By Hassan Osman Kargbo
The Bo City Council (BCC) Mayor, Kobba Musa, has disclosed to news men that though there are gains in the council, but the council has been faced with series of challenges in his first 100 days in office. He made this disclosure whistle addressing news men on his successes and challenges in his first 100 days in office as Mayor on 8th November 2023, at the Dr. Wusu Sannoh Building, Reservation Section, Bo City.
According to Mayor Kobba, as a council, they have achieved many feats in his first 100 days in office, but there are still challenges which the council is faced with that need to be addressed. He admitted that they are still challenged with waste collection vehicles and machines because even though they have conducted maintenance on couple of waste collection machines during his 100 days, only two vehicles are existing in the council for the services of the 233,000 population of Bo City.
He continued that amongst the very limited vehicles they have in the council for waste collection, they also have poor road network leading to the mile 5 dumpsite as another serious challenge in the municipality. ‘Added to the very limited vehicles we have is the challenge of poor road network leading to the mile 5 dumpsite,’ Mayor Kobba stated.
He noted that due to the poor road network that leading to the mile 5 dumpsite, it has led to the frequent breakdown of their available waste vehicles, adding that it has added to the challenges they faced in managing their waste is the inadequate resources to conduct their monthly general cleaning exercise in the city of Bo.
He mentioned that their monthly general cleaning exercise has been hugely financed using their own source of revenue and also from the philanthropic gesture from some of their sons and daughters of Bo which he said they are always grateful to them for their kind gesture.
Mayor Kobba noted that if the council could have considerable number of up and running fleets such as tricycles, trucks and heavy-duty machines to collect, transport and dump waste generated from the city things could be very easier for their workers in the waste department.
‘If we do have a considerable number of up and running fleets such as tricycles, trucks, and heavy-duty machines to collect, transport and dump wastes generated from the city, as well as maintaining the final dumpsite, there will be no need to conduct monthly general cleaning exercises,’ he said.
He confirmed that they have cried and they are still crying to the central government, private investors and foreign partners to help the council with support and up till date there are no positive responses but he noted that they keep their fingers across.
He lamented that even the government grants are not coming as expected, adding that since he assumed office as Mayor of Bo, the central government has only transferred grants for just one quarter of 2023.
‘Another solid cog in the wheel of our success is the fact that government grants are not forthcoming. As I speak, the central government has only transferred grants for just one quarter of 2023 and that was even in the third quarter of the year and we in the fourth and final quarter. This has posed serious financial challenge on the council and sector devolved to it,’ he reiterated.
He pointed out that another key challenge that the council is faced with is the poor compliance of the people to pay their taxes, adding that some people and communities have vowed that they will not pay their taxes, and they have been giving their tax collectors hell of problem when they go out to collect taxes. He said sometimes they even physically assault their tax collectors while exercising their duties.
He assured the people of Bo that he had made a commitment when he assumed office and he is making the same commitment to serve them well irrespective of the challenges in the council.
He encouraged them to pay their taxes and assured the people that they will surely see reflections of their taxes on the lives of the people of Bo. ‘I am here to serve and not to squander your monies thus I am committed to judiciously using your monies for your good and the good of all,’ he assured.
