Freetown, 10th March, 2026 – The Ministry of Local Government and Community Affairs has raised alarm over what it describes as a paralysis in service delivery across several All People’s Congress (APC)-led local councils, following the withdrawal of political leadership from statutory governance processes.
In a letter addressed to the Financial Secretary, Minister Ambassador Tamba Lamina warned that the absence of political heads from key financial management duties has left councils unable to access funds for routine operations.
“The withdrawal of the political leadership from these statutory processes has rendered several APC-led councils effectively inoperable. Without the required approvals, councils are unable to access funds allocated for routine administrative and service delivery functions,” the minister wrote.
The situation has already hit the Freetown City Council, which Lamina said is unable to meet critical financial obligations, particularly in waste management. He cautioned that the disruption poses direct risks to public health, sanitation, and environmental safety in the capital.
To prevent further breakdown, the minister urged the Ministry of Finance to approve interim arrangements, including:
Designating Chief Administrators as “A” signatories for fund withdrawals in the absence of political heads. Authorizing Chief Administrators to grant clearance for uploading transactions on the PFM Smart system.
Deploying immediate technical support from the Fiscal Decentralization Directorate and the Public Financial Management Reform Directorate (PFMRD) to facilitate council operations. Lamina stressed that government bears the ultimate responsibility to ensure uninterrupted service delivery regardless of political affiliation.
“The urgency of this request cannot be overstated. Your prompt intervention will greatly assist in ensuring that the delivery of essential services to citizens is not compromised during this period,” he concluded.
The appeal highlights growing concerns about the impact of political deadlock on local governance, with warning that prolonged disruption could undermine confidence in decentralization and stall basic services in key urban and rural councils.
