The government has assured the public that the report of the Local Government Commission of Inquiry and its white paper will be published before the expiry of the six-month deadline, despite missing an earlier commitment to release the documents by the end of August.
Minister of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services Dr Ismaila Ceesay gave the assurance on Tuesday while speaking on Coffee Time with Peter Gomez.
His response followed a question from a listener who expressed concern over the delay, noting that the Minister of Lands, Regional Government and Religious Affairs, Hamat N.K. Bah, had assured the National Assembly in June 2026 that both documents would be released before the end of August.
The listener questioned the government’s commitment to local government reform, arguing that the missed deadline had raised concerns about institutional credibility and the public’s right to know.
Responding, Dr Ceesay said the government remained committed to publishing the documents within the legally prescribed period.
“What is important is that we meet the constitutional deadline to publish it, which is within the six months, which we will do,” he said.
The minister acknowledged that circumstances could sometimes affect timelines announced by government officials but maintained that the delay would not result in a breach of the law.
“Sometimes circumstances are beyond your control. And when they do happen, you have no control over them,” he said.
He added that the government took local government reform seriously, pointing to its decision to establish the commission of inquiry.
“Let the public be assured that before the six months elapses, the report and the white paper will be published,” Dr Ceesay said.
The assurance comes as questions remain over the government’s failure to meet the August deadline previously communicated to lawmakers.
The publication of the report and white paper is expected to provide the public with details of the commission’s findings and the government’s position on the issues examined.
Dr Ceesay maintained that the government was working to ensure both documents were released within the six-month period.