Banjul City Council Mayor Rohey Malick Lowe called yesterday's five-month suspension of 25 council workers unfair. She spoke at a press conference about claims that EU-Ostend project money was mishandled. These employees stay home but still collect paychecks, even those investigated for small amounts like D500 or D1000. This situation forces her council to work with fewer hands.
The mayor described how she puts in extra hours because of these suspensions. The CEO stays until 8 p.m. every night, and other staff members work long shifts to make up for missing teammates. The council keeps paying these suspended workers, but they cannot use their skills during this waiting period, which hurts their ability to serve the public effectively.
Many important jobs remain vacant during this investigation. The council lacks a procurement officer, public relations officer, council advisor, and planning manager. Trade license officers, account managers, finance managers, and revenue collectors also remain at home. These empty positions create huge challenges for daily operations.
Mayor Lowe strongly denied taking any project money. She explained she never handled any financial matters related to the EU funds. The European Union managed all the money directly through their staff. She mentioned some EU workers she never even met. The accusations came from Councillor Maxim Dock, just one person among 41 councilors from Belgium.
The mayor described how she puts in extra hours because of these suspensions. The CEO stays until 8 p.m. every night, and other staff members work long shifts to make up for missing teammates. The council keeps paying these suspended workers, but they cannot use their skills during this waiting period, which hurts their ability to serve the public effectively.
Many important jobs remain vacant during this investigation. The council lacks a procurement officer, public relations officer, council advisor, and planning manager. Trade license officers, account managers, finance managers, and revenue collectors also remain at home. These empty positions create huge challenges for daily operations.
Mayor Lowe strongly denied taking any project money. She explained she never handled any financial matters related to the EU funds. The European Union managed all the money directly through their staff. She mentioned some EU workers she never even met. The accusations came from Councillor Maxim Dock, just one person among 41 councilors from Belgium.
