By Amadou Jadama on tour
Kanifing Municipality mayor Talib Bensouda has said municipal and regional authorities are preparing to take legal action against the central government for not giving annual subventions to their councils since they came into office.
Speaking to The Standard recently, Bensouda said the annual subvention is a legal requirement and central government must fulfill its duty.
He explained: “Look at what we are seeing in the country today. CRR has no water. In KMC and other regions, it’s the same. The government owes all the councils subventions. In KMC, based on my calculations, over the last six to seven years since I came to office, they owed us D300 million in subventions.
“These are budgeted subventions that they themselves approved. So, we are discussing that now is the time to sue them so that we can get our money. All the area councils are talking about it. We have asked and waited for so long; I think now is the time to take legal action against them because these monies the government owed us are what they are using for their activities; buying luxury cars, travelling and going on Meet the People Tours which have no impact on Gambians.
“If the councils lay their hands on these annual subventions, Gambians will see the direct impact on their lives. This is a by-law in the Finance and Audit Act of 2002 and they should act on it.”
Bensouda said President Barrow’s eyes should be laser focused on what would take the country forward and not on who leads which council.
