By Mackie M. Jalloh
A growing governance impasse between administrative structures and political leadership in several local councils has begun to disrupt essential public services, prompting urgent intervention from central government authorities.
The warning comes from the Ministry of Local Government and Community Affairs, which says a breakdown in statutory governance procedures within a number of councils controlled by the All People’s Congress (APC) has left municipal administrations unable to carry out routine financial and operational functions.
In correspondence directed to the Financial Secretary at the Ministry of Finance, the Minister of Local Government, Tamba Lamina, explained that the absence of key political office holders from legally mandated financial approval processes has effectively stalled administrative operations in some councils.
Under Sierra Leone’s decentralized governance framework, political leaders such as mayors and council chairpersons play a central role in authorizing financial transactions and approving expenditure decisions. Their participation is required in several statutory procedures tied to the management of public funds.
However, according to the minister, the withdrawal of these political authorities from the approval chain has created a procedural vacuum that prevents councils from accessing funds allocated for routine administrative activities and community services.
“This situation has significantly hindered the ability of local councils to perform their core responsibilities,” the minister noted, emphasizing that without the required approvals embedded in the financial management system, administrative staff are unable to process payments or release funds necessary for day-to-day operations.
Among the councils most affected is the Freetown City Council, which is reportedly struggling to maintain several essential municipal services due to the financial bottleneck.
Officials say the disruption has already begun affecting operational commitments, particularly those related to sanitation and waste management across Freetown. Waste collection contractors and service providers depend on timely payments authorized through council financial systems, and delays could result in significant public health risks if garbage collection and disposal services are interrupted.
Government officials warn that a prolonged halt in these services could expose residents to sanitation hazards and environmental degradation, especially in densely populated urban communities.
In response to the unfolding crisis, the Ministry of Local Government has proposed temporary administrative arrangements designed to keep councils functioning while the political stalemate persists.
The proposal includes allowing Chief Administrators within affected councils to temporarily assume expanded financial authorization roles. Under the suggested framework, these senior civil servants would be designated as primary signatories for financial withdrawals in situations where political heads are unavailable to perform statutory duties.
Additionally, Chief Administrators would be granted authority to approve transactions within the government’s digital public finance management platform, commonly referred to as the PFM Smart system, enabling councils to process payments and maintain operational continuity.
To ensure the proposed arrangements function effectively, the ministry has also recommended the deployment of technical personnel from the Fiscal Decentralization Directorate and the Public Financial Management Reform Directorate to provide support and oversight.
Authorities say the goal of the intervention is to ensure that ordinary citizens do not bear the consequences of political disputes or institutional deadlock.
Officials emphasize that the decentralization policy adopted by the government was designed to bring services closer to communities, and any disruption to council operations threatens that objective.
The ministry therefore urged swift action from the Ministry of Finance to authorize the interim measures, warning that delays could deepen administrative paralysis across affected councils and erode public confidence in local governance structures.
While discussions continue behind the scenes, observers say the situation illustrates how political disagreements within local government can quickly translate into real world consequences for communities that depend on councils for essential services.
