chairperson of Basse Area Council, Mahamadou Ceesay said the overall objectives of the activity is to encourage even distribution of development services to the taxpayer communities by Local Councils, increased taxpayers and other citizens’ understanding of the mandate of Local Councils to be able to responsibly hold them accountable and the creation of space for peaceful coexistence in communities and between Local Councils and various offices with the Local Government Areas.
A total of 550 people are targeted to be reaching with ten town hall meetings in the five beneficiary local government areas.
