By Makutu Manneh
Hamat N.K. Bah, Minister of Lands, Regional Government, and Religious Affairs, has outlined the government’s rationale for establishing the Local Government Commission of Inquiry, saying the initiative was intended to expose irregularities and strengthen accountability within local councils.
Speaking on the matter, Minister Bah said the government had long suspected that serious problems existed in the councils and needed a mechanism to make those issues visible to the public.
“We realized that something was wrong in these councils, but how do you make sure the public is aware of what was happening in these councils? It’s to set up a commission of inquiry,” he explained.
According to the minister, many councils were being used as political instruments rather than institutions focused on service delivery for their constituents. “I think all of you have realized that most of these councils are used as political tools rather than service delivery to the people that elected them.”
He acknowledged that some critics dismissed the commission as a “witch hunt” or a politically motivated exercise but insisted that the process was designed to uncover systemic flaws. “We knew that the president was committed to making sure that the abnormalities, the weaknesses, and the malpractice in councils are exposed to the Gambian people,” he said.
Bah stressed that the inquiry was not about targeting specific individuals but about addressing widespread structural deficiencies.
“I think there was no council that was not found wanting as far as we are concerned. This was not meant for any individual; it was meant to expose what we felt was wrong in these councils,” he added.
The minister said the findings would serve as the basis for designing improved processes to ensure that local councils function more effectively and in the interest of the people they serve.