By Mama A. Touray
Acting CEO of Basse Area Council, Bai Gibbi Sallah Monday told the ongoing Local Government Commission of Inquiry that his council owed 5C Energy over five million dalasis.
According to Sallah the council is having areas of five million and out of which they settled D800, 000 and now owed D4.2million
“The council owed 5C Energy a lot of funds, when I took over from the former CEO, I received an invoice of 2.2 million dalasi,” he revealed. Adding that the agreement between 5C Energy and the council “is based on profit sharing ratio” as the council provided 2023 estimated revenue of D55 million for the year and that is the base on which 5C is charging.
“55 million is too high because we know very well that we cannot generate 55 Million,” the witness said.
CEO Sallah testified that currently the council was having arrears of over D2.2 Million Dalasi owed to 5C Energy but that the contract agreement did not state the ratio or percentage of sharing and that the contract is too briefed, not detailed and one cannot understand.
He said now the area council has introduced weekly reporting by revenue collectors, and thatthey have observed that the information that 5C Energy provides is usually different from what they get from the ground.
He explains that they do monitor daily what is collected and prepare weekly summary receipt.
Testifying on the revenue collection devices, Sallah disclosed that the
number was 18 but recently there were two 2 that were brought to his office with the claim that they were faulty.
Sallah told the commission that there are 91 shops in the market, which the council has given to people but that they are not being used and currently council is receiving applications for those shops.
The witness further commented on the commission received by village heads (Alkalos)saying the area council pays the Alkalos that collect revenue for the council. He added that they were given 10 per cent of monies collected by them and that currently the council owes the Alkalos over D64, 000.00
On payments made on the residences of the Finance Director, Former CEO and the Chairman of the Area Council, the witness said the area council used to pay D115, 000.00 per year for the Director of Finance. And that when he took over currently the Director of Finance was staying somewhere in Basse and paying D3, 000.00 per month.
Sallah further disclosed that committees were established after he assumed office and these included: the Establishment Committee, Contracts Committee, and Development Committee among others, adding that there were no minutes of the Committees’ meetings.
“The revenue collectors at the market used to collect below D2, 000 and that was why wechanged the strategy. Now they collect over D5,000 daily and sometimes they collect about D6,000 to D7,000 and the market headmistress was changed and replaced with another” he informed the commission.
The witness said the council does not have an asset register, but they are developing one at the moment and that the council does not have trucks, but they have two tractors and threetrailers.
He continued by saying that the council has over ten drivers, adding that those drivers used to drive the tricycles they received from the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA).
The “Establishment Register” of the Basse Area Council for 2023 was tendered and admitted into the records and marked as an exhibit.
Still, the Acting CEO also informed the commission that the council has office and street cleaners and one other allocated for the residence of the CEO.
He added that some of them were working at hospitals and security facilities. The commission noted that the Basse Area Council has 42 cleaners and 40 revenue collectors including the Director of Finance and members of the Finance Unit.
The witness said there was an ongoing process to take stock of the staff members of the council and those that are not available, might be ghost workers, and would be removed from the payroll and establishment register.
