By Mam Sait Ceesay
Following three years of public hearings, the Commission of Inquiry into Local Government Councils and Related Matters has concluded its work and has since submitted its report and recommendations to the President of the republic. As government prepares its official whitepaper response, public expectation is high.
In this opinion piece, veteran journalist Mam Sait Ceesay who served in the commission argues that the whitepaper must move beyond accepting recommendations to delivering concrete reforms in accountability, finance, service delivery, and citizen participation.
With councils at the centre of daily life — from markets to drainage to land — the decisions taken now will determine whether decentralisation works for ordinary Gambians. The inquiry is done. The test of action begins.
The government’s forthcoming Whitepaper on the Report and Recommendations of the Commission of Inquiry into Local Government Councils and Related Matters is not just another government document. It is a test. A test of whether we are serious about fixing the tier of government that touches Gambians every single day — in the markets of Serekunda, the streets of Brikama, the waste heaps in Kanifing, in Banjul and the land disputes in our villages.
For years, citizens have asked: What exactly do our councils do with our money? Why are services deteriorating while rates and fees keep rising? Why do projects start and stall? The commission of inquiry was set up to answer those questions. Now the whitepaper must answer the harder one: What are we going to do about it? If done right, this whitepaper can be the reset button for decentralisation in The Gambia.
It could be recalled this rainy season, a mother in Sukuta watched her street flood again. The drainage was promised in the council budget two years ago. The money was collected. But the drains never came.
Stories like these likewise, are why the Commission of Inquiry into Local Government Councils mattered. And why the president’s forthcoming whitepaper matters even more.
This is not about reports. It is about whether the government closest to the people can actually deliver.
The commission has done its work, now the whitepaper must tell us: What will change, who will be held responsible, and by when? If we get this right, we can restore faith in decentralisation. If we get it wrong, cynicism will deepen.
The whitepaper should commit to visible accountability making one’s daily actions, decisions, and progress completely transparent so others can see and track one’s work.
Trust starts with transparency, therefore, every council should be required to publish quarterly budgets, procurement awards, and project updates — both online and on public notice boards.
The president should announce a binding code of conduct with asset declaration for mayors, chairpersons, councilors and CEOs. And a simple rule: no clean audit, no central subvention. When citizens can track the money, misuse becomes harder to hide.
Councils are broke and are leaking revenue at the same time. The solution is not just more money from Banjul. The whitepaper should launch a digitised revenue system for property rates and market dues to cut cash handling. It should replace political subventions with a clear revenue-sharing formula based on population and need.
And to reward performance, government should create a matching grant fund: for every dalasi a council invests in roads, markets or drainage, central government matches it. That turns councils into partners, not dependents.
A professional public service relies on merit-based career officials rather than political appointments to ensure operational continuity and expertise. You cannot run a council like a party office. The whitepaper must move hiring of CEOs and directors to the Local Government Service Commission on merit. This whitepaper is also the chance to prove that local government is not a dumping ground for politics, but the engine of development.
We also need a Local Government Training Institute so staff can actually manage procurement, engineering, and finance. Every CEO should sign a performance contract tied to waste collection, revenue targets, and project delivery. No delivery, no renewal.
Citizens participation typically refers to grassroots advocacy and direct democracy movements that empower everyday people to participate directly in lawmaking and governance. Decentralisation dies when citizens are spectators. The whitepaper should legalise Ward Development Committees with power to decide 20% of the local development budget.
Councilors must hold quarterly town halls and publish minutes. Women and youth need guaranteed seats on key committees. And our seyfolu and alkalo should have a formal advisory role in planning — respected, but not running contracts.
The 2002 Local Government Act is outdated and needs to be update, either by government passing new bill, or councils repealing old rules to fit modern society. The White Paper must promise amendments within 12 months to cover digital finance, procurement, and climate resilience.
We also need a clear schedule showing what councils do, what central government does. The confusion over roads, drains, and health posts helps no one.
The real test of any implementation of the whitepaper is proving that the inquiry achieves its intended outcomes in the real world without causing unexpected problems. A white paper without deadlines is just a press release. The president should set up an Inter-Ministerial Taskforce reporting to cabinet every six months.
Quick wins in six months: This framework outlines a strategic timeline for governance or anti-corruption reform, balancing immediate transparency with long-term institutional changes.
The inquiry is over. Now comes the action. Gambians are watching