Africa-Press – Gambia. The Mayor of Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC), Talib Ahmed Bensouda, appeared before the Local Government Commission of Inquiry to provide testimony concerning the procurement of the council’s ‘Mbalit’ trucks.
Mayor Bensouda explained that the council’s initial arrangement with Espace Motors stipulated that the Ward Development Committees (WDCs) would finance the trucks.
“So there will be no need for an advance payment from KMC directly unless there are shortfalls from the ward development committees,” he said.
However, the mayor noted that the administration was uneasy with this arrangement, citing concerns over non-council staff handling large sums of money and potential risks of financial leakages and accountability issues. As a result, the agreement was amended, allowing the KMC administration to directly oversee the ‘Mbalit’ project.
During proceedings, Counsel Gomez highlighted that the contract still stipulated that the WDCs were responsible for the procurement, making the contract binding for the parties involved. Mayor Bensouda acknowledged this point.
When asked to clarify the implications of the WDC’s handling of procurement, Mayor Bensouda stated that he would need to obtain the full details, as the administration had managed the process directly. He emphasized that the council had aimed to prevent non-council personnel from handling substantial sums of money, noting that the WDCs were not equipped to manage millions of Dalasi.
“So it was a first of its kind, but of course, in hindsight, you think this is where we could have improved or done it better,” the mayor reflected.
Counsel Gomez then addressed the mayor, noting that the council was aware that the WDCs lacked the capacity to finance the project. Mayor Bensouda acknowledged that this was known as far back as 2019, prior to the delivery of the trucks.
Counsel Gomez further remarked, “This shows that there was no feasibility study to determine the pros and cons of the project prior to the contract being signed.”
The mayor acknowledged that the project manager had been conducting surveys but conceded that, in retrospect, engaging a feasibility study and external consultants would have been the wiser approach. He noted, however, that with a project manager in place, many of these measures—which can be costly—were often overlooked. “But I believe there was a project manager, so a lot of these things usually cost a lot of money to get out of sight.”
Mayor Bensouda reflected that, looking back, there were certainly areas where the project could have been handled more effectively, yet he emphasized that, overall, most aspects of the initiative had been successfully executed.
When asked whether the council initially approached Espace Motors to secure a loan aimed at bypassing the project, Mayor Bensouda stated that the administration would be better placed to provide specifics. He added that prior to entering the contract, extensive consultations had been held with various potential partners to assess their interest and ensure transparency.
Counsel Gomez noted that the commission had heard from Samba Faye, a former relationship manager at Agib Bank who had worked with KMC. Faye testified that the council had approached Agib Bank for a loan, but the bank declined, citing concerns over the project’s viability.
The mayor responded, “Like I said at the initial stages in 2018, there was a lot of consultation because it was to test the idea.”
He further explained that during the tender process, both TK Motors and Espace Motors submitted proposals. However, Espace Motors held a distinct advantage: their group owned Agib Bank, which positioned them to provide pre-financing—a feature that aligned with the council’s requirements.
Counsel Gomez inquired whether Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC) had any formal agreement with AGIB. The Mayor responded that, to his knowledge, no such agreement existed.
“So the agreement,” he explained, “is that as KMC pays more, the trucks will be transferred to KMC’s name, and what we don’t pay will still remain in Espace Motors’ name. If there is any default, then we look at what money was spent, and we share the trucks.”
When asked whether KMC’s advance payment constituted a binding financial obligation or a discretionary decision, Mayor Bensouda stated that the CEO would be better positioned to clarify, as he was not privy to the specifics of the council’s arrangement with Espace Motors.
He further emphasized that the council’s primary concern was ensuring that the agreed amount over the three-year period is paid in full and without overpayment.
Counsel Gomez noted that the contract specified that the Ward Development Committees (WDCs) would be responsible for the payments. Mayor Bensouda explained that this arrangement was later altered when the administration assumed responsibility.
The counsel then observed that no formal addendum had been made to the contract to reflect this change. The mayor responded that while the arrangement had indeed changed, the council had engaged in discussions regarding it.
Counsel Gomez pressed further, asking why no addendum had been executed to clarify the ambiguous clauses in the contract.
“Well, like I said, in hindsight, there are many things that could have been improved and done better. We pushed our opinion to the Ministry of Justice, which should have been done before the signing of the contract. So there are a lot of things that could have been done much better, for sure,” Mayor Bensouda acknowledged.
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