By: Kebba Mamburay
Mayor Talib Ahmed Bensouda and nineteen elected ward councillors were yesterday, 21 May 2018, sworn into office at the KMC premises.
As the inauguration ceremony progressed the Acting CEO Mrs. Salama Njie in her welcoming remarks thanked all the attendees for making it up to the ceremony. She said that the interim management committee of the KMC has not only succeeded in boosting the revenue base of council, but has undoubtedly succeeded in changing the mindset of the workforce. She further said, the committee has always presided over the affairs of the council by the rules of the book and ensured that KMC does what it is mandated to do.
She remarked that the committee has ensured the maximization of revenue, financial discipline and a very robust institutional restructure. She asserted that the restructuring carried out by the committee has re-corrected the mismatch of skills in council which, she said, was very rampant.
Mr. Bakary K. Jammeh, the chairman of the interim management committee, said KMC is a challenged institution as the council is faced with numerous difficulties in the execution of its mandate. Jammeh said his committee discovered that the management, financial administration and service delivery of the council were very weak. Service delivery remains a key challenge for the Kanifing Municipal council, he said. He indicated that effective management of waste as well as the execution of other public services continue to confront the council. Jammeh added that NAWEC had disconnected 30 public street taps due to non-payment of bills by the council. Currently 10 taps are reconnected under community management. “As we speak, the KMC owes NAWEC over D130,000,000.00 (One hundred and three Million Dalasi).” This matter is posing serious constraints on the proper functioning and service delivery of the council and therefore needs urgent attention.
He further stated that, GAMWORKS/KMC agreed on a scope of 6 sub-projects on the 26th September 2017 as part of the rural infrastructure projects to the tune of D85,743,282.25 of which council’s counterpart contribution totaled D7,673,708.32. At the time of entry of the interim management committee, D2,000,000.00 was already paid and during their tenure an additional amount of D4,000,000.00 was paid leaving a balance of D1,673,708.32. Works on 5 sub-projects are in progress and the rest are at contract award stage as Bakary K. Jammeh stated.
Upon conclusion of his address, the new Mayor of KMC Mr. Talib Ahmed Bensouda and 19 elected ward councillors in the municipality were sworn into office.
Talib Ahmed Bensouda, in his address, said the day marks the beginning of a new struggle to deliver the dream for the development of a green and prosperous Kanifing Municipality. Bensouda said during his campaign, he visited thousands of homes, communities, markets and public spaces and he witnessed first-hand the poverty that plagues our communities and the hazardous and dilapidated conditions in which many people live; from the Bakoteh dumpsite, to the garbage hills of Kotu quarry; from the slums of Chube Town and the eroded roads of Bundung, to the swamps of Tallinding, Ebotown and Abuko.
