The management of Brikama Area Council (BAC) in West Coast Region on 13 June 2012 handed over eight brand new motorbikes to revenue collectors worth about D280, 000.
The Governor of the West Coast Region, Alh Lamin Sanneh applauded the council for such an initiative and noted that the motorbikes will boost the performance of the beneficiary staff.
Governor Sanneh commended the council for supporting local communities. He also urged the collectors to make good use of the motorbikes to maximize revenue collection for the Council to continue to live up to its mandate as stipulated in the Local Government Act.
Hon. Lamin Waa Juwara, minister of Regional Administration, Lands and Traditional Rulers, described the purchase of the motorbikes as an investment in the right direction and an exemplary initiative for other councils to emulate.
He urged the collectors to resolve to go after the revenue with provision of the motorbikes. While urging the district chiefs to complement the efforts of the Council in collecting revenue from the local communities, Minister Juwara implored on the management of the council to use the law to recover arrears.
He further assured the council of the continued support of his ministry and called on the council to continue to strive for the betterment of the communities.
Momodou Saho, a beneficiary collector, delivered the vote of thanks on behalf of his colleagues. Mr Saho commended the council for providing the bikes, saying they will be used for the intended purpose.
The ceremony was chaired by Modou Jonga, public relations officer of BAC.
In a related development, the management of Brikama Area Council also recently disbursed D196, 500 as scholarship package to schools within Region 2, West Coast Region.
Speaking at the presentation ceremony, Modou Jonga, council’s PRO, said the beneficiary schools included Fatima Senior Secondary School, St. Edward’s Upper Basic School, Sangajor Basic Cycle School, Armitage Senior Secondary, Kinderdof Bottrop Senior School, Gunjur Upper Basic and Mansoor Senior Secondary School.
Jonga expressed delight over the disbursement and said the payment of scholarship and financial aids to needy students is a core corporate responsibility.
He added that the disbursement of the scholarship is a reflection of the continued commitment of the council to provide amenities and basic services to communities in the region, noting that payments of the school fees to beneficiary students will greatly enable disadvantaged Gambian children to have access to uninterrupted quality education.
He also disclosed that Home for Children with Learning Difficulties in (Sinchu Alhagie Village, Kombo North) has been assisted with D15, 000 towards the upkeep of the vulnerable Gambia children at the centre.
For his part, Mariama Bah-Saine, chairperson of the Education Sub-Committee, called on the beneficiary students to make good use of such scholarship opportunity as the demand for scholarship is increasing.
Mrs Bah-Saine further called on the beneficiary students to be regularly submitting their academic reports to enable her committee to evaluate their performance.
Other speakers at the ceremony were the CEO and chairman at the council, Momodou Jallow Sunkary Badjie, both of whom expressed their delight over the procurement of the motorbikes to the revenue collectors.
“Handing-over of the motorbikes to the council’s revenue collectors will boost their morals and maximize revenue collections, and purchasing them with motorbikes is in line with the 2012 council budget,” they said, calling on the collectors to judiciously use the bikes for the intended purpose.
