By Yankuba Jallow
A recent testimony at a public inquiry has brought attention to a complicated dispute involving delayed payments and possible mismanagement of a fencing contract under the Banjul City Council (BCC). Alasana Ceesay, a local contractor, shared his account of the difficulties he faced while working on Lot 3 and Lot 4 of a city project, which included payment issues, contract termination, and the revelation of another contractor being hired for the same job.
Ceesay, whose business was contracted to build a fence at Crab Island, was assigned Lot 3, a project valued at D5,703,976. According to his testimony, he was paid 40% of the contract sum, which amounts to over D2 million. However, when it came time for the second payment, instead of receiving the 30% as agreed in the contract, Ceesay only received another 20%, leaving him with a significant payment shortfall.
“The contract was not completed because they did not pay my 30%. They only paid me 20% the second time, instead of the 30% I was supposed to get,” Ceesay explained during the inquiry.
This payment shortfall created a significant obstacle for Ceesay, preventing him from completing the work as planned. He also mentioned that his attempts to resolve the issue with the BCC were met with resistance, particularly from Katim Touray, who was overseeing the project.
“The work was held up because they wouldn’t honor their payments,” Ceesay continued. “I had reached a point where I was supposed to receive the 30% payment, but they kept delaying it. After waiting for over a month, I received a call from Jassey, the project manager, informing me that the payment had been made. When I checked my account, it was only 20%. I confronted Katim, but he told me they wouldn’t pay me the full 30% because they claimed the work wasn’t up to standard.”
Ceesay rejected claims that he had hired unskilled workers, asserting that his team was qualified and capable of completing the project as agreed. He also suggested that the withholding of his payment may have been a personal matter rather than a reflection of the work’s quality.
“I understood that the reason they withheld my payment was because I made it clear I wouldn’t give them any money. Since I told Katim this, there was no peace until they terminated my contract,” Ceesay said.
His contract was formally terminated while he was still on site, working to complete the fence.
The inquiry turned to Lot 4, another project on which Ceesay had been working. The contract, worth D1,331,450, was nearly complete when he had to leave the site. He had constructed the entire fence, with only the placement of rings remaining. Ceesay explained that payment delays had made it impossible for him to finish the work.
“I did all the work on the fence except for putting the rings,” Ceesay stated. “The fence was almost done, but BCC just couldn’t get the payment to me in time.”
Things took a surprising turn when Chairperson Jainaba Bah questioned the witness about another contractor, Lamin Jatta, who had been awarded a contract for the same fence that Ceesay had been working on, with Jatta reportedly being paid over D4,000,000.
Ceesay was taken aback. “I didn’t know until one day when I saw Lamin Jatta’s workers on the same fence. I called him, and he told me he had been contracted for the same work.”
This revelation raised significant concerns. Chairperson Bah, perplexed by the overlap of contracts, asked how two independent contractors could be hired for the same job, especially when one was being paid substantially more than the other.
“How can you two contractors be contracted for the same fence? One was paid over D4,000,000, and you were supposed to be paid over D5,000 for the same fence,” Bah asked, pressing for clarity.
Ceesay explained that he was not aware of Jatta’s involvement until he saw the workers on-site. He also revealed that, despite having completed 35% of the work on the fence, his payment had been significantly lower than that of the second contractor.
“The contract for the fence was not worth five million dalasi,” he clarified. “The total sum was only about D1.1 million. I received D226,290 for the job. But when my contract was taken from me, they gave it to Mr. Jatta to finish.”
The Commission, which is tasked with investigating financial and administrative activities of local government councils from May 2018 to January 2023, aims to enhance transparency and accountability in the local councils.
