Policy and Program coordination

In the context of this discussion, let’s say coordination is the art of mediation, negotiation, compromise and the building of bridges and meeting points between stakeholders/actors within and at different levels of local governance in The Gambia.

Efforts in achieving sound coordination outcomes for the deepening and strengthening of the country’s decentralisation process therefore will be fruitful, based on the extent to which this art is practiced in reality and perfected in line with stated intentions in the decentralisation texts of the country.

One of the first steps in this must relate to the putting in place of appropriate institutional and structural formations in the system which should allow for the pursuance of opportunities, ensuring that stakeholder organisations and agencies can easily participate in the process and they can identify their human, financial and material contributions as part of the overall progress.

Overall Framework

Government has approved a multi-level, multi-disciplinary and multi-sectoral overall framework under the provisions of the constitution and existing laws for the effective conduct of good local governance in The Gambia. The prescribed coordination structures when functioning can maintain checks and balances at all levels between centralizing forces on one side and decentralizing forces on the other which may some times be pitched each pulling the reform in the direction of their interests.

This framework presents, also, practical avenues for the utilization of institutional processes which are clear in terms of horizontal and vertical relationships and decision making. In principle it can be said that The Gambia has achieved an acceptable standard of local government reform framework for the proper and effective coordination of efforts in the building of local governance and local development.

As evidenced in a number of consultancy studies in the past few years however, after ten years of decentralisation dialogue and analysis, there is only little real achievement on the ground in terms of local ownership, local accountability and local control of public funded projects in basic service delivery, poverty alleviation and food security.

One of the principal concerns in this is pointed at the lack of satisfactory progress in the establishment and or functionality of critical structures of the approved coordination framework established at central, regional and local levels within and outside of the government system.

Horizontal and Vertical Coordination

Horizontally the department of state for local government, lands and religious affairs constitutes the main frame responsible for the coordination of inputs and policies with other departments of state and non state actors at national level in (avoiding policy overlaps and contradictions), ensuring the coordination of overall support for coherence and consistency in the process, the coordination of strategies and linking decentralisation with other reform processes of the wider public sector.

In response to this, the department of state established a national steering committee (NSC) in 2006 with the permanent secretary of local government lands and religious affairs as chairman and the permanent secretary of finance and economic affairs as vice chairman.

The rest of the membership comprised the permanent secretaries of the departments of state for education, health, agriculture, works and infrastructure, forestry, fisheries, youth and sports and tourism and culture, the head of the women’s bureau and heads of major NGOs and Civil society organisations and program heads of UNDP, World Bank, and EC in the Gambia as observers.

This committee has never really functioned, and this lack of functionality may be part of the explanation for the slow pace of decentralisation, the poor state of financial support for national level processes and the so many cases of policy and functional overlaps between council and regional authorities on one hand and between councils and the sectors on the other.

Vertically, the department of state coordinates with the regions and councils in the transmission of policy directives and guidance, and the regions and councils in turn ensure coordination accordingly with districts, wards and villages.

At the regional level, the office of the governor constitutes the central coordination framework and it ensures liaison with the council and representatives of other departments of state, development partners and civil society organisations involved in local development activities. The principal coordination structure for this is the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC), (provided in law).

This committee comprises heads of departments represented in the region with local development programs, representatives of civil society organisations and NGOs and other regional officials determined by the governor in consultation with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of council.

The regional governor is the chairman of this committee and the CEO is the vice chairman. For Banjul City Council (BCC) and Kanifing Municipal Council, (KMC) where there are no governors, the CEO, is the chairman. Although it is hardly the reality on the ground, as part of the prescribed coordination mechanism in the local government act 2002, the TAC should meet every two months with periodic subcommittee consultations and exchanges as may be required within thematic groups in Health, Education, Agriculture, Natural Resources, Human Resources, and Finances etc.

Although scantily, the holding of TAC meetings have been observed in some of the regions but regional resources and capacities are generally limited and so decisions are not satisfactorily coordinated and without a functioninig NSC, they have little means of linking with the anticipated national process. The TACs need to be reactivated and supported with technical and financial assistance and the NSC needs to be re-established and functional.

These structures could present the opportunity for much needed horizontal and vertical coordination on cross-sectoral issues between the centre and the regions. The ward development committee (WDC) and the village development committee (VDC) are the planning, coordination and implementation bodies at the ward and village levels.

In practice the law has accorded these prescribed amount of sovereignty. Ward development committees sometimes coordinate vertically with village development committees, and horizontally both levels coordinate with other state and non-state actors in local development matters in their jurisdictions.

Coordination Structures and Processes

The coordination of decentralisation calls for the anticipation of long-term processes, with longer term goals, objectives and strategies at the policy level, whilst assuming more medium and shorter term objectives and strategies at the lower programme and project levels.

At all levels the formation of coordination structures and processes should be geared towards the smoother and more efficient delivery of the approved decentralisation policies and programmes. This most certainly involves putting in place a system of stakeholder consultations and the mobilization of positive coalition forces in the formulation of policy goals, interfacing with government departments, civil society organisations, NGOs, international donor partners and the private sector.

