Local Government Minister Steps In as Funding Issues Stall Freetown City Council Operations

The Minister of Local Government and Community Affairs, Tamba Lamina, has intervened in the ongoing financial and administrative challenges affecting the Freetown City Council, as the council struggles to maintain key services due to restricted access to its operational funds.

The minister’s intervention followed mounting concerns over sanitation challenges in Freetown, where waste management operations have reportedly slowed because contractors and service providers have not been paid.

To address the situation, Minister Lamina convened an emergency meeting on 5 March 2026 at the Ministry of Local Government and Community Affairs, bringing together senior officials responsible for local governance, fiscal administration, and decentralization.

Discussions during the meeting revealed that the council’s financial difficulties stem from administrative complications linked to the transfer of its former Finance Officer, Ismeila Bah, to another local authority. The development reportedly created procedural bottlenecks that have prevented the council from accessing its funds, thereby affecting its ability to meet operational obligations.

The funding standstill has had a direct impact on sanitation services in the capital. Waste collection activities have slowed significantly as contractors responsible for providing fuel and other sanitation-related services remain unpaid, raising concerns about the city’s ability to effectively manage waste disposal.

Speaking during the meeting, Minister Lamina emphasized that the priority was to resolve the administrative impasse and restore the council’s operational capacity.

“This situation is not about individuals,” he noted, adding that the primary objective is to ensure that the city continues to function and that sanitation services are restored for residents.

The meeting brought together several key officials, including the Chief Administrator of the Freetown City Council, the current and former Finance Officers, and representatives of the Local Government Service Commission. Also in attendance were officials from the Fiscal Decentralization Directorate and the Decentralization Secretariat, as well as the Deputy Minister and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Local Government and Community Affairs.

During the deliberations, participants stressed the urgent need to unblock the council’s access to its funds in order to facilitate payments to sanitation contractors, fuel suppliers, and other service providers whose operations are critical to maintaining cleanliness in the city.

The council’s Chief Administrator also informed the meeting that several suppliers have not received payments for months, a situation that has contributed to the slowdown in waste collection and other municipal services.

As part of efforts to resolve the issue, Minister Lamina directed council officials to urgently prepare a detailed report outlining all outstanding financial obligations, including payments owed to suppliers, sanitation workers, and utility service providers. The report will be submitted to the Ministry of Finance to support the administrative process required for the council to regain access to its funds.

Officials at the meeting agreed that prompt action is needed to stabilize the operations of the Freetown City Council and restore effective sanitation services across the capital.

Minister Lamina assured stakeholders that the government is committed to resolving the matter swiftly to enable the council to resume normal operations and continue delivering essential services to the people of Freetown.