Moyamba Council to Collect Revenue After Two Years

Concord Times (Freetown)

Francis Ndanema

4 May 2011

Moyamba — Paramount Chief of Lower Banta Chiefdom, Moyamba district, PC John Gibao Rusell Nyamah II, has finally given permission to the Moyamba district council to start collecting ‘landing fees’ for the use of the jetty in his chiefdom. Since 2008, the Moyamba district council was restrained by the chiefdom authorities from collecting revenue for the use of the Gbangbatoke jetty. The reason advanced for this action was that the council has not been undertaking developmental projects in the chiefdom.

Moreover, the council has since 2008 been holding series of meetings with the chiefdom authorities for the decision to be reversed but to no avail. In January 2011 it was disclosed by the Moyamba district council chairman, David Sengu Woobay, that all their efforts to collect jetty landing fees were unsuccessful. At the end of that council meeting, journalists asked series of probing questions with some maintaining that the council had the prerogative to collect revenue from the Gbangbatoke jetty as contained in Section 45, Sub-section 1 of the Local Government Act 2004. Shortly after the interrogation of both parties by journalists, Chairman Woobay disclosed in the last council meeting held on 8th April, 2011 that PC Nyamah II has finally given them the go-ahead to start collecting jetty landing fees in the chiefdom.

When asked as to whether the Paramount Chief was going to be accountable for all monies collected since he was elected in January 2010, Chairman Woobay answered in the affirmative but did not say whether they were going to hold any one responsible for revenues collected in 2008 and 2009 before the election of the Paramount Chief.

When contacted for his comment, PC Nyamah II confirmed that he had given the go-ahead to the council to partner with his workers in the collection of jetty landing fees until proper mechanisms were put in place for council to fully assume that responsibility.

He noted the employment of residents of the chiefdom as one of the major criteria the council must agree to before they would be allowed to take total control. He however refused to comment on the chairman’s decision that he is going to be accountable for the entire jetty landing fees collected during his tenure in office.

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