It requires the setting of legislative and institutional objectives and strategies and optimising the use of scarce human and financial resources. In theory poor or non-coordination of decentralisation could inhibit opportunities for building strategic alliances and it could be responsible for wastages in the management of resources, the duplication of activities and lack of complementarities in actions.

With the focus of the recently launched World Bank supported Community Driven Development Project (CDDP), which is on strengthening downstream initiatives in decentralisation and local development, there is some hope that at ward and village levels at least, initiatives in strengthening local institutional development and capacity building will be adequately and effectively supported.  


Kemo Conteh is the former director of Governance, Department of State for Local Government, Lands and Religious Affairs, now he is the senior partner, Governance Development and Management Services (GDMS), a consultancy firm at 9 Mamadi Manyang Highway, Kanifing Industrial Estate:    email: octocorps@yahoo.com

President Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh, on Monday, officially inaugurated the D42 million Revenue House of the Gambia Revenue Authority, Banjul, a day before the 14th anniversary of the July 22 Revolution.

President Jammeh used the opportunity to warn against complacency, nepotism, corruption and sabotage. While stressing the need for sustained impressive performance in revenue collection, the president implored the officials at the GRA to live up to expectations and consider every success as a challenge.

He then urged every Gambian of tax-paying age, businesses and organisations, to live up to their tax obligations, which he described as a national duty and responsibility.

“Payment of tax not only constitutes a divine order, but also gives the taxpayer the right to demand for balanced public services in return. Therefore, we must avoid every tendency to evade taxes, since this constitutes a serious economic crime that anyone found culpable of will be brought to book,” he said.

President Jammeh advised the GRA to deal firmly with all tax defaulters who deny government revenue.

He also advised the authority to limit its capacity to development programmes for the benefit of the people and warned against the “Maslaha” syndrome, which robs rather than enriches the country in many ways. According to him, the term [Maslaha] is seriously abused by unscrupulous people who see state resources being vandalised through tax evasion, outright theft, or aiding and abetting others to declare false and inaccurate returns just to pay little or no tax at all.

He added that those with the habit should desist from it, as this tantamounts to unpatriotic behavior and economic sabotage, which will never be tolerated.

The Gambian leader strongly advised all stakeholders - tax collectors, tax payers and the general public at large - to be their own watchdogs and desist from such malpractices so that together, The Gambia can achieve the development goals that everyone aspires for.

According to him, the objective of creating the GRA is to ensure that an appropriate institutional system is in place to serve as a one-stop-shop for harnessing the revenue collection potential of the country, by enforcing stricter adherence to tax obligations to the state. He observed that since the creation of the GRA, revenue collection has increased steadily from D2.3 billion in 2004 to D3.3 billion in 2007. He praised some impressive performances registered by the GRA and commended the management for their honesty and dedication to duty, as well as the protection of the common good.

President Jammeh stated that with a cost of over D40 million, it is incumbent upon the management, the Board and all the staff of the authority to ensure that the structure is put to good use and properly maintained.

He told the gathering that the government would do everything possible to ensure that there is stability in the macroeconomic environment at all times, a necessary condition for balanced growth and sustainable development.

He thanked the development partners, notably the International Development Association of the World Bank and the  Capacity Building & Economic Management Project (CBEMP) for their efforts towards the success of the project.

For his part, Musa Gibril Bala Gaye, the secretary of state for Finance and Economic Affairs, described the new edifice as a clear testimony of the amount of work and effort chipped in by all concerned to ensure that the end result was positive.

SoS Gaye added that the service delivery to taxpayers has been uppermost in the priorities of government, adding that as a government, they are committed to the allocation of sufficient resources within the budget constraints to ensure that GRA’s capacity to deliver its mandate is put on a sustainable platform for the foreseeable future. “In recognition of this fact, we have in the last two years directed substantial resources to the GRA in order to build its capacity to render efficient services to the citizens of this country,” he said, adding that they have ”increased the budgetary allocation to the GRA from D69 million in 2006 to D129 million in 2008.

“Furthermore, reforms are ongoing through the revival of the income tax computerised process (GAMTAXNET) and the introduction of the new unique Taxpayers Identification Number (TIN) in order to have a more realistic taxpayers data base,” he elaborated.

The Finance and Economic Affairs SoS then commended the GRA for exceeding its 2007 target by close to D300 million in its first year of operation. He also thanked the CBEMP PCU, the project consultant, contractor, and the GRA management for their efforts in the realisation of the goals.

Momodou Kabba Tambajang, the commissioner general of the GRA, highlighted the major achievements of GRA. He stated their commitment to continue playing their rightful role in the mobilisation of domestic financial resources to enhance The Gambia’s financial independence and sovereignty and to achieve the Vision 2020 goal of transforming The Gambia into a large-income economy.

The GRA boss then saluted the government and recognised the personal assistance of President Jammeh. He also thanked the staff of GRA for a job well done over the years.

Other speakers included Mr Rene Geoffery Renner, the chairman of the GRA Board of directors, Joseph Sarr, the consultant and architect of the building and Fatou Leigh, the project director of the Capacity Building & Economic Management Project (CBEMP).

