Freetown, Sierra Leone – January 6, 2026 – Freetown Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr OBE has called out the Local Government Service Commission (LGSC) for suspending the Freetown City Council’s (FCC) Finance Officer, saying it’s illegal, poorly handled, and harms year-end finances.
The issue started when a suspension letter spread on social media. It ordered the officer to stop work right away without pay for three months and hand over files that day. In her January 5 letter to the LGSC’s Acting Commissioner, the mayor said she was stunned by the move.
She noted it followed a December 30 threat from the LGSC Executive Secretary to transfer the officer, a plan she opposed in a December 24 letter, warning it would disrupt FCC’s money management. No one from LGSC replied to her.
Aki-Sawyerr claims LGSC broke the Local Government Act 2022. Section 33 requires teamwork on staff issues like discipline, but FCC wasn’t asked. She added that the Chief Administrator’s reports, used by LGSC, don’t count as official council views without approval.
She also doubts the suspension’s legality under Sections 44(3) and 44(5), which need a meeting of at least five members and a majority vote. No such meeting happened, she says, so it’s invalid.
As FCC head, the mayor said she won’t allow a handover until LGSC fixes the problems.
“This is about following the law and keeping FCC running smoothly,” she stated.
The clash shows strains between local and central government in Sierra Leone, affecting city operations. LGSC has not responded yet.
