By The Voice Staff
Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC) has allegedly failed to implement a directive from the Ministry of Lands, Regional Government and Religious Affairs ordering the immediate reinstatement of salaries and benefits of six suspended revenue collectors, sources within the council revealed.
The six officers – Lamin Samura, Hadrameh Hydara, Ebrima Jobarteh, Amadou Njie, Sulayman Njie and Ebrima Njie – were subjected to disciplinary action over alleged misconduct, with their salaries suspended following proceedings initiated by the council.
According to a letter dated 30 September 2025, seen by The Voice, the ministry overturned KMC’s decision and directed the council to immediately restore the full salaries and benefits of the affected officers.
The ministry reportedly stated that, following a review of the matter and recommendations by the Local Government Service Commission (LGSC), it found that the council had exceeded its legal authority.
It maintained that the power to suspend local government staff, with or without pay, rests exclusively with the Local Government Service Commission under the relevant laws and regulations.
The ministry further instructed KMC to formally notify the affected employees of the reinstatement of their salaries and provide a timeline for the payment of salary arrears.
However, multiple sources within the council told The Voice that the directive has yet to be implemented and that none of the six officers has received any salary or outstanding benefits since the ministry’s intervention.
The sources alleged that the affected employees have now spent more than a year without receiving salaries and remain out of active duty.
One council source further claimed that the case was similar to other unresolved disciplinary matters involving officials at the Bakoteh Fish Market and Ice Plant, as well as the Serrekunda and Latrikunda Sabiji markets.
The source alleged that an internal audit report identified revenue losses amounting to nearly D30 million at the three markets but that no disciplinary action had been taken against other officials mentioned in the report. The source further alleged that the six revenue collectors were unfairly targeted because of their perceived loyalty to former KMC Chief Executive Officer Sainabou Martin Sonko and President Adama Barrow’s National People’s Party (NPP).
One of the affected officers, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that he and his colleagues remain under suspension and have not received salaries since June 2025.
He alleged that the council did not provide prior notice before suspending their salaries and has not issued any formal communication explaining the decision.
The officer acknowledged that he and his colleagues appeared before the council’s Establishment and Employment Committee over allegations of misconduct but argued that they were not given adequate opportunity to defend themselves, contrary to the General Orders and principles of fair administrative procedure.
He called for the intervention of relevant authorities to ensure that the matter was resolved fairly and in accordance with the law.
Contacted by The Voice, Habib Ceesay, councillor for Jeshwang Ward and Chairman of the Establishment and Employment Committee, said he was not in a position to comment on the matter and promised to respond at a later date.