At the end of the ceremony, President Jammeh also unveiled the new GRA plague and later toured the premises.  

Present at ceremony were the vice-president, Aja Dr Isatou Njie-Saidy, the speaker of the National Assembly, Hon Fatoumatta  Jahumpa-Ceesay, the chief justice, Abdou Karim Savage, secretaries of state, and members of the diplomatic corps, among others.

The United Youth Association, in collaboration with the Service for Peace of America, on Wednesday, awarded seventy members of the association, partner organisations and individuals in “recognition of their selfless services to the association and the society” over the years. The award ceremony took place at a colourful ceremony held at the Bakau Newtown community centre.

The seventy member volunteers received awards in three categories: platinum -150 hours of selfless service, gold-100 hours, and silver - 50 hours.

Among those awarded included Musa Conteh, chairperson of the association; Hatab Fadera, secretary general; Kawsu Jaiteh, program coordinator, and Ida Jeng, assistant program coordinator, all of whom received the platinum award.

Institutions such as The Gambia Radio and Television Services, child protection alliance, Gambia Family Planing Association, New World For Youth, National Aids Secretariat, and the National Youth  Council were also awarded.  High profile individual awards were given out to personalities such as Mayor Yankuba Colley of the Kanifing Municipal Council, Alhagie Jawara, veteran philanthropists, Ebrima Jadama of Family Federation for World Peace, Binta Saidy, honourary mother of UYA, Famara Fofana of GRTS, amoungst others.

Speaking at the occasion, Musa Conteh, chairperson of the United Youth Association, hailed the awardees for their invaluable contribution to the association, as well as the country.  Conteh recalled that his association was conceptualised in 2005, with a view of engaging young people into an organised group in the quest to addressing social problems impeding their growth and development.

“It also seeks to empower its members and young people in general in the areas of education, building their capacities on awareness issues such as HIV/AIDS, child right promotion and protection, sexual and reproductive health and rights, the menace of drug abuse, the burden of malaria, amongst a host of other pertinent issues,’’ he said.

According to him, since the inception of the association, they have been engaging in a series of selfless services geared towards making young people to be responsible to the cause of their society, noting that the award ceremony was meant to show appreciation of his members volunteerism.

The UYA chairperson recalled that his association started collaborating with the service for peace of America in 2005, noting that since then they have benefited a lot from them.  Prominent among the benefits, he said, included the annual scholarship program for needy students of the association.

While commending the service for peace under its current international advisor, Beverty Bandt, chairperson Musa Conteh challenged the awardees to double up their efforts to the cause of his association and young people in general.

For her part, Beverty Bandt, international advisor of service for peace of America joined the UYA chairperson in commending the awardeds for their efforts, noting that they deserve to be awarded.

She noted that young people of the Gambia are full of ideas, and that their efforts should be complemented in a bid for them to realised their aspirations.

Madam Bendt described their collaboration with the United Youth Association as fruitful, noting that the association had inspired many young people to venture into meaningful activities geared towards improving the society.  She hailed her US student volunteers for rendering 3 week selfless service to the Gambian communities.

While assuring her unflinching support for the association, the service for peace international advisor urged young people to change the culture from self centeredness to living for the sake of others to live.

Hatab Fadera, secretary general of United Youth Association stressed the need for young people to venture into meaningful activities that will immensely contribute to the successes of their life.

Ebrima Jadama of family federation for world peace urged young people to be worthy ambassadors of their society.

Other speakers at the occassion included Binta Saidy, honourary mother of the association.

In a show of appreciation, the united youth association members presented gifts to their American counterparts.

Taiwan's new administration will be more pragmatic and flexible in pushing forward with the nation's bid to join the United Nations, a senior diplomatic official said Sunday.

According to reports monitored by the Daily Observer, a official, who was in charge of affairs relating to international organisations for over 10 years, was responding to President Ma Ying-jeou's recent remarks that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is studying a new approach to promoting Taiwan's UN bid in line with the changing situation.

Ma said two referendums on the country's entry into the global body under the name Taiwan and the national title Republic of China -- held alongside the March 22 presidential election -- failed because neither of them attracted enough votes to make the outcomes binding, so his administration will adopt a new tack to promote the country's U.N. bid.

According to the official, the cross-Taiwan Strait situation experienced a change after the inauguration of the Ma administration, and in the face of the "completely different atmosphere, " it is necessary for the country to adjust the ways in which it promotes its accession to various international organizations such as the U.N. and the World Health Organization.

Asked whether the nation will apply for U.N. membership under the name Republic of China, Chinese Taipei or other, more flexible names, the official said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is soliciting opinions from experts and academics and exchanging views with other relevant government agencies on the issue.

After an internal consensus on a new approach is reached, the government will consult with diplomatic allies as well as the United States, Japan and the European Union on its feasibility, the official went on.

However, the official added that it is unlikely the new administration will file an application for U.N. membership under the name Taiwan this year.

Due to Beijing's obstruction, the nation has failed every year for more than a decade to regain its U.N. membership, which it lost in 1971.

