By: Fatou Krubally
Alfusainey Ganno, project manager of the Banjul City Council (BCC) Austin project, admitted before the Local Government Commission of Inquiry on Monday that standard procurement procedures were not followed in the hiring of consultants and contractors during the implementation of the project.
Appearing before the Commission, Mr. Ganno was questioned by lead counsel Patrick Gomez on various recruitments and payments made under the BCC project. The inquiry revealed that a stipend payment of D7,805 made to a volunteer could not be linked to any specific pay voucher by Mr. Ganno. He also failed to clarify who received the payment or the exact reason for it.
When asked about the recruitment of Dr. Malanding S. Jatta, a consultant introduced by project coordinator Yonas, Mr. Ganno confirmed that no competitive process was followed, nor were alternative consultants considered. He claimed the decision stemmed from internal discussions between Jatta, Yonas, and a former IT specialist of the project, arguing that the activity was pre-developed and tailored for Jatta. However, counsel Gomez pointed out that this approach contradicts procurement regulations that require at least three proposals for any consultancy service.
Ganno further acknowledged that he did not send out multiple requests for proposals, as required, and instead dealt with Jatta directly after receiving his financial proposal. When pressed, he admitted this bypassed standard procurement practices, attributing the lapse to internal assumptions that the activity was already agreed upon by key staff.
A similar pattern emerged in the hiring of Baboucarr Ceesay, an HR consultant. Ganno said he was introduced to Mr. Ceesay through Dr. Fane of the University of The Gambia and confirmed that, while three consultants were contacted, he only met with Mr. Ceesay and eventually recommended him based on the City of Austin’s decision. He claimed cost was a consideration but not the sole factor, and that the CV and qualifications weighed into the final choice.
The commission also questioned Ganno on various contractors engaged during the project, including Omar Jabbou Construction, SM Bio Construction, Malang Gasama, and Gum Engineering. Ganno admitted that early contracts were awarded based on internal rules before the establishment of a procurement unit. However, by 2022, when procurement staff were available, Ganno still handled tasks that should have been managed by the procurement unit, such as directly requesting proposals.
Ganno’s testimony revealed several inconsistencies and procedural lapses in how consultants and contractors were engaged under the BCC project. The commission has now requested supporting documents, including the internal procurement policy and a complete list of consultants and contractors hired, along with details of their selection process. The inquiry continues as questions around transparency and compliance remain under scrutiny.
