pThe Brikama Kabafita resident was appointed as a rates clerk in 1997 and eventually Acting Director of Planning from 2006 to 2013, when she was officially confirmed as Director of Planning.
She holds a bachelor’s degree and a diploma in development studies, and her role as planning director involves coordinating development activities of the council. She claimed that they had a development plan for 2014 - 2020.
Her two written statements of the witness – dated 15 November 2023 and 16 May 2024 – were both tendered and admitted in evidence.
In her testimony, Bojang provided a rundown of BAC projects ranging from drilling boreholes, construction of markets and feeder roads to the building of office complex for the council.
She testified that through a public tender process, Krubally Construction was awarded the contract for building the new BAC complex.
She also testified that the National Road Authority (NRA) is engaged as consultant in their road construction projects. She testified that NRA staff were paid an allowance of D25,000.
Moreover, the planning director explained that a borehole project in Basori village is still not complete and a toilet project for Brikama Jidda is incomplete. The Brikama Jidda project would cost D500,000 as it will comprise building a market shade.
Another incomplete project mentioned is a 1.5 million-dalasi borehole project awarded to Faisal Contractor, which was not completed by the company. Road project costing 9.7 Million is incomplete.
Madam Bojang thus provided the Commission with the Project Status Report for the ward projects covering 2021, 2022 and 2023, which she prepared and filed. She also provided the BAC Project Activity Report 2019, as well as another project activity report specifically covering April to June 2019.
Furthermore, a D9,994,900 road construction project awarded to Gigo Construction was also cited as incomplete.
Witness Bojang told the commissioners that the council defaulted in their payments and Gigo could not continue the work. She admitted that the agreement between the council and Gigo does not provide details on how much to pay at each stage, adding that Gigo pre-financed the project but it has stopped.
“It is still not completed,” the witness said.
The witness was, at this point of hearing, asked to indicate to the Commission where, in the agreement, it was agreed for Gigo to pre-finance a part or the whole of the project.
She responded there was no such clause in the agreement for Gigo to pre-finance the contract. She testified that the BAC paid 5.9 Million to Gigo Construction.
Director Bojang later provided commissioners with the contracts file of the Brikama Area Council, which was admitted into records as evidence.
Also, she admitted that most of the ward development projects were not certified as complete, moving on to disclose that members of some of the village development committees (VDCs) overstayed, while others would not change their leadership members. She stated that there is no expressed provision of the law that mandates her to supervise the VDCs.
Hearing progressed and Bojang was examined on her Project Status Report, dated 10 March 2021, wherein she indicated 3 out of the 5 ward projects were not completed. The report was addressed to the CEO and the Chairman of the BAC but she did not receive any response from the CEO, she said.
The planning director highlighted that revenue from the mining activities passed through the area council, and it is what the council utilises for development projects in those communities. However, she testified she did not know the total revenue usually received by the council from such activities.
“I know how much they should have [from the mining activities], but I don’t know how much they received,” she testified.
She confirmed that BAC awarded a contract for a project at Sintet ward, but the work has not been completed since 2021. She said the ward could not agree on what to do, but currently the money is being expended to build a car park for them.
Citing reasons for the non-completion of these and a number of other projects in communities or wards under their purview, she disclosed that the council used to transfer funds into the ward accounts before obtaining information about the projects. She provided instances wherein the council made payments while the projects were not implemented.
Due to the issue of non-completion of many projects, the council changed its manner of handling projects.
With the day’s session drawing towards an adjournment, Chairperson Jainaba Bah instructed the witness to provide the Commission with information regarding the expenditures related projects, giving her a timeline for the provision of such information to the Commission as required.
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