The Ansaar Agency, comprising of young muslim men and women, is expected to embark on a sensitization campaign, according to its founding members. The  Agency, bearing the Arabic word for helpers, ‘Ansaar’, was established on January 12, 2008, by some concerned muslim brothers and sisters.

Their campaign, according to the members, would take them to Government departments, NGOs and the society at large.

It will take the form of radio and television talk shows and press conferences, in a bid to sensitise members of the community on their aims and objectives, mode of operations, mission, entry requirement and other issues concerning the Agency.

Speaking to the Daily Observer, Dodou Jah, an Executive member of the Agency, said his Agency was registered, as a charitable organisation, on February 27, 2008, and that it was approved by The Gambia Supreme Islamic Council on the 19th March, 2008.

He said that his Agency had long and short term project proposals, citing Education as one. He revealed that they intended to set up an earlychild development institute, a Social service system, eg. the Janaza service; and Arts and cultural projects all of which are geared towards bringing the youths together,so as to change their attitudes.

Mr Jah further dwelt on other activities intended to be embarked upon, such as Fund raising, which would take the form of selling ‘ebbeh’ to school children, Membership dues collection, among others.

For his part, Alieu Addo, another Executive member of the Agency, said they have over 64 registered members.

According to him, membership is divided into three (3) categories, namely; Associate, Support and Honorary memberships.

“Our office is located along the Coastal Road in Kanifing, opposite Aji Sukai Ndateh Senior Secondary School.  Membership is open to all muslim brothers and sisters and the forms are available at our offices”, Mr Addo remarked.

“Our main aim,” he went on, “is to cultivate understanding and unity in The Gambia and also to work towards improving vulnerable lives in the country and the world large. This will benefit people physically, mentally and spiritually,both here and hereafter.  

Of course, people have to understand that all these will be done through the comandments of Allah (SWT) and the Sunnah (the way of life) of Prophet Muhammed (SAW).

Mr Addo however complained of financial constraints, citing the burden of having to meet the annual rental fees of their office as an example.

He called on Government, Charitable organisations, and other philanthropists to support the Agency in the course of Islam.

Mariama Manneh, also an Executive member, called on her muslim sisters, to join the Ansaar Agency. She said that at the female wing, some of their main responsibilities are the ‘Janaza’ service and the cooking of ‘ebbeh’ for school children.

Any one interested in helping the Agency, can contact them through email: doudou1979@excite.com or basambams@yahoo.comor mobile; 7712663/9827254/9916176/7538193.

2.8.3  Decentralisation secretariat

The department of state for local government, lands and religious affairs is the principal agency for local government planning and development in the Gambia and it is responsible for the inspection, monitoring and coordination of local government authorities: In response to the demands of this responsibility, the department had sponsored a number of consultancy studies in the past few years assessing its own capacity and the capacities of councils.

Key among the issues and concerns highlighted in all these studies is the lack of adequate capacity and resources for the department to lead the process satisfactorily. The main issues in this function include the onerous tasks of strengthening the role of central government in the coordination, monitoring, and supervision of local government authorities including governors, chiefs and alkalos, exercising better central government control and direction for wider citizen participation and civil society engagement in the process of poverty alleviation and local development, the mobilization of local, national and international financial, technical and human resources for the effective and efficient conduct of local government in the Gambia, liaise with government and other stakeholders on behalf of the local government sector towards the fulfilment of government’s efforts in strengthening the role of decentralization in service delivery, poverty alleviation and local development.

The decentralization of local government is highly desired as part of the public governance framework of any democratic country. Effective and well managed decentralized local government systems have contributed directly in the economic progress of countries in Europe and America as well as in some Asian and African countries.

In many of these countries where it has succeeded local governments are the principal vehicles for the eradication or alleviation of wide spread poverty and for the enhancement of overall local economic development. Most of these countries have dedicated national institutions such as decentralization secretariats, agencies or commissions. Some of them even have ministries of decentralization, to guide and facilitate the growth and development of their local governance systems.  

In the Gambia decentralisation is managed through the main stream civil service structure. Decentralisation touches all sections and sectors of society and its success over the long term require the mobilisation and full participation of the whole range of actors and stakeholders in the process. The structure, policies and procedures of the civil service are different from those of non-state actors and it may be inconvenient for the effective involvement and engagement of civil society, NGO and private sector organisations in the implementation process of such a large scale reform agenda.

Decentralisation management at the national level calls for inclusive, flexible, and innovative programme development on a continual basis. In the public expenditure review conducted in 2004 it was evident that local government and decentralization initiatives were relatively under-funded and the situation has not changed up to now.

Except for international donor organisations, there is hardly any visible and coordinated response on the part of other actors in the financing and development of decentralisation and local government reform programs. Public investment in local infrastructure and capacity building is a cross cutting responsibility and should not be seen only as a central government duty, although it is the duty of government to provide the needed policy support and public institutional infrastructure for the coordination of efforts.  

"Cinderella" of the department of state.

To strengthen central government control and direction in the mobilisation of greater and wider public and private sector support and commitment to the growth of decentralisation and a developmental local government framework for The Gambia, it may be a recommendable idea for government to establish a decentralisation secretariat.

