By: Kebba Ansu Manneh
Teachers and students increasingly worry about the Kanifing Municipal Council’s (KMC) failure to complete the long-awaited D13 million assembly hall for Charles Jaw Memorial Academy (CJMA) at Bundungka Kunda.
After a prolonged delay, students and teachers are anxious about the assembly hall’s construction. This concern persists nearly three years after Lord Mayor Talib Ahmed Bensuda laid the foundation for the hall in 2022.
Many people interviewed by The Alkamba Times expressed their concern about the slow pace of the construction process. This has left students without an assembly hall for school gatherings, and the lack of adequate buildings exposes students and teachers to the mercy of hot sunlight and rainwater.
Two student leaders and a teacher who spoke to TAT expressed their frustration and disappointment regarding the project that they said has been going on and off. They noted that the lack of an assembly hall has been a major concern for the school since its inception and has not been addressed by either the former or present administration of the Kanifing Municipal Council.
The KMC has faced significant criticism for not fulfilling its promises during the municipal election campaign. The school community is frustrated by the lack of a clear explanation from either the contractor or the KMC’s management regarding the project’s delays.
Sulayman Jammeh, National Assembly Member (NAM) for Bundungka Kunda Constituency, and Lamin Darboe, Councilor for Bundungka Ward, expressed their shared concern and commitment to contacting the authorities at KMC to ascertain why the project has yet to be completed.
Nyima Camara, Director of Planning and Development at KMC, disclosed that some administrative challenges derailed the project’s speedy completion but assured that these challenges had been addressed.
She denied funding difficulties for the project’s slow pace, stressing that funding was not the problem but administrative challenges that halted the project.
Principal Musa Tamba declined to speak, only to refer our reporter to the KMC for answers.
