Following tough scrutiny of the BCC 2019/20 financial report by the Finance and Public Account Committee (FPAC), Banjul Mayoress Rohey Malick Lowe has told deputies that she was not an accountant hence had little knowledge about financial accounting reports.

“I think it is important also to understand that my role is an oversight function, and many things will come to my attention when I have the audit report,” the mayoress said. “I am a politician. Although I take responsibility for everything that happens in Council, one thing that I want us also to bear in mind is that my role is an oversight function and the CEO [Chief Executive Officer] is there to take care of the administration of council.”

She further informed the Committee that the CEO consults her many times on different things that are happening in the council, but she is not an accountant, so all advice concerning council comes from the CEO or from the account office, and “most of the times, I agreed with what they advise me to do”.

Hon. Kebba Fofana, the chairman of Finance and Public Account Committee (FPAC), informed Mayor Lowe that as long as she has the oversight function, she wears the cap of the CEO, the director of Finance and the government itself.

“You cannot have more revenue without maintaining cash books properly, so the proper management of those cash books should be your primary concern,” the honourable told her.

Hon. Fofana further told the committee, in demanding the council to amend their shortcomings, that the BCC had accepted that the cash books were not prepared or maintained properly.