This was indeed recommended by Dr Michael "O" Leary a renowned international development consultant who was hired in 2006 to appraise the proposed assistance to local government under EDF 9. After a comprehensive review and assessment of the local government sector in general, Dr. "O" Leary observed in his report that with the poor status, limited mandate and resources available to the directorate of local governance, the implementation unit for local government reform in the department of state for local government, lands and religious affairs, the department was not yet fit for the purpose of leading effective decentralisation.

He actually called the directorate the "Cinderella" of the department of state. Similarly the late Tamsir Mbaye (consultant) former secretary general, permanent secretary and divisional commissioner also recommended for a decentralisation secretariat in a report he submitted in 2007.

The secretariat should be established on the same principles as other agencies which have been established by government for the purpose of mobilising wider public participation and process ownership and it should be administered by a board of directors with membership drawn from central and local government institutions, civil society NGOs and private sector organisations.

It should have an appropriate organizational structure and charged with the responsibility for guiding and implementing government policy on decentralisation. The secretariat will strengthen the role of the department of state for local government, lands and religious affairs in local government development, help to build capacities in councils and the local government system in general and mobilise national and international resources in the provision of economic infrastructure and social services in the local communities in the continued fight against poverty. In effect it will enhance the comparative advantage of local government in the revitalization of local economies and the maintenance of the rule of law in the local areas.  

Kemo Conteh is the former director of local governance, Department of state for local government, lands and religious affairs now he is the Senior Partner, Governance Development and Management Services (GDMS) A consultancy firm at 9 Mamadi Manyang Highway, Kanifing Industrial Estate :    Tel 4393393

1.1 Introduction
The Gambia adopted decentralization in accordance with sections 193 and 194 of the constitution of the Republic (1997). The constitution provides for local government spheres, running along side the central government in the state.

At section 193 (1) it says: local government administration in the Gambia shall be based on a system of democratically elected councils with a high degree of local autonomy. Section 194(1) states; an Act of the national assembly shall make provision for functions, powers and duties of local government authorities.

The constitution prescribes organic roles and functions for local government authorities in accordance with the rule of law, and it provides directives for the identification, devolution and implementation of competences from central to local government territories. Further at section 214 (3) dealing with the directive principles of state policy, the constitution says: The state shall be guided by the principle of decentralisation and devolution of government functions and powers to the people at appropriate levels of control to facilitate democratic governance.

In the 1997 Policy Framework Document (Vision 2020) it states…...“To encourage participatory government and balanced development, government shall pursue an intensive political and institutional decentralisation process. This will contribute to poverty alleviation and diffuse the different socio-economic tensions……”

With the constitutional provisions above, the directives provided in Vision 2020, the promulgation of the local government Act 2002 and the finance and audit Act 2004, the holding of local government elections and reconstitution of democratic local government authorities all based on wide consultations with all sections of society, The Gambia has now established a common arrangement for the viability of decentralization.

The local government Act 2002 and the local government finance and audit Act 2004 provide together the legislative framework for the regulation and implementation of local government. They present the main frame for good local governance and the enabling institutional and local democratic environment towards poverty alleviation and the achievement of the MDGs in the Gambia.

1.2 Issues and constraints

Much progress has been achieved in the Gambia’s decentralisation process particularly in the areas of legislative and institutional reforms. Up to now however, some of the legislative policies and institutional arrangements prescribed in the local government Act 2002 and the finance and audit Act 2004 remain to be fully defined, established and operational, while the hand over of authority to the local councils is being pursued, albeit gradually in an environment characterized by low levels of human, financial and institutional resources in the councils.

The enabling accounting policies and procedures for them to operate are not yet in place and the transfer of full responsibility for financial management may pose problems and strain local capacity in the short run. The country financial accountability assessment (2005) had actually highlighted management gaps in many cases at council level with unrealistic budgeting, cash based transactions and delays in the preparation of accounts etc.

For the councils to be able to achieve an acceptable level of accountability and transparency they will have to face the challenge of understanding and tackling these issues individually. In the past few years, government established a policy outline for decentralization, and in addition to the basic legal frame work, strategies have were formulated in the establishment of multi disciplinary facilitation teams (MDFTs) regional development funds, local government service commissions.

The local government service scheme and pension policies, a communication and public sensitization plan, the identification and rationalisation of local government sector competencies, local government capacity building, the strategy for decentralized planning and development, fiscal decentralization and a system for the monitoring and evaluation of decentralization.

Translating broad policy and the enabling legislation into practical results on the ground may be the most task now facing the process of decentralisation in the Gambia.  The local government Act 2002 provides for the establishment of local government territories, functions, powers, responsibilities, compositions of local government authorities and the eligibility criteria for the selection, nomination and election of functionaries of local government bodies.

The finance and audit Act 2004 provides the authority to councils for the allocation, disbursement and reporting of local, national and international public funds for the administration of local government and the implementation of local government projects. In a nutshell this Act prescribes the financial powers and responsibilities of councils. The exact implication of the prescribed authority for the transfer of financial affairs to the councils from central government however may not be fully understood by all, and also presently individual councils may not be fully prepared for the additional responsibility in the short run.

