By Makutu Manneh / Aji Fatou Ceesay
Modou Jonga, former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Brikama Area Council (BAC), together with Modou Lamin Sanyang and SulaymanKinteh, a former Councillor for Wassadu Ward and current Councillor of Brufut Ward respectively, have reappeared to testify before members of the Local Government Commission of Inquiry regarding the ‘honorarium’ also referred to as ‘salibo’ received from the Council during feasts.
On his part, former CEO Jonga said the payment of honorarium was made to Councillors during Koriteh, Tobaski, and Christmas feasts for performing activities.
“The Councillors do these activities for a period, and it usually accumulates and is paid towards Koriteh and Tobaski. It was an honorarium and not a ‘Salibo’ allowance,” he said. He added that the CEO has the authority to determine and approve the payment of the honorarium.
Lead Counsel Patrick Gomez gave him the Local Government Act and asked the witness to show the Commission where it was stated that as CEO, he has the power to determine and pay honorarium.
The witness replied that it was not in the law but said this was part of their budget line.
“Tell us which one is supreme: the law or your budget line?” Counsel Gomez asked.
The former CEO agreed that the law is supreme, saying the director of finance always determined the amount, and the CEO authorised the payment.
Commission Chairperson Jainaba Bah told the witness that they have observed that there is no consistency in the payment of the honorarium.
Witness Jonga then provided them with a letter from the Ministry of Lands and Regional Government dated 26th April 2020, addressed to the CEO of Brikama Area Council, advising the council to effect the payment of allowances for committee sittings and general council sittings. The letter was tendered and admitted in evidence. The letter indicated how much councillors should be paid per committee meetings and general council meetings.
“So the payment you made was allowances and not honorarium,” Counsel Gomez asked.
“Yes,” witness Jonga replied, and said he does not know who classified the payments as honorarium. He said it is wrong to call it honorarium but instead it was an allowance. The witness was asked to provide the details of the meetings of the committees and the payment vouchers on or before Monday next week, to justify all the payment of the so-called allowance.
Sanyang, who served as former Councillor for Wassadu Ward from 2018 to 2023, was a member of the finance committee and the vice-chairperson of the education committee.
According to him, the honorarium they were receiving was decided by the management and not the Council, noting that the payment was not a ‘Salibo’ but an honorarium.
“They will only call us to come and receive it,” the witness answered.
Lead Counsel Patrick Gomez referred the witness to his own statement in which he stated that the ‘Salibo’ allowance was given to them to support them during the Koriteh and Tobaski but was stopped by the new leadership of the Council. The witness testified that he was aware that some of his colleague councillors approached ex-chairperson Sheriffo Sonko for the payment of this allowance. Despite making this open admission, he still argued that the ‘Salibo’ allowance was an honorarium.
The witness was given a voucher, which was already admitted as evidence, and was asked to mention the voucher number. He responded that he did not know what a voucher number was, and was shown the voucher number which he read. This was the payment of two hundred and eighty-eight thousand Dalasi (D288,000) made to councillors. The witness was paid eight thousand Dalasi (D8,000), and this was on 13th August 2018. He was asked what service he rendered to warrant payment of this allowance and he said it was the assessment he conducted at his community level.
“Why are you paid every year at the same time and the same period (Koriteh and Tobaski)?” Counsel Gomez asked. The witness did not respond to the question. Instead, he began responding to another issue.
SulaymanKinteh, the Councillor of Brufut Wards from 2018 to 2023 admitted receiving the honorarium and agreed that the payment was unlawful. He said he is not sure whether he was part of the councillors who went to the Chairperson to request for the payment, adding that he was fully aware of this. He said he was a member of the market committee as the chairperson, and a member of the environment and education committees.
According to Sulayman, his Ward received Five Hundred Thousand Dalasi (D500,000) as Ward allocation from the BAC. He further testified that Kasa Gambia offered to contribute Seven Million Dalasi (D7,000,000), while the Two Million Dalasi (D2,000,000) was a community counterpart contribution for projects in his Ward. He testified that the cost of the project was Nine Million Dalasi (D9,000,000).
In 2022, the witness said he received One Million, Five Hundred Thousand Dalasi (D1,500,000) from the Brikama Area Council as counterpart contribution to the Kasa Gambia account, and explained that the D1.5 million contributed by the Council concerned the construction of Brufut Market. He said Brufut Market was not built and the money was returned to Council after the VDC and the Alkalo of Brufut were involved in controversies which impeded the construction of the market. EbrimaJatta is the Chairperson of Kasa Gambia.
Sitting continues.
