By Ragan M. Conteh

The opposition Chief Whip of the All People’s Congress (APC) party’s, Hon. Abdul Karim Kamara has told Radio Democracy FM 98.1 that the recent pronouncement by the Minister of Local Government, Amb. Tamba Lamina, regarding the creation of new districts and cities is tantamount to usurpation of presidential powers.

The Chief Whip strongly asserted that the Minister has no authority to make such proclamations, as the Local Government Act of 2022 clearly outlines the procedures and responsible parties for such decisions. He cited section 2(1) of the Act, which, subject to subsection (2), states that the president acting on the recommendations of the Minister responsible for Local Government, the Minister of Finance, and the Commissioner of the Electoral Commission of Sierra Leone may, by statutory instrument; declare any area a locality; assigned a name to the locality; establish a council; and provide for the number of persons.

The opposition lawmaker emphasized that based on that provision, the Minister appears to have usurped the constitutional powers of the president.

“The Local Government Minister missed the point,” the legislator added, responding particularly to the Minister’s justification for dividing Freetown due to overpopulation. He pointed out the inconsistency in the rationale, noting that even in the government’s own controversial mid-term census, Kenema City was recorded to have a higher population than Freetown. He questioned why Kenema was not being considered for division if population density was the true concern.

The parliamentarian further argued that the division of Freetown serves no meaningful benefit to citizens, and accused the government of attempting to manipulate electoral boundaries for political gain ahead of the next elections. He maintained that the APC is fully prepared to resist any attempt to subvert the will of the people.

He also expressed doubt that either the Minister of Finance or the President were fully informed or in support of this initiative, given the current economic hardships facing the country. Opposition Chief Whip remarked that with the economic expertise available within the Finance Ministry, it is unlikely they would endorse adding new administrative burdens at this critical time.

Highlighting financial constraints, he pointed to the 2023 Audit Report, which revealed that out of NLe 416,338,251 budgeted for administrative and devolved functions across the 22 local councils, only NLe 213,160,793 was actually disbursed—just 51.19% of the allocated funds. This left a significant shortfall of NLe203,177,458 (representing 48.81%) which severely hampered council operations.

He also cited irregularities in the Kailahun District Council, where a review of payroll records revealed that between January and May 2021, some support staff were paid below the national minimum wage, in violation of the Finance Act, 2021.

In conclusion, the Chief Whip reaffirmed that the APC is fully prepared to challenge any attempt by the government to impose new districts or cities without following due process. He called on all citizens to remain calm and vigilant, assuring them that the party will ensure that the right procedures are followed in the interest of democracy and good governance.