2.1 The Way forward

To help the transition proceed smoothly, much of the enabling legislation may need to be converted from general principles into more precise guidelines that are understood by all including other government agencies, NGOs, civil society organisations and local communities. The capacities of councils and stakeholders need to be enhanced and central government roles and functions need to be transferred to give meaning to the constitutional prescriptions on decentralization.

A consolidated plan of Action on decentralization needs to be developed with the participation of all stakeholders. The administrative procedures for the implementation of the provisions of the finance and audit Act (eg, budget approval, government subventions, personnel management and pensions etc) need to be clarified.

An accounting policy and manual of accounting procedures, based on the provisions of the prescribed finance and audit Act and consistent with international accounting standards is required. This should take into account the observations in the country financial accountability assessment. (CFAA) with the aim to set out in clear terms the responsibilities of the centre and the periphery in relation to the requirements of the law and proscribe, inter alia, the steps for budget preparation and approval, central government subventions; and auditing.

2.3 MDFTs

In the context of the provisions on planning and development for example, multi-disciplinary facilitation teams (MDFTs) were proposed as an out reach strategy for mobilising and guiding extension resources at Ward and Village levels. They have been given an important role in the training of the village development committees and ward development committees in the participatory planning and development process.

In decentralisation practice however, the idea of MDFTs proposes a horizontal approach to extension and outreach and it requires extension workers of all sector and thematic agencies in the field to adopt the methodology. For the approach to be coherent and efficient, line departments of state may have to decentralise and allow their field units and agents to come under local management.

This obviously may take some time before it can be realised however attractive the concept may be. There is also the need to consider the cost effectiveness and efficiency of the MDFT approach itself. In view of the apparent high cost of maintenance of the teams in relation to available local resources, they may not be sustainable in the longer term without the appropriate transfer of resources from central government to councils.   The establishment of MDFTs need to be consistent with the human and financial resource bases of the councils.  

2.4 Service scheme, commissions and pension schemes

Local government authorities are autonomous and are responsible for their own staff. The local government Act 2002 provides for a local government service scheme but each council is expected to constitute its own pension scheme and public service commission. These legal provisions constitute significant characteristics of the process of decentralisation itself.

There is need therefore for them to be formulated into operational strategies based on a mechanism which is both consistent and in line with the resource bases of councils. In managing this transition a number of concrete issues are likely to emerge. There are genuine concerns that establishing more formal bodies in the councils may be onerous both financially and in terms of the human resource capacity for the councils.

It may not be easy to cater for staff mobility within the system, as people move between councils for jobs with councils operating different pension schemes. It may not be easy also to find a suitable arrangement which can be put in place for managing the pension liabilities of current staff. Perhaps more critically, given the extra and specialised administrative task, individual councils may realistically not be able to manage staff pension funds on their own? The enabling legislation and the implementation arrangements on these issues will need to be understood and shared.     

Kemo Conteh is a Senior partner specialised on Governance Development and Management Services.

To be continued

The recent Experts Meeting on Slavery held in Banjul from 10th to 13th June, 2008 a follow-up to the World Conference on Racism and in preparation for next year’s Durban Review Conference, was a historic success for The Gambia.

Not only did it follow a series very successful Plenipotentiary Conferences and Experts Meetings in the recent past, including the unforgettable AU Summit, ECOWAS and sub-regional organisations meetings, but it was also a fitting recognition of The Gambia’s primordial and vanguard status and role in pioneering in the 1980s the institutionalisation of and respect for Human Rights in Africa.  

Another source of national pride and satisfaction is the prominent, if not dominant role, played by Gambians, whose compelling historical ramifications I will recall later, did not come as a surprise.  The AU Commissioner for Political Affairs, Mrs Julia Dolly Joiner, who addressed the Meeting on behalf of the African Union is a Gambian who had served with distinction in senior and strategic positions in the Gambian Public Service as Permanent Secretary, Department of State for Foreign Affairs and Secretary General Office of the President successively before her appointment as Head of OAU and subsequently AU diplomacy. Her statement is a clear testimony of the significant progress made in the Continent in the matter of human rights awareness and practices since the late 1970s and early 1980s when the Gambia courageously led the way in vigorously advocating the setting up of a home-bred African institutional framework that will promote the respect for and full enjoyment of human rights by every African without
any distinction of any kind.  

The second dominant aspect at the Meeting was the presence of the SOS for Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology, Hon. Crispin Grey Johnson, who officially opened the Meeting on behalf of His Excellency the President with a Keynote Statement that touched on many relevant and important aspects of the theme of the Meeting - Slavery.  

Not surprisingly Hon. Grey-Johnson rose to the occasion, with the spontaneity and coherence of the scholar and diplomat he is, and appropriately highlighted the main historical benchmarks that characterised mercantile slavery introduced by Europeans when they started visiting our shores in the 14/15th century ostensibly for normal trade purposes.  

