By Aminata S Kuyateh
Modou A Njie, market manager of the Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC) on Tuesday appeared before the local government commission of inquiry to testify on the Wanterr honorarium payments made to him in 2021.
In his testimony, Njie said Wanterr allowance is paid every Koriteh and Tobaski festivals adding that out the D185,000 collected, a decision was made for 15% to be paid to them as honorarium.
Commission Chairperson Jainaba Bah asked the witness whether the amount was for one day and the witness said it was the collection from the tables with each table paying D500, and this does not include the hawkers.
Chairperson Bah raised the possibility of fraud because there is no document to show the demarcation of the tables but the witness said the committee does the demarcation and the market master and his team does the collection. He added that the table owners are each given a receipt which he cross-checked.
The witness testified that between 2018 and 2023 he did not operate a cash book and that as a market manager, his responsibility was to perform oversight over all markets within the Kanifing Municipality except three markets, the Bakoteh Fish Market, Bakoteh Layout and the Kanifing Estate Markets.
On how he does his work, the witness said market masters would send him weekly reports about their collections and he also visits the markets over the weekend, adding that with the report and the information obtained from the weekly reports, he provides updates to the director of finance on Mondays.
He disclosed that KMC has 8 main markets and 9 satellite markets.
