A simmering financial crisis at the Basse Area Council erupted into open rebellion this week as frustrated councilors clashed with Chairman Mahamadou Ceesay in an emergency meeting, accusing him of mismanagement and neglect. The councilors and staff, unpaid for four months since November 2024, demanded answers and accountability, claiming the chairman’s leadership failures have plunged the council into chaos amid dwindling funds and mounting operational challenges.
The closed-door confrontation on Tuesday saw tempers flare as councilors vented their outrage over the salary delays, which they attributed to Ceesay’s inability to secure adequate funding and his alleged prioritization of personal interests over the council’s needs. “Four months without pay is intolerable,” one councilor, speaking anonymously, told TAT. “The chairman has given us nothing but excuses—no solutions.”
The Basse Area Council, tasked with overseeing local governance in the region, has been hit hard by a combination of reduced central government funding and rising costs—a plight shared by many local councils. Yet, councilors insisted the crisis has been worsened by internal mismanagement, pointing to opaque financial decisions and unfulfilled promises from the chairman. “We don’t even know where the money’s going,” another councilor said. “The leadership has let us down.”
The fallout is already rippling through the community, with residents reporting delays in critical services like waste collection and road repairs. “If the councilors aren’t paid, how can they serve us?” asked Fatou Jallow, a local trader. “This mess is affecting everyone.”
Chairman Ceesay has remained tight-lipped since the meeting, though he previously blamed external pressures, including delayed government disbursements, for the council’s woes. “We’re working under tough conditions,” another councilor said offering no concrete timeline for resolving the salary backlog.
The council’s financial troubles stem largely from revenue collectors’ failure to meet targets, severely hampering income. In November 2024, Council Communication Officer Foday Manneh told TAT that the council aimed to collect D59 million for the year but managed only D24 million. “The delay in December salaries is primarily due to revenue underperformance,” Manneh admitted, acknowledging depleted accounts and hinting at corruption among some collectors. Despite this, he expressed optimism about future improvements.
Tuesday’s showdown has fueled talk of a leadership crisis, with councilors threatening further action if their demands aren’t met. “This is just the start,” the anonymous councilor warned. “We won’t watch the council collapse in silence.”
While no formal vote to oust Ceesay was held, the mounting pressure suggests his tenure could be in jeopardy.
As the standoff drags on, the Basse Area Council’s predicament highlights the vulnerability of local governance amid economic strain. With no quick fix on the horizon, councilors and residents face an uncertain future, watching closely to see if Ceesay can turn the tide—or if the rebellion will topple him from power.
