Bali Mayor’s Report Card Show’s Red as Locals Demand Accountability Over Project Claims

By Njoh Linda

Claims by the Mayor of the Bali Council, Wandum Bunga Ernest, that his administration has executed several development projects are facing scrutiny.

Questions are being asked over the rehabilitation of the Bangu water project, the supply of medical equipment to Wosing Integrated Health Centre and the implementation of a FCFA 149.7 million construction contract.

During a recent press conference, Mayor Wandum defended his administration’s development record, insisting that he was speaking with facts.

However, documents obtained and accounts from residents have raised questions about the council’s role in some of the projects he presented as achievements.

One of the disputed projects is the Bangu water scheme, which the Mayor claimed was rehabilitated by Bali Council. However, documents obtained attribute the rehabilitation to the International Rescue Committee (IRC), raising questions about the council’s actual involvement and the evidence supporting its claim.

FCFA 9 Million Medical Equipment Claim Disputed

The Mayor also claimed that his administration supplied medical equipment worth FCFA 9 million to Wosing Integrated Health Centre, adding that equipment had been distributed to all seven health centres in the municipality.

But residents of Wosing have disputed the claim.

In a recently circulated video, villagers led by their Quarter Head said the health centre had never received a donation of medical equipment of the nature described by the Mayor.

Their account raises questions about whether the reported equipment was delivered and, if so, where it is currently kept.

The controversy comes as the Wosing Integrated Health Centre remains non-functional despite its construction.

FCFA 149.7 million Construction Contract Under Scrutiny

Further questions surround the implementation of the contract for the construction of the Wosing Integrated Health Centre.

An official work commencement order dated April 9, 2022, indicates that SAPIDACAM S.A. awarded Ets Ambe and Family a contract worth FCFA 149,792,272, inclusive of taxes, for the construction of a health centre in Bali Subdivision, Mezam Division.

The project was expected to be completed within 12 months. The contract also required the provision of at least seven water points before final payment.

However, a representative of Ets Ambe and Family, whose account MMI has reviewed, said the company had not received payment under the contract and was still keeping the hospital’s keys.

The account raises questions about the settlement of the contract, the formal handover of the facility and the circumstances preventing it from becoming operational.

With the health centre yet to provide services, questions also remain over the whereabouts of the medical equipment the Mayor said was supplied to the facility.

FCFA 2.5 million Debt Raises Conflict-of-interest Questions

Beyond the disputed development claims, a 2021 document titled Acknowledgement of Debt, signed by Mayor Wandum Bunga Ernest, indicates that the council owed FCFA 2.5 million to Mr Galega Emmanuel Lumvalla for supplies.

The document states that the amount “shall be refunded in its entirety on the first week of December 2021.”

Mr Galega Emmanuel Lumvalla is a Bali municipal councillor and President of the council’s Finance Committee.

The transaction raises questions about a possible conflict of interest in relation to Article 145(2) of Law No. 2019/024 of December 24, 2019, establishing the General Code of Regional and Local Authorities.

The provision prohibits municipal councillors from selling goods or providing paid services, in any form, to the council in which they serve. The restriction is intended to prevent conflicts of interest in the management of local council affairs.

The disputed projects and financial transaction have brought renewed attention to accountability in the management of public resources in Bali.

Questions remain over who financed and executed the Bangu water rehabilitation, whether the FCFA 9 million medical equipment was delivered, the status of the Wosing health centre contract, and the circumstances surrounding the FCFA 2.5 million debt.