By Buba Gagigo
Talib Ahmed Bensouda, the Mayor of the Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC), has alleged that the National Roads Authority (NRA) is obstructing his administration’s efforts to implement a major road construction project within the municipality.
He made these remarks while addressing residents of Tallinding in response to recent criticisms from President Adama Barrow.
“They claim we haven’t built any roads, but we allocated D300 million to construct 16 roads in the KMC. We paid the contractor D20 million to begin the project, yet the NRA is doing everything in its power to stop it. This is a road project meant for the public, so why wouldn’t they support it? They argue that building these roads would require demolishing some compounds, but KMC has no intention of doing so. We would never demolish anyone’s hard-earned property,” Mayor Bensouda stated.
The Mayor emphasized that the funds allocated for the road construction come directly from KMC’s own revenue, without any support from the central government, asserting that no external pressure would deter them from completing the project.
“I want to make it clear to the NRA that this money is not from the government; it is KMC’s money. We worked hard to generate these funds without assistance from anyone. Our only goal is to build roads. Stop being an obstacle because we are not backing down. We will build these roads no matter what,” he declared.
In response to President Barrow’s criticism of KMC’s waste management efforts, Bensouda turned the spotlight on municipalities led by the National People’s Party (NPP), accusing them of poor performance in maintaining cleanliness.
“President Barrow said KMC is dirty and that we haven’t delivered results. But have you seen Barra? It is the dirtiest place in the entire Gambia, and it is led by an NPP chairman. The same goes for Farafenni, Kuntaur, Janjanbureh, and Basse. All these places are dirty. Yet the President suggests councils should collaborate with the central government for assistance, but the NPP-led councils don’t even have basic tools like a wheelbarrow. They don’t have community centers or football parks.
“In contrast, the UDP-led councils are the only ones delivering results. Even Yankuba Darboe, who hasn’t been in office for a year, has managed to procure trucks. I want to tell President Barrow that we are not here to fight or argue. We are here to work for the betterment of The Gambia. Let’s focus on action instead of empty rhetoric,” the KMC Mayor concluded.
Mayor Bensouda’s comments come amidst increasing political tension between local councils and the central government over the execution of development projects.