Halifa’s Letter To Governors, Municipal Chief Executives

The Urgency to Convene First Meeting

Of The Councils

Section 9 A of the Local Government Act states:

“           (1) A Local Government Council shall stand dissolved ninety days before a Local Government election

(2) On the dissolution of Council, The president shall appoint, for each Local Government area, an Interim Management Team, consisting of such persons as he or she may determine, to perform the functions and exercise the powers of a council until the day preceding the first meeting of a Council after a Local Government election.”

The Local Government Elections took place on 12^th April 2018. 120 Councillors have already been elected. At this moment they are sitting down while appointed members of Management teams carry out their functions. This is, at best, absurd and at worst, outrageously undemocratic and reprehensible. The electorate is questioning what the Councillors are doing after the election even though they are yet to assume office. In Bartez ward the waste that plaques the open space, adjacent to Serrekunda School, which is now utilised as a Car Park for transports plying the Brikama road, to and fro,   drew the attention of residents coming from a burial thus exciting them to ask the councillor elect what his plans are to redress the eyesore. Hence his election is being linked to the failure of the management team to keep the streets clean while in office, which is a major function of a council.

In this regard, I have been asked to urge you to perform your statutory function in convening the first meeting of the Council after an election for the elected representatives of the Council to assume office.  

Section 28 (1) of the Local Government Act states : “ The Governor and, in the case of Banjul city and Kanifing Municipality, the Chief Executive Officers, shall appoint a date for the first meeting of a Council after a Local Government election and, thereafter, every other meeting of the Council shall be convened at least once a month by the Chairperson.”

Hence , I wish to call on all Governors of Regions  and the Executive Officers of the Banjul City Council and the Kanifing Municipality to assume their responsibility and convene the first meeting of  Councils as required by law or issue statements to explain the factors which are  impeding them from performing their duties , if they have any reasonable and justifiable motivations to render to the electorate .