By: Lamin B. Darboe
Senior Communication Officer, MoPS
The Governor of Lower River Region (LRR), Seedy Lamin Bah, has hailed the Open Government Initiative (OGI) dialogue platform as an important mechanism for bringing government closer to citizens and strengthening public engagement.
The dialogue was organized by the Department of Strategic Policy and Delivery (DSPD) under the Ministry of Public Service (MoPS).
The dialogue held on 2 July 2026 at the Mansakonko Area Council conference centre, brought together heads of government institutions in the North Bank and Lower River regions to present their second quarterly reports for 2026 to regional authorities.
It was organized by the DSPD in collaboration with ActionAid The Gambia, with the aim of promoting accountability, improving information sharing, and addressing communication gaps between government institutions and citizens at the local level.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Governor Bah thanked the Ministry of Public Service and ActionAid The Gambia for facilitating the engagement, noting that the initiative supported improved service delivery and citizen participation in governance.
He said his office was mandated by the President to oversee the implementation of government programmes at the regional level, adding that the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), established under an Act of Parliament, played a key role in coordinating institutional reporting and policy feedback.
Bah stressed the importance of regular TAC quarterly meetings, noting that they enabled government to better understand development needs in the region and inform national policy formulation.
“Without these reports, it will be difficult for government to know the needs of the region,” he said.
ActionAid The Gambia Liaison Officer for the North Bank and Lower River Regions, Saikou Darboe, says presentation of quarterly reports by heads of institutions to regional governors is mandatory, and reaffirms the organization’s continued support to strengthen local governance processes.
Senior Assistant Secretary at the Ministry of Public Service, Lamin Baba Sillah, also urged TAC members to actively participate in quarterly meetings, describing regional governors as direct representatives of the President in the regions.
He emphasized the importance of timely reporting and coordination among institutions for effective governance and service delivery.
Chairman of the Mansakonko Area Council, Landing B. Sanneh, commended the initiative by MoPS and ActionAid The Gambia, describing it as a valuable platform for citizen engagement and institutional accountability.
The meeting ended with a question-and-answer session in which citizens raised concerns and sought clarifications from heads of institutions on various service delivery issues.