By Kebba A.F. Touray
The Finance and Public Accounts Committee (FPAC) of the National Assembly has directed the Board and Management of the Medicines Control Agency (MCA) to immediately confirm the appointment of the agency’s Executive Director, saying the prolonged acting appointment is in breach of the agency’s service rules.
Each committee of the National Assembly has powers just like the high court and can pass orders to government institutions to act on.
The directive was issued on Tuesday, 28 July 2026, during the committee’s scrutiny of the Medicines Control Agency’s activity reports and audited financial statements for the period 2021 to 2024.
The issue arose from an audit query which found that the position of Executive Director has remained occupied in an acting capacity since 11 August 2023, exceeding the six-month limit provided under Regulation 0502 of the MCA Service Rules.
According to the regulation, “Acting allowance shall be payable to any employee appointed to act in a substantive post for a continuous period of not less than twenty-eight days, and not in excess of a period of 6 months. At the end of the 6 month-period, the individual shall be confirmed in that position, if considered suitable, and if not, the acting appointment shall be terminated.”
The auditors noted that the acting appointment had exceeded the period allowed under the service rules and recommended that the Board engage the relevant authorities to regularise the situation and report the decision taken.
During the hearing, members of FPAC described the situation as a violation of the agency’s service rules and called on the Board and Management to resolve the matter without delay.
Hon. Musa Cham, citing Regulation 0502, argued that the Board had the authority to confirm the appointment because the position was already occupied and was not vacant.
“So this is not about a vacant position. This is a position that is occupied by one of your staff, and he needs to be confirmed,” Hon. Cham told the MCA management.
He added, “It is not about National Assembly Committee telling you to go ahead, we are telling you to go ahead and test those waters, because it is within your remits.”
Responding to the committee, the MCA Board and Management said they would seek legal advice before taking a decision.
The management informed the committee that the Board’s legal adviser is from the Ministry of Justice.
“So we want to take your advice and as a board, look at it,” the MCA Board and Management said.
Committee member Hon. Kebba Tumanding Sanneh urged the management to make written follow-ups with the relevant authorities and to communicate the committee’s recommendation that the Executive Director be confirmed immediately.
He said, “You must immediately confirm and then all his dues will be paid.”
Hon. Sanneh further instructed the management to share copies of all correspondence with the committee and to notify FPAC as soon as the confirmation is completed.
The committee gave the MCA Board and Management until 18 August 2026 to implement its recommendation and report back. The Board and Management accepted the deadline. Following the deliberations, the Finance and Public Accounts Committee adopted the Medicines Control Agency’s activity reports and financial statements for the period under review.
