Only the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Modou Jonga, and the Finance Director, Alagie Jeng, of the Brikama Area Council are permitted to sign checks, according to a document released by the Ministry of Lands, Regional Government, and Religious Affairs.
The ministry stressed that the CEO and Director of Finance are appointed signatories to all council accounts in accordance with the Financial Management obligations stated in the Local Government Finance and Audit Act 2004. If they are not available, the Director of Administration may sign on their behalf instead.
It has come to our notice that you have been signing and issuing checks on behalf of the Brikama Area Council as alternate signatories to council accounts while serving in your present roles as Acting Director of Administration and Finance Manager. Nonetheless, we would like to emphasize that the Chief Executive Officer and the Director of Finance are the authorized signatories to all council accounts, in accordance with the Financial Management obligations of a council as described in section 17(2) of the Local Government Finance and Audit Act 2004. The Director of Administration may act as a substitute signatory in the event that they are unavailable, according to the ministry.
The ministry further stated that the Chief Executive Officer, in their capacity as Accounting Officer, is accountable for the overall management and supervision of the council’s financial and accounting operations, including the protection of its assets, as per Section 202 of the Local Government Financial and Accounting Manual 2009. This obligation is consistent with the guidelines found in Local Government Act of 2002 Sections 43(1), (2), and (3).
The Lands Ministry states, “This overarching responsibility encompasses the authorization of expenditure, collection, and disbursement of Council Funds.”
The ministry further emphasized that the CEO, in his or her capacity as the Accounting Officer, has primary responsibility for the general management and oversight of the financial and accounting activities, as well as for the protection of assets in compliance with applicable laws. They made it clear that the CEO or any other employee with delegated authority must properly authorize financial activities. The ministry said that unless Jonga and Jeng are officially suspended or dismissed by the Local Government Service Commission, their tasks cannot be reallocated, even though it accepted a council decision that recommended their dismissal.
Importantly, the Chief Executive Officer or any other employee to whom he has assigned authority must properly authorize all financial transactions. It is noteworthy that Mr. Momodou Jonga and Mr. Alagie Jeng are now the Chief Executive Officer and Director of Finance of the Brikama Area Council, respectively. While they acknowledge the Council Resolution dated October 31, 2023, which recommends that the Local Government Service Commission remove them from office, they stated that their duties and responsibilities cannot be usurped or delegated to subordinate officers in other capacities until the Local Government Service Commission formally suspends or removes them from office.
The ministry expressed worry that the Internal Auditor, Sulayman Barry, may approve unlawful vouchers, resulting in illegitimate payments. They believed that such actions violated financial standards and might even be illegal. They demanded that, as long as the CEO and Director of Finance are still employed, no new authorizations for payments or checks be signed.
We would like to emphasize that any payment that is not approved by the Accounting Officer—who also acts as the vote controller—is seen as a violation of financial rules and might be illegal. We demand that these actions end immediately. We, the Ministry, in compliance with our oversight mandate under section 150 of the Local Government Act 2002, hereby urge you to immediately cease authorizing any payments or signing any checks while the CEO and Director of Finance are in active service and present at work in light of the aforementioned laws, regulations, and circumstances, they said.
In addition, the ministry said that banks have been informed to honor checks signed by people who were not given permission by the CEO and Director of Finance. This underscores the need of closely adhering to legal requirements and financial accountability standards while handling public monies.
“We want to underline how crucial accountability is to the administration of public finances. The cash placed in the bank accounts connected to the Brikama Area Council are public funds that are subject to stringent legal restrictions and are kept in trust for the sake of the community. As such, the greatest standards of financial responsibility and the current legislative framework must be followed when allocating these money,” they said.
The ministry said that deviating from the norm would damage public confidence in addition to breaking financial norms. They promised to take the necessary steps to guarantee that rules and regulations are followed at the Brikama Area Council, including possible criminal investigations and prosecutions.
We urge all concerned parties, including the banks, to acknowledge the seriousness of the problem and act right now to guarantee that the laws in question are fully complied with. We are steadfast in our resolve to take appropriate action, including referring any additional instances of non-compliance for criminal investigations and potential prosecutions, as part of our duty to monitor compliance with laws, regulations, and policies at the Brikama Area Council,” they concluded.