As aptly recalled by the Hon Secretary of State, the resultant heinous trans-Atlantic trade that lasted till the middle of the 19th century was responsible for the forced migration of millions of able- bodied Africans to the Americas where they were enslaved and sold as chattel to provide free labour in the cotton fields and sugar cane farms. Paradoxically some of the so-called slaves came from noble and royal backgrounds while many of their massas were criminals or their descendants who immigrated to the New World as the only escape from the gallows in England especially.

Recalling Alex Haley’s Roots and the International Roots Homecoming Festival was opportune in that both buttress what has just been postulated and remind all, at the same time, of the indissoluble cultural, ethnic and family bonds between Africans who did not leave the mother continent on the one hand and their brothers and sisters of the diaspora and particularly those in the Americas.

I take the opportunity to congratulate our two distinguished compatriots (SOS Grey-Johnson and Commissioner Joiner) for flying the Gambian flag so high in the not too often clear African skies, and to seize this unique occasion to make my own humble contribution to a debate that should interest and involve all Africans, especially intellectuals, scholars and students, historians and traditional communicators as well as religious leaders.  For my part I simply wish to recapitulate two events of great relevance to this debate.   

Firstly, the Banjul Meeting is an opportune event to recall that Soundjata Keita founder of the great Mali Empire was the first Head of State in the world to abolish slavery. Following the defeat of Soumaworo Kante, (real name Soumaworo Jarrasso, king of Soso not be mistaken for the Susus of Fouta Jallon), at the final battle of Narina in 1235, after nearly a decade of exploitation, oppression and suffering of the people of Manden during Soundjata’s seven-year self exile, the new Mansa Manden – Soundjata - vowed that he would never sit on the royal hide (throne) unless he succeeded in uniting all the people of the New Mande. He solemnly declared that “the management of the affairs of our country shall not be the affairs of one family alone; it shall be the affairs of all.”.   

To achieve this objective, revolutionary for its time, Soundjata created the Great Council of Manden, an Assembly composed of the diverse people of Manden and submitted the Proclamation of the Fundamental Charter of the New Manden which was read out to the people gathered at vast town square of Dakadjalan Sundjata’s  birthplace.

The Charter had 7 main articles preceded by a preamble that read as follows: “Manden is founded on expectation and love, liberty and fraternity. This signifies that there will neither be ethnic nor racial discrimination in Manden”.  In article 5 it was stated “Hunger is a bad thing, and slavery is not a good thing either; and as long as we have our bows and arrows (power) hunger will no longer kill anyone in Manden; War shall never again destroy villages in order to capture slaves to go and sell them; No one shall be beaten or put to death because he is the son of a slave.”.

Article 6 is even more equivocal. It reads: “The existence of slavery is ceases definitively  today from one end of Manden to the other, and raids are banished in Manden  with effect from today.”  The last article (art.7 provides that) Man has a soul which makes him see three things: see what he wants to see, say what he wants to say and do what he wishes to do. If one of these is missing his soul will suffer and he will deteriorate as a human being. It concludes “Consequently as of now every one is entitled to the integrity of his own person, and each person has freedom of his own action but must respect what is forbidden and the laws of the land”.

Significantly the Charter concludes thus “Such is the Charter of Manden proclaimed for the ears of the entire world”.  Thus Soundjatta proclaimed the first Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Abolition of Slavery and trading in slaves. But this unprecedented historic event seems to have been totally ignored by western history which continues to bask in its erroneous pretensions and egoism that Africans have no History prior to the arrival of Europeans explorers and the beginning of the colonial occupation from the 15th to the late 19th century.

For them Mali and it glorious past was, at best, a legend that should not be given any prominence in African and world history even though  Soundjata’s epic universal abolition of slavery and slave trade preceded by many centuries the United Kingdom Bill of Rights, 1688; the French Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen, 1789; and the United States Bill of Rights, 1791.  

And it was only over SIX HUNDRED years after the Manden Charter that the western imperial and colonial powers made any effort to abolish the slave trade in 1807 and slavery in 1833 in West Africa to end the infamous and lucrative  triangular trade that forceably transferred millions of our ancestors to the Americas and the West Indies.    

At the international level it was only after the First World War (1914-1918) that the international community started addressing the problem of slavery.

In l926 the Slavery Convention was adopted by the League of Nations and amended by the UN Protocol of 1953 followed by the Supplementary UN Convention on the Abolition of Slavery, the Slave Trade, and Institutions and Practices Similar to Slavery, 1956.  At the continental level, the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights, born out of a Gambian initiative dating back to the Decision (XVI) of the OAU Monrovia Summit in 1979 and 2 Ministerial meetings in Banjul in 1980 and early 1981, was finally adopted at the 18th OAU Summit in Nairobi in July 1981.  

This is the second major event I alluded to earlier on which also partly explains why Banjul became the capital of African Human Rights with the OAU unanimously deciding, in recognition of the lead role The Gambia had played in the process leading to Nairobi, to locate the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights in Banjul at Kairaba Avenue presently.

