By: Fatou Krubally
Malamin I.L. Bojang, former chairman of the Kerewan Area Council, has testified before the Local Government Commission of Inquiry on Tuesday that the council operated for six months without an internal auditor during these time payments were processed.
Bojang, who served from 2018 to 2023, explained that the internal auditor had been sent for training at the Accountant General’s office, leaving the position unfilled.
“There was a capacity gap, and we decided to send the auditor for six months’ training. But during that time, no auditing was done while payments were still processed,” he admitted.
Bojang said the council wrote to the relevant authorities recommending a replacement, but a new auditor was only appointed three months before his term ended. A letter dated February 8, 2021, from the council’s CEO to the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Local Government, was submitted as evidence.
He also disclosed several structural weaknesses within the council, including the absence of a formal IT department and a lack of a written staff training policy. Training decisions were typically handled by the establishment committee and approved by the full council.
Regarding nominated councilors, Bojang said groups representing women, youth, business, and social sectors verbally submitted nominees with no formal documentation of the process.
On recruitment, he confirmed that most hiring were conducted through the Government Service Commission for lower-level positions but admitted that vacancies were not publicly advertised these lapse he acknowledged.
Bojang added that while the council had a strategic plan funded by the UNDP and an operational plan, he did not have copies of either document during the hearing.
His testimony pointed to serious administrative and accountability issues during his leadership at the Kerewan Area Council.