By Mariama Marong
The Chief Executive Officer of the Central River Region (CRR) Area Council, Jaja Cham, has raised concerns over the financial burden district tribunals placed on local councils.
In an interview with reporters on Wednesday, Cham revealed that district tribunals have become a liability for local councils, particularly in the CRR, stressing the need for clarity on which government institution should oversee their operations.
Cham emphasized that district tribunals should ideally be independent or under the direct supervision of the judiciary, not local councils.
“It’s not right for councils, especially in regions like CRR with limited budgets, to be forced to provide subventions to district tribunals,” Cham said. “The central government has no right to impose this financial burden on local councils, especially when the government is already providing subventions to councils as outlined in the Local Government Act.”
The CRR CEO pointed out that district tribunals currently do not belong to any particular institution, leaving local councils uncertain about their role in financing them.
“Are the tribunals under the council, the judiciary, or the Ministry of Justice? We don’t know,” Cham explained. “It is crucial to determine which institution is responsible for these tribunals.”
Under the current arrangement, Cham revealed, the Janjanbureh Area Council has been using its already limited resources to support the tribunals, even though the tribunals are not performing tasks directly related to the council’s work.
“We are using the little money we have to pay the members of district tribunals, but they are not even doing any work for the councils,” he said, expressing frustration over the situation.
CRR’s revenue collection, Cham added, remains low, with the region heavily dependent on small-scale markets known as “lumos.” As a result, the council struggles to generate sufficient funds, making it even more difficult to support district tribunals and other local governance initiatives.
Cham also questioned the role of the district tribunals within the broader governmental framework, stating that the Local Government Act does not specify whether councils should be responsible for funding them.
“I am confused because I don’t see any provision in the law that mandates councils to be responsible for district tribunals,” he said. “It’s important to define which ministry or department they fall under.”
In addition to the financial issues, Cham addressed the broader challenges faced by local councils in The Gambia. He criticized the current local government commission of inquiry for focusing too much on the shortcomings of area councils rather than acknowledging their achievements.
“As area councils, we have made many great achievements, but people often focus only on the negative aspects, which is not fair,” he said.
Cham also highlighted the importance of engaging young people in local governance roles, particularly in district tribunals and Village Development Committees (VDCs), but noted that many young people are discouraged from participating.
“There is a problem among the youth because they cannot reason properly, and this is an issue that needs to be addressed,” he said.
Cham concluded by urging the National Assembly to consider creating a legal framework that would allow district tribunals to operate independently with their own budgets..
His comments reflect the ongoing struggles faced by local councils in The Gambia to balance the demands of governance with limited resources, as well as the need for clearer institutional oversight and support for district tribunals.
