By Ebrima Mbaye
In the quiet village of Banni, nestled in the heart of The Gambia’s Central River Region, a storm of controversy has erupted, shaking the foundations of local governance. A ward-level audit review meeting on March 14, 2024, uncovered a financial scandal involving the alleged misappropriation of over D484,600 in public development funds allocated under the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) project.
The findings, detailed in the official “Report on the Audit Queries Raised at Banni Ward,” compiled by the Senior Community Development Officer (SCDO) at the Mansakonko Extension Office, have sparked outrage, exposed governance failures, and raised questions about accountability in community-driven development.
The revelations came to light during a meeting of the National Technical Committee (NTC), chaired by Mr. Ebrima Sisawo, Permanent Secretary 2 of the Ministry of Lands, Regional Government, and Religious Affairs (MoLRG&RA). The NTC, tasked with evaluating the performance of 32 wards under the Local Climate Adaptive Living (LoCAL) Mechanism, included representatives from the Department of Community Development (DCD), the UNCDF country office, ward councilors, and civil society groups.
In his opening remarks, PS Sisawo emphasized the importance of inclusive development, stating, “If we want a sustainable project, the idea of community-driven projects should be encouraged, where people are involved in deciding their destiny.” His words, however, stood in stark contrast to the troubling findings that would soon dominate the discussion.
A Web of Financial Irregularities
At the heart of the scandal lies the Banni Ward Development Committee (WDC), specifically its Chairperson, who is accused of orchestrating unauthorized withdrawals totaling D484,600 after the official expenditure cycle had closed. According to the 2023 audit report presented by the UNCDF Project Manager, the Chairperson bypassed a directive from the Community Development Expert (CDE) to Reliance Financial Services’ Wassu Branch to suspend further disbursements. Instead, the funds were accessed through the Bansang Branch, as evidenced by bank statements in Annex IV of the audit report. This maneuver not only violated financial protocols but also raised suspicions of collusion, prompting the NTC to direct the Kuntaur Area Council’s CEO to investigate potential policy breaches at Reliance’s Wassu Branch.
The audit, conducted by the Internal Audit Department and reviewed on March 14, 2024, further revealed that the WDC Chairperson failed to adhere to the Gambia Public Procurement Act (GPPA), a legal framework designed to ensure transparency and competition in public spending.
Despite mandatory training on the GPPA provided to local authorities before fund disbursement, the Chairperson’s actions flouted these guidelines, eroding trust in the ward’s financial management.
Voices of Discontent
Allegations of mismanagement and exclusionary practices within the WDC compounded the financial irregularities. Multiple committee members voiced their frustration, painting a picture of a committee dominated by a select few.
Sankung Jaiteh, a WDC member, lamented, “After the first cycle of implementation, the rest were all single-handedly done by only a few WDC members, mainly from the contract and procurement subcommittees.”
Fatou Kanyi echoed this sentiment, noting that the WDC had not held a general meeting since the first cycle, a claim corroborated by Ebrima Yaffa, who confirmed that over two years had passed without a convened meeting.
The decision to relocate a garden sub-project to Dobo, an area already equipped with similar infrastructure, further fueled discontent. Sheriff Jawla argued, “There were better deserving communities for this top-up fund than Dobo,” highlighting a lack of consultation in project planning.
Mulai Baldeh went further, alleging that the Councillor manipulated attendance by handpicking meeting participants, effectively sidelining the majority of elected WDC members. These accounts suggest a troubling pattern of exclusionary governance and concentrated power, undermining the participatory ethos of the local initiative.
A Community Left in the Dark
The fallout from these revelations has reverberated through Banni’s tight-knit community. Adama Ceesay, a resident of Jarumeh Koto, took matters into his own hands by filing an Access to Information (ATI) request with the Kuntaur Area Council, citing Section 11 of the Access to Information Act. Demanding a full copy of the audit report related to the UNCDF garden project, Ceesay reminded the Council of their 21-day statutory obligation to respond under Section 12. Yet, his request remains unfulfilled, with Ceesay alleging that the Council Chairman dismissed his efforts, telling him to “go anywhere he wishes.” Attempts by TAT to contact the Kuntaur Area Council via email on May 18, 2025, and subsequent follow-ups yielded no response, further deepening suspicions of a cover-up.
Institutional Response and Resolutions
Faced with these damning findings, the NTC adopted a firm stance. PS Sisawo proposed the suspension of the Banni Ward Councillor while the committee issued several resolutions to address the breaches. These included instructing the CEO of Kuntaur Area Council to investigate potential collusion at Reliance Financial Services’ Wassu Branch.
The WDC was urged to file a police report regarding the suspected forgery of signatures belonging to the WDC Treasurer and Council CEO. A resolution was recommended to remove the Councillor as a signatory, with the possibility of expulsion and a by-election.
The Councillor was ordered to refund the misappropriated D484,600. Failure to comply would render Banni Ward ineligible for future LoCAL funding. The committee reiterated that Community Development Assistants (CDAs) are responsible for documentation and record-keeping, with original files archived regionally and working copies maintained locally.
The Chairman of the Kuntaur Area Council, in a plea for leniency, urged stakeholders to “temper justice with mercy” and pledged to hold a General Council meeting within 14 days and a Banni community engagement within 7 days. Whether these promises will restore trust remains uncertain.
A Tale of Two Wards
In stark contrast to Banni’s woes, Kiang Banta Ward was lauded as a model of success, achieving 100% project completion with no audit queries since joining the LoCAL program. “After four years, Kiang Banta remains audit-clean. It’s a model that others should learn from,” a delegate remarked, underscoring the disparities in governance and accountability across wards.
Broader Implications
The Banni Ward scandal is not an isolated incident but a symptom of broader challenges in decentralized development. The UNCDF Project Manager reported that the Cash-for-Work (C4W) initiative, intended to create 6,550 jobs, had only achieved 4,000, with improper reassignments of beneficiaries posing a threat to compliance. Operational risks, including the transfer of experienced field staff and disruptions from recent local elections, have further strained the program. To address these issues, the DCD was tasked with developing a national monitoring framework.
Despite these setbacks, the UNCDF remains committed, mobilizing €50 million from the EU to expand the LoCAL program to 64 wards, with 8% of the funds reserved for local accredited entities. However, the Gambian Government must provide an additional $400,000 in counterpart funding to unlock the next cycle under LoCAL Plus.
A Call for Accountability
As PS Sisawo reflected, drawing from his experience in agriculture, “Community projects fail not because of bad intentions, but due to poor involvement of beneficiaries during implementation.” The Banni Ward scandal highlights this truth, exposing governance deficits, breaches of accountability, and civic exclusion. While institutional responses are underway, the case highlights the urgent need for robust monitoring systems, genuine community inclusion, and strict adherence to financial procedures. For the residents of Banni, the path to justice and transparency remains uncertain, but their resolve to demand accountability burns bright.
