By: Kebba AF Touray
The current breakdown in ferry services yesterday Monday, 26 February impeded the accountability engagement of the Finance and Public Accounts Committee of the National Assembly (FPAC).
This has specifically hampered the said accountability meeting with the officials of the Kerewan Area Council for the consideration of their activity reports and financial statements for the years ended 31 December, 2020 to 31 December, 2021.
According to the Council, this unforeseen circumstance led to the adjournment of their engagement with FPAC as the Finance Director at the time was stranded at Barra while on his way to the legislative house for the said engagement.
The Chief Executive Officer of the Council, Sainabou Martin Sonko, informed FPAC, “Our Finance Director is stuck in Barra since morning because of lack of ferry service today, and according to the information we received from them (Gambia Ferry Service), there won’t be services for the next 24 hours.”
The CEO told the committee that the Director left Kerewan for the legislative engagement only to be informed that the ferry developed technical problems and that at the time of their meeting with FPAC, he was still stuck at Barra.
She expressed that the tides are also not favorable, adding that it would have been better for the Director to use the boats, saying, “I think the tides are not good today”.
“We will learn from our lesson. Next time we are to appear, we will come a day before,” she promised.
FPAC Chairperson, Hon. Alhagie S Darboe, told them that when the committee members were rescheduling their meeting with the council, they considered the said inconsistency of the ferry, which has made them to give the council up to 11 am on the day to avert any such potential scenario.
He said: “Unfortunately, this breakdown. We will engage the Office of the Speaker so that we are permitted to sit on Friday to complete business. I am therefore proposing an adjournment because the meeting cannot be held in the absence of the Finance Director which as explained is due to the breakdown of the ferries.”
FPAC subsequently adjourned their engagement with the Officials of Kerewan Area Council to Friday, 1st March, 2024 for the said council to appear before FPAC to complete the business at hand.
