By Arret Jatta
The mayor of Banjul Rohey Malick Lowe has publicly accused the Ministry of Local Government of failing to effectively manage staff at the Banjul City Council (BCC), saying the situation has crippled the council’s ability to deliver essential services to residents.
In a strongly worded Facebook post, Lowe said she had repeatedly appealed to the Ministry to regularise staff matters at the council but claimed her efforts had produced no results.
“It is really disheartening the direction the council is taking. I call on the Ministry to take full responsibility, since they are the ones directly responsible for the staff,” she wrote.
The mayor said she had worked to attract resources and strengthen the capacity of the capital city but alleged that administrative bottlenecks had stalled key projects. According to her, funds needed to install newly secured street lights have not been released, while recently acquired waste management trucks remain idle because they lack fuel and oil to begin operations.
Lowe said these continuous setbacks have left her frustrated, prompting her to step back from actively pursuing solutions until the underlying issues are addressed.
“I have learnt my lessons and until things are fixed, I have decided to take a back seat and watch how things unfold,” she stated, warning that the greatest victims would be the residents of Banjul.
She also questioned the authority of the council’s Chief Executive Officer, claiming the CEO has little control over certain members of staff. Lowe argued that if the Ministry of Local Government is responsible for the administration of the council, it should also ensure that the institution functions efficiently and effectively.
The mayor further suggested that political considerations were undermining governance in the city, insisting that any attempt to frustrate her ultimately harms the people who elected both the council leadership and government officials.
“Enough is enough,” she declared, adding that while land matters remain important, effective governance must take priority to safeguard the welfare of Banjulians.
The Standard conveyed the mayor’s concerns to the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Local Government Ebrima Sisawo though the Ministry is the supervisory body; the councils and their CEOs work are independent entities with powers to address any staff issues in the council. The CEO and the council both have mechanisms to ensure that staff works effectively. The Ministry as supervisory body is only the last resort in such matters, ”Sisawo said.
Another source in the Ministry told us that the matters being referred to are being taken care of the Local Government Service Commission, an independent body which is headed by a seasoned and very credible person.
