By Alusine Fullah
The existence of local councils has always been defended on the basis that it is a crucial aspect of the process of democratization and intensification of mass participation in the decision-making process. No political system is considered complete and democratic if it does not have a system of local government.
Local government serves a two-fold purpose. The first purpose is the administrative purpose of supplying goods and services; the other purpose is to represent and involve citizens in determining specific local public needs and how these local needs can be met. Local representative government is a process that spans and connects representation and administration at local levels within local government structures. In order to understand the function and structure of local government, it is important to define local government and understand the meaning of local government democracy and values. The significance of local government will be addressed. With these aspects of local government in mind, attention will be directed towards the typical structure of local government as the administrative structure of local government forms the basic framework where in local public policy is determined and implemented . Therefore attention will be directed to the composition of councils and their activities.
If not all, but many Sierra Leoneans want to see local councils as the cornerstones in the structure of a democratic political system since local government serves as a vehicle for intelligent and responsible citizenship on this particular level.
That notwithstanding, for the past decades local councils like Bo, Tonkolili, Falaba and Karene have been on the firing line for corruption and for the embezzlement of funds that are meant for community people. Records have shown that public funds that are meant for community development have corruptibly embezzled. The 2022 Audit Report exposes:
Payments for Services and Works not Executed…Falaba District: Drugs not supplied 66,112.00; Activities in the BoQ not done (SLE26,970+SLE2,500) 29,470.00; Tonkolili District: Cost included in contract without evidence of insurance covers 25,500.00 Karene District Monitoring and supervision reports not available to support payments for the monitoring and supervision of road work projects 224,437.00 BoQ overstated and no work done for the overstated amount 89,421.00; Bo City Uncompleted work in the BoQ for the contract for the construction of box culverts and embankment at Jonny Layout 65,260.55; Contract for the construction of a slaughterhouse and water well with a pump at Buemei, Bo City 298,500.00; Western Area Rural District Payment for the rehabilitation work on CHP not done 100,000.00 Total 4,605,435.30.
