Yankuba Darboe, chairman of Brikama Area Council
By Buba Gagigo
Yankuba Darboe, the chairman of the Brikama Area Council, presided over a vibrant ceremony where the council disbursed fourteen million dalasis to twenty-eight wards in the West Coast Region.
The recipient wards include Sintet, Wassadu, Mayork, Bantanjang, Kanilai, Bwiam, Kusamai, Sibanor, Somita, Bullock, Kafuta, Pirang, Giboro, Kembujeh, Nyambai, Suba, Marakissa, Kartong, Gunjur, Sanyang, Sukuta, Bijilo, Brufut, Jabang, Kunkujang Keitaya, Wellingara Nema, Lamin, and Banjulinding.
Chairman Darboe emphasized the region’s population surge, leading to challenges such as waste management, high population density, inadequate infrastructure, lack of affordable housing, pollution, flooding, and water issues. To tackle these issues, ward development funds were established to empower the council to initiate development projects across the region.
“This rapid increase in population comes with many challenges for the region such as Waste collection, management and sanitation, High population density, and overcrowding, Inadequate infrastructure and services. Lack of affordable housing and slum creation. Pollution and environmental degradation. Flooding and water problems. It is towards mitigating these challenges facing our region, that we have created ward development funds for the 28 wards of the region, in order to enable the council to register development projects in many communities of the region,” Chairman Darboe said.
The Chairman said it is aimed to be done through the engagement of the Ward Development Committees, who he said are best position to identify and understand the priority development needs of the 28 wards in the region.
The funds, allocated equally to each ward, aim to address the unique development needs identified by Ward Development Committees. Darboe expressed delight in distributing these funds, highlighting that it marks the first instance of such comprehensive allocation to all wards, a significant progression from previous years.
“For this reason, the BAC is delighted to register the disbursement of D14 million today to the 28 wards consisting of our region. We are further delighted because, as I alluded to earlier, this is the first of its kind in this region. From our history, BAC had only provided such allocation to 10 wards in the last 5 years of the previous council,” Chairman Darboe said.
He underscored the significance of the funds, noting that they stem from taxpayer revenues, emphasizing the council’s commitment to reinvesting in community development. Darboe attributed this milestone to the collective effort of the region’s electorate and assured continued dedication to advancing the West Coast Region’s prosperity.
“It is further worth noting that these funds being disbursed today are not some grants or donations received from benevolent donors or nations or organizations, but these are funds coming from the revenues received from you, the taxpayers of this region. In case anyone is wondering, it is certainly not the first time this council has received such revenues from you, but it is, unfortunately, the first time for this kind of funds to be plowed back to you for development. It should not however be a surprise to many of you the electorates of this region that we are able to register this milestone achievement today,” He said.