April 19, 2021
By: Audrey. R. John
The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chaired by the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Hon. Segepoh Solomon Thomas has on the 15th April 2021 in the Bo City Council Hall concluded its public hearings on the Auditor General’s Report of 2019 with Councils in the Southern Region of Sierra Leone.
The PAC has also advised Councils not to pay sitting fees and allowances to absentee councilors without valid excuses; and the said Committee would recommend to the Ministry of Finance a clear path to be followed before effecting such payments. He added that councilors were elected to sit, deliberate and take development to their localities.
The PAC has ordered Bonthe Municipal Council to provide its Internal Audit Reports to Audit Service Sierra Leone for review, and to also submit evidence of advertisement for a contract involving Le 486 Million against 28th April. Hon. Segepoh Thomas said failure to yield to the directives would arouse the displeasure of the PAC.
For Bo District Council, the PAC has referred the query of Le 50 Million to ACC to investigate payment of same to absentee councilors.
Following a call from the Chief Administrator (CA) of Bo District Council for the Lease Agreement with Albertson Investment for the Bo Club House, the PAC has also referred the matter to the ACC for investigation and report to the PAC accordingly.
The CA said after an alleged payment of Le 400 Million regarding the said lease to Bo District Council, only Le 100 Million could be traced from the said payment.
The deliberations also include improvement of own source revenues, strong internal audit, and quality water provision and management by Councils
All the Councils that were present in the committee public hearing haves issues relating to Councilors that are receiving sitting fees and dormant accounts.
