September 10, 2019
By Emmanuel Okyne
CA Raman Tom Farmar holding the Development Plan during presentation
The Portloko District Council has unveiled its District Council Revised Medium Development Plan for 2019 -2021 at the council Hall on 6th September, 2019.
The unveiling ceremony attracted paramount chiefs, parliamentarians, development partners, Councillor’s, Ward Committee members, among others.
The Local Government Act of 2004 and the accompanying statutory instrument mandate local councils to provide basic services in health, education, water and waste management amongst others in their localities.
Chief Administrator of the Port Loko District Council, Raman Tom Farma said the District Level Development and Accountability Forum on the theme “Accountability in Local Councils Matters for Sustainable Local Governance” is consistent with the Local Government Act Section 85 subsection 1, which mandates the local councils to prepare a development plan that should guide the development of the locality.
He said the Act further mandates councils to publicly display the development plan or make available to the public throughout the period to which it relates.
The CA said the legal framework of local governance in the country further that development plan should form the basis for the preparation of the budget for administration and development of the Council.
Farma noted that the reviewed Development Plan of Port Loko District Council for the period 2019 – 2021 was crucial to the operation of the Council as it is expected to focus and address the direction of the overall development aspirations of each ward in the district.
The Chief Administrator thanked the European Union for supporting the development plan as was financed through their project titled “Promoting Community Development and Effective Local Governance System in PortLoko District.”
CA Farma said the plan was a product of hundreds of consultations and interactions with the people of Port Loko at village, ward, constituency, and district levels.
He said the Council has undertaken 27 broad projects ranging from education, health, agriculture, waste management among others, pointing that 13 of the projects have been completed, while 12 were in progress.
Chairman of the Port Loko District Council, Ibrahim Santige Bangura, said before the Government of Sierra Leone’s de- amalgation policy, the district occupied a total area of 5,719 km2 ( 2,208 sq. miles ) and comprised eleven chiefdoms and thirty four wards .
He said after the implementation of the de-amalgation of chiefdoms, the district was now divided into city and district councils, adding that instead of eleven chiefdoms and thirty –four wards, the district was now divided into smaller administrations comprising thirteen chiefdoms and twenty –eight wards.
The chairman said the new arrangement poses additional challenges in transforming of the Port Loko District Council, to meet the expectations and aspirations of the people with respect to basic services in the district and to meet the Sustainable Development Goals.
Former Chairman of the Port Loko District Council, Ahmed Munirr Fofanah commended staff of the district council for their good work, noting that there were evidences of their stewardship after a year in office.
He urged other Councils to emulate the good work of the Port Loko District Council, stressing that it was not a mistake when he recommended to the Local Government Ministry that CA should have an accounting and economics background to administer the day-to-day activity of Council.
Deputy Mayor of the Port Loko City Council, Zackirra Bangura, said the city Council would be knocking at the doors of the district council to tap into their knowledge on administration and implementation as the City Council is a new born baby.
Chief Administrator of the Kenema City Council, Vivian Sally Senesie, commended the chairman and other staff of the Council for the CA an open hand to execute the functions of the council work.