It is significant and interesting that almost all the Human Rights instruments adopted in modern times and cited above bear a very close resemblance to the Manden Charter especially with regard to its Articles 2, 5, 6 and 7 guaranteeing fundamental freedoms and proscribing slavery to the point that it is tempting to believe that their authors were privy to the contents of the ancient Proclamation on the founding of the Mali Empire.

 The recent Banjul meeting’s success must also be appreciated in the most appropriate historical perspective in which The Gambia’s contribution has been impressive and unequalled.  But as Africa moves ahead in this momentous process towards the Durham Review Meeting in 2009, we have to re-write our own History in a manner that will respect the imperatives of objectivity, authenticity and intellectual integrity, all of which western history about Africa generally lack. This is an indispensable and urent act in correcting the wrongs of subjective western history and the restoration of the dignity of the African and his valiant ancestors.

NB  The name Mali was used by the Arabs and neighbouring Peuls to refer to Manden  also known as Manding.

Alhaji Ebou Momar Taal is a career diplomat who has been Gambian plenipotentiary to Brussels (Kingdom of Belgium ), Guinea Bissau and Senegal amongst other countries. As a trained economist, he served as a senior staff of the African Development Bank (ADB), in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. He was also the first Permanent Secretary at the Department of State for External Affairs.

Issues concerning children were the subjects of discussion recently, at the Sheraton Hotel, in Brufut. Drawn from government agencies, the national assembly, non-governmental and youth organisations, including the faith based organizations, the media, the private sector as well as children bodies, the participants, whose discussion centered on technical review on child survival, deliberated, shared experiences and also proposed concrete actions and strategies regarding their commitment towards accelerating the march toward reducing child deaths by two-thirds, by 2015, as per the postulates of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG4).

At the end of the meeting, the participants recommended the scaling up of production of insecticide treated bed nets (ITNs), by 2010, to offer access to 80% of pregnant women and children under five.  Other recommendations were the promotion of practices like hand-washing, breastfeeding of all children between 0-6 months, provision and promotion of oral re-hydration, continued advocacy for child friendly budgeting at the level of policy makers, commitment towards the strengthening of national health care system and also commitment to strategic public-private sector partnerships for resource mobilization and leveraging of resources for children.

The participants also engaged themselves in placing special emphasis on the ‘4 Quick wins’, which aim at reducing new malaria cases by 75%, and to reduce child deaths by 20%, among others.

They also request the policy makers, including government officials, UNICEF and other UN agencies for children, among other stakeholders, to mobilize an energetic partnership towards the reduction of Child deaths, with particular attention to attaining the Millennium Development Goal (MDG-4), to contribute in a substantive way toward funding the gaps in key areas where children are missing out on attaining adequate health care in The Gambia; and also to commit more human, material and financial resources for pregnant women in The Gambia. Participants also recommended that national assembly members follow through on the commitments made during the 2015 count down meeting in April 2008, in South Africa, on child health.

Last Tuesday, June 10th, marked the commencement of another round of discourse on what has become a challenging phenomenon for the world’s poorer nations (although it is not restricted to them) especially the continent of Africa. The three day ECOWAS meeting on the implementation of the sub-regional body’s plan of action to combating trafficking in persons no doubt highlights the level of seriousness the authorities attach to the subject.

The fact that it is being discussed in The Gambia suggests our unflinching readiness to help curb the menace. But regardless of the aggressive nature with which we tackle the matter, the absence of one very key measure will seriously limit any possitive effect of our efforts. And this is awareness raising.

Earlier in 2007, President Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh appended his signature on the Traffiking in Persons Act. That land mark move demonstrates The Gambia government’s commitment to accomodate the Criminal Code to  international statndards. This was of course mentioned by the honorable SoS, Marie Saine-Firdaus, during her opening statement at the meeting, at Jerma Beach Hotel.

The phenemenon of trafficking in persons, has become a vicious circle of abuse and a security threat within the Western Africa sub-region and, by extension, the rest of the world.

By recognising that human trafficking, particularly involving children, is a major violation of human rights and that it has grave consequences for economic development, The Gambia is taking an enomous stride towards safeguarding the dignity and sanctity of not only its own citizens but the rest of humanity. This is in fact in line with international conventions outlawing trade in humans, as it is meant ‘‘to prevent, supress and punish those engaged in the trafficking in persons and to rehabilitate and reintegrate victims of trafficking and for other matters connected therewith,’’ as the SoS stated.

This law also seeks to contribute to the global fight against human trafficking by analyzing factors that lead to trafficking of women and children and by promoting culturally appropriate responses.

As the phenemenon is becoming more and more serious, it is expected that the law will help to raise awareness on trafficking as a modern form of slavery and possible ways to abolish it.

Appropriate strategies should therefore be implemented at the sub-regional level in order to improve on understanding of the factors related to human trafficking in African sociocultural context; facilitate the transfer of knowledge, experiences and best practices, and inspire African local, national and regional initiatives, in their fight against trafficking in humans.

However, we must admit that in order to succeed in tackling this global threat, there is a need to promote interaction and cooperation between researchers, decision-makers, representatives of international organisations and the civil society, on this issue, as well as raising awareness on the issue by conducting more awareness raising campaigns and training workshops for a wider audience.