By: Foday Manneh
The Opposition United Democratic party youth Councilor of the Kanifing Municipal Council, Kemo Bojang, has responded to a statement allegedly made by a team of individuals sent by President Adama Barrow asking for Alkaloes within the municipality to support his party in the upcoming local government elections.
“This has shown us that president Barrow has no love for the country and the people of the Kanifing municipality. However, suppose he is truly ready for what he has been calling for unity and development. In that case, our region being in the hands of the opposition should not be a hindrance to development,” Bojang argued.
“We have been reliably informed that the Barrows team met every Alikalo in KM at Pa Omar Faal’s residence in Latrikunda and asked for their support in the coming local government elections. During the meeting, the team mentioned that they would build 100km of roads and claimed Mayor Bensouda and UDP obstruct his development plans for KMC,” Bojang confirmed.
Bojang denied the allegations of Mayor Bensouda altering or diverting development projects because of lacking his party’s interest.
“In the areas that the president has claimed we are an obstruction to his development in urban Gambia, is the president acknowledging that he is weak and cannot assert his authority?” he asked.
“Is he proving to us that he and his government are in disarray If a council can stand in his way and obstruct his supposed development agenda? This is hypocritical because councils have no law or power to stop the central government from executing its regional functions. It is the other way around,” Bojang maintained.
The young politician also challenged the Barrow leadership for failing to provide subventions and acknowledge the development works of the councils, including KMC.
“President Barrow and his government have refused to subvent us; they have refused to acknowledge our work and even see us as partners in development; they are not interested in developing KMC and the Gambia; they are only interested in grabbing power.”
“Why haven’t Brikama and Kuntaur been the best regional governments of the Gambia in terms of development because these two areas are under his control? Ironically, these two area councils are the least performing according to the just concluded CEPRASS survey,”
Bojang alleged that at the end of the said meeting, each Alkali was given D2500; he said, “I want to remind all Alkalis that you have been promised and failed multiple times, you have been promised salaries here and never given, all they told you today are not factualities but rather alternative truths.”
“The 2,500 given to you today is your share of the national cake; I expect you to be the dignified traditional leaders you’ve always shown to be and do what is right and honor for your people and the people of Kanifing.”
