Government Places APC-Led Local Councils Under Political Leadership Control
Freetown, Sierra Leone – The Ministry of Finance has approved urgent administrative measures granting Chief Administrators authority as “A” signatories and allowing them to authorize transactions on the Public Financial Management Smart System to ensure uninterrupted service delivery in All Peoples Congress-led Local Councils.
The decision, conveyed in a letter dated April 2, 2026, from the Ministry of Local Government and Community Affairs to Chief Administrators, was necessitated by an ongoing political impasse that required urgent action.
The Ministry of Finance had reviewed a legal opinion from the Office of the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, authored by the Solicitor General on March 24, 2026. The opinion concluded that Chief Administrators are vote controllers and administrative heads of councils and therefore ought to be “A” signatories.
The opinion further stated that Chief Administrators already have the authority to upload transactions onto the PFM Smart System, but that authority can only be exercised with prior approval from the Accountant-General.
The Ministry of Finance confirmed that it had sought and obtained the requisite prior approval from the Accountant-General under Regulation 215 of the Public Financial Management Regulations, 2018. This approval authorizes Chief Administrators to grant clearance for uploading transactions onto the system.
Upon instructions from the Ministry of Local Government and Community Affairs, the interim political head may offer approval for transactions to facilitate service delivery of devolved functions using council funds, grants, and other resources.
The government expressed expectation that these measures will ensure uninterrupted service delivery in affected Local Councils while maintaining necessary financial controls and oversight mechanisms as prescribed by law.
