A bitter war of words has erupted between Minister of Transport, Works and Infrastructure Ebrima Sillah and Brikama Area Council Chairman Yankuba Darboe over the delayed construction of modern markets in Brikama and Brufut.
During President Adama Barrow’s Meet-the-People Tour in Busumbala on Monday, Minister Sillah accused the opposition-controlled Brikama Area Council of deliberately blocking the projects by dragging the government to court. He told supporters that contracts had been awarded and contractors were ready to mobilise, but the council’s legal action had frozen everything.
Less than 24 hours later, Chairman Yankuba Darboe issued a scathing statement rejecting the minister’s claims as “figments of imagination” and “fabricated political lies.”
Darboe clarified that the council’s lawsuit is not against any new market construction but against West Coast Region Governor Ousman Bojang over the unlawful takeover of an already completed market complex inside Brikama Central Market. “Under the Local Government Act, only councils have the legal mandate to manage and collect revenue from markets,” Darboe stated, adding that councils are audited and accountable, unlike the Governor’s office.
The chairman challenged the government’s narrative, insisting that if President Barrow’s administration genuinely had plans and funding for new markets in Brikama, Brufut, Tanji, or Sanlagi, “they would have built them with or without the council’s permission – just as they are currently running the existing Brikama market complex without our blessing.”
In a direct attack on Minister Sillah, Darboe declared: “There is no provision for such market construction in either the 2025 or 2026 national budgets. The only thing stalling these imaginary projects is the government’s lack of funding – not the council.” He accused the minister of “trafficking lies” and “stealing the narrative” ahead of elections, ending his statement with the viral opposition slogan: “Don’t Lie, Don’t Steal, Do the job – build the markets! #JobRek!!!”
The public spat has deepened tensions between the ruling National People’s Party (NPP) and the main opposition United Democratic Party (UDP), which controls the Brikama Area Council. Traders and residents in both towns continue to wait for modern facilities amid overcrowded, dilapidated markets.
Neither the Ministry of Transport and Works nor the Office of the President has responded to Chairman Darboe’s rebuttal at the time of publication.
