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| The Bakoteh dumpsite situated opposite the SOS children's village poses a great health risk and also has the potential to cause a health disaster (Photo credit: Panoramio) |
The National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) is resource constrained
to effectively coordinate and ensure timely and appropriate response to
disasters, Mr Joof said on Feb. 5, 2013.
He was presenting the agency’s annual activity
report and audited financial statement from Dec. 2010 to Dec. 2011 to a joint
session of the Public Accounts and Public Enterprises committees (PAC/PEC) of
the National Assembly on Tuesday.
Both reports were earlier deferred twice by the committees after
representatives of the NDMA Governing Council failed to appear before the PAC
and PEC. However, the reports were adopted on Tuesday.
There is a serious capacity gap at NDMA, admits Hon. Alagie Sillah,
Member for Banjul North, who asked whether the NDMA is not in a position to
fulfil its mandate.
Hon. Sainey Mbye, a Member for Upper Solumn noted that the NDMA receive
support from local and international donors who would like see their funds put
into good use.
NDMA has lots of experienced people in their governing council, but the
way the Agency is run is so unfortunate, Hon Mbye said.
“We have to look at the capacity gap of the NDMA critically,” he said.
“A regional coordinator with a motorbike cannot cover a whole region.”
In 2007, the NDMA published a report “The Gambia living with hazard”
which documented hazards and vulnerability profile of The Gambia.
The report identified several core biological hazards as posing real
potential threats to the country. These include insect infestation and
epidemics (malaria, cholera, etc).
"The NDMA distributes relief to disaster victims without assessment sheets, and in some cases disaster victims were assessed without relief items," Pa Majagne Ndow, an auditor reveals.
But Mr Joof said the country is also experiencing other natural hazards
such as bushfires, severe floods, windstorms and coastal erosion.
The negative socio-economic impact of these disasters are very far
reaching and hampers the achievements of the country's overall development
goals, he said.
“Such potential hazards and disasters have become major development
concerns for The Gambia Government, its development partners and the local
communities,” he said.
Despite the inadequacies, Mr Joof said the Gambia Government is now
focusing more on “risk reduction and preparedness” rather than “relief and
rehabilitation”. He said this is in-line with the “Hyogo Framework for Action”.
Other measures taken by government include the establishment of the
Disaster Management Council whose membership comprise mainly of Cabinet
ministers and is chaired by the vice president. The Gambia has also dedicated
funds for disaster management by establishing a National Disaster Fund.
The NDMA operates within five thematic areas: governance, improved
identification and assessment of disaster risk; knowledge and education
sharing, reducing underlying risk factors; and effective preparedness and
response.
He claims that 2011 has seen marked improvement towards the objective of
institutionalising disaster management and risk reduction in the country.
These include the decentralisation of disaster management structures at
regional, district, ward and to some extent, at village levels.
Finance
“Partnership building and inter-Agency network and collaboration are
essential pre-requisites for effective disaster risk reduction.
DRR is a cross-cutting development concern and thus involves everyone at
every level of society which supports development intervention and gains,” he
said.
Fatou Sowe-Jaiteh, a NDMA finance assistant said the monthly government
cash allocation for wages and other charges to the Agency stands at D4, 046,
273.98 as of 2011.
She revealed that donations received for the Emergency Relief Fund was
D12, 059, 409.95 in the same year.
Auditors’ queries
But an auditor from the National Audit Office, Pa Majagne Ndow revealed
that the NDMA operates as a self-accounting system but without its own
accounting manual.
As such, NDMA is required to follow government regulations and
instructions, he said.
He said there is no segregation of duties as the Account Unit of the
NDMA is manned by one staff, the Finance Assistant.
This finance assistant is responsible for keeping all books of accounts
including petty cashbooks and petty cash, fuel coupons and fuel register,
cheque books and preparation of cheques and also a signatory to the operations
or subvention account, he observed.
He also observed that the NDMA distributes relief to disaster victims
without assessment sheets, and in some cases disaster victims were assessed
without relief items.
But the agency’s boss Mr Joof said the management is taking up the issue
with the concerned coordinators. He admitted that it is against the norms of
disaster operation to assess without relief items or distribute relief items
without assessment sheets.
Mr Ndow revealed that the agency paid D137, 964.75 to the Minister of
Interior, Ousman Sonko, to support the demarcation and relocation process of
flood victims from Kotu Quarray to Sotokoi, but there was no retirement with
regards to the payment.
The NDMA has made the necessary follow-up but the permanent secretary at
the Ministry of Interior who is keeping the documents was in Kanilai for the
Permanent Secretary retreat, said Mr Joof.
Compliance
Ibrahima Sanyang, a senior compliance officer at the Gambia Public
Procurement Authority (GPPA) said the NDMA was found to be mainly compliant
with the Public Procurement Act and Regulations.
Written by Modou S. Joof
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