The Freetown City Council (FCC) is currently facing a serious operational and financial crisis, according to its Chief Administrator, Rahman Tom Farma, who has openly attributed the situation to leadership failures and administrative incompetence within the council.

Speaking on the challenges confronting the council, Farma admitted that FCC is struggling to finance critical services due to financial constraints and governance issues. He explained that the situation has affected the council’s ability to deliver essential services to residents of the capital, describing the crisis as both structural and managerial.

According to Farma, although there are existing mechanisms and legal pathways that could help avert the crisis, progress has been stalled due to internal disagreements and directives that conflict with established financial procedures. He revealed that the council’s Finance Officer has been instructed not to sign any financial documents originating from his office, a directive he said came directly from the Mayor.

“This has created a standstill in operations,” Farma noted, adding that without the required financial authorizations, several services cannot be funded or executed, further worsening the council’s performance.

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The Chief Administrator emphasized that he has formally brought these concerns to the attention of both the council and the Mayor, whom he identified as his direct line of reporting. He stressed that all actions taken by his office are strictly guided by the rule of law and existing public financial management regulations.

Farma was firm in stating that accountability for the current crisis should rest squarely on the leadership of the council, not on administrative officers carrying out their statutory duties.

“If anyone is to be held accountable, it should be the leadership,” he said, insisting that administrative compliance with legal and financial procedures must not be compromised by political or executive instructions.