By Chernor Alimamy Kamara
The Ministry of Local Government and Community Affairs (MLGCA) has completed a process of assessing all 22 Local Councils in the country and working on providing data that will speak on how councils are performing based on the assessment tool.
In a media interview, Local Government Minister, Tamba Lamina on the 6th August, 2024, stated that the assessment is not to name and shame any council but to know how they performed and delivered and the support they will need to progress in their service delivery.
Minister Momoh highlighted that “Local governance is a critical backbone for development in the country.” He recalled in 2004 when the government realized that they have so many responsibilities and that it is good for the local people to participate in decision- making about their welfare and their community, noting that the local government should be part of those engagements to push the work of the central government forward.
He further stated that the ministry participates very highly in anything that deals with the Mid-Term National Development Plan and it serves as the vehicle to ensure that those things captured in the plan are achievable.
“The operational vehicle for development in the localities is the ministry of Local government and the entities we are working with. We oversee and make sure that development happens in those localities,” he said.
The minister said they have held lots of engagement with development partners who have placed their finances into the country. He said the ministry has held massive infrastructural development in Bo, Pujehun, Kenema, Bombali, Kambia, Falaba and Karene which the people are realizing.
Explaining the rationale behind changing Rural development to Community Affairs in the Ministry of Local Government, Lamina noted that it is out of the wisdom of President Julius Maada Bio that the ministry covering the six regions and all the councils in the country, should be mandated with community affairs, hence the change of the ministry’s name from rural development to community affairs.
Copyright © 2024 Politico (07/08/24)
