By Ralph Sesay
The Minister of Local Government and Rural Development, Mr. John Tamba Lamina, has disclosed to journalists that President Bio will officially launch the review process of the Local Government Act of 2004 and the Decentralization Policy on 15th October, 2019 at the Miatta Conference Hall in Freetown.
Minister Lamina reiterated the fact that the process which was long overdue is finally here.
He recounted that there is a misnorma in Sierra Leone wherein the Local Government Act had preceded the decentralization policy.
This, according to him, should have been the reverse.
He pointed out that all around the world and the sub-region it is the policy that should inform the Local Government Act.
The Local Government Minister disclosed that the Local Government Act of 2004 has lots of discrepancies with regards the capacity and structures of Local Councils to efficiently and effectively deliver services to the local people.
The review process of the Local Government Act, according to the Minister, will be widely consultative and led by an international and local consultant funded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
The new Act, Minister Lamina stated, should be able to speak on the various issues confronting the delivery of basic services to the local people.
He spoke on the current vacancies in terms of chieftaincy across the country, and disclosed that there are currently sixty-two (62) vacancies across the country.
Elections to fill the vacancies, the Minister stated, is going to be meticulously done under his watch as Minister of Local Government and Rural Development.
The Minister stated that he is in consultation with the National Electoral Commission (NEC) with a view to thoroughly look at the reviewed voters’ list in some of the chiefdoms to determine whether to change them or not going forward.
The rational, according to him, is to ensure that the Ministry is able to superintend a fair, transparent and accountable process culminating to the election of credible and people centered Paramount Chiefs.
He committed the government of President Bio to the decentralization process and recounted that the delivery of funds to local councils is being improved though it is fraught with challenges.
The Local Government Minister concluded by sharing his experiences with the Saturday Cleaning Exercise and disclosed that Freetown is heavily challenged with the issue of filled dumpsites to deposit wastes.
This for him is a huge concern and that there is ongoing discussion to relocate the dumpsites in Freetown and Waterloo to somewhere else.