By Nasatu Kargbo
Deputy Chairman of the Committee on Local Council in Parliament Abdul Karim Kamara from constituency 059 has stated that several sectors have not grown as a result of inadequate resources sent to local councils.
The MP whilst debating in Parliament on the Local Government Act, 2021 on Wednesday, highlighted education, health, and agriculture as sectors being unable to improve as a result of insufficient resources given to councils.
“Not up to 20% of the monies allocated to education go to councils,” said Kamara. He said huge sums of monies are being allocated to the ministry of education, but not up to 20% is sent to councils.
Kamara highlighted that as being the reason why the country still has a faulty educational system.
He explained that when one sees schools in the provinces with no furniture, they are left to think that the council is being ineffective in the execution of their responsibilities which the MP attributed to poor funding for such services. He said councils are supposed to rehabilitate schools and repair furniture.
Kamara explained that most of the schools are under the supervision and direct control of the local councils.
Speaking on the agricultural sector, he stated: “How do you want the council to run and supervise the agricultural sector? No wonder we have poor productivity even when government tends to spend more money on agriculture”.
The lawmaker added that councils do not receive even 10% of the total amount of money allocated to the ministry. He advocated that the monies be sent to the right people.
Kamara pointed out the situation is the same for health, and emphasized that there cannot be an improved health or education system if the councils are not empowered to run those sectors well.
The Chairman of the Local Council Committee in Parliament from constituency 048 Aaron Koroma explained that there is a challenge in the devolution services. He explained that the government devolves services to the council without providing commensurate resources.
“When you look at the budget for supervision, it is sited at the central government, and not even 10% of that budget is sent to the local council for monitoring of our schools,” said Koroma. He explained that supervision of educational services is not under the central government.
The MP noted that if monies are not sent to the councils, then quality education cannot be achieved.
Koroma spoke on health and stated that most of their constituents do not go to the big hospitals but to the peripherals that are overseen by the councils. He said councils are not funded which has led to the hospitals hardly in possession of medicines.
He also called on the government to give powers to the council to supervise the administrative function of the devolved service, in order for them to be accountable to the councils.
