Africa-Press – Gambia. The Report of the National Assembly Select Committee on Regional Government Lands, Ombudsman, and the Independent Electoral Commission recommended that the Police should enforce the verdicts of the chiefs.
Meanwhile, the committee embarked on an oversight tour to offices of the Ministry of Lands, Regional Government, and Religious Affairs and IEC.
The committee recommended a need to monitor, assess, and support the Councils in their operation thus it is important in the modern governance system. Devolution of powers allowed local government authorities to assume powers to support people at the grassroots level.
According to the report, there should be awareness creation through vigorous sensitization on the existence of the office of the Ombudsman and its services. The government should provide salaries for the Court members and the Badge Messengers, instead of allowances.
The committees further recommended that there should be training for Chiefs and court members for better decision-making during proceedings and also provide vehicles for the Chiefs to visit their respective areas and run other official errands.
The report stated further that the government through the Ministry should revisit the obsolete Land Acts and Land Banking while the Ministry should conduct staff audits for all Councils.
Among other recommendations of the committee included that the Councils should benefit from the activities of Sand/Gravel mining within their respective regions and the committee tasked the Ministry to investigate the management and operation of Real Estate, capacity building for IEC Staff, and that the government should re-evaluate property taxes and rates. The Central Government is to pay 25% subvention as established by the Local Government Act.
However, the objective of the oversight visit is to interact with officials of the Ministry of Lands and Regional Government in the regions, as well as traditional leaders on the mode of operation of the councils and departments. To assess the number and types of projects initiated and managed by the Ministry in each Region.
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