By Fatou Sillah
Yankuba Darboe, the United Democratic Party candidate in the Brikama Area Council Chairperson election, has pledged to stop the “looting” that he says is happening at the council if he is elected.
“My priority number one is to make sure that we are able to stop the loot that is happening in the Brikama area council. Everyone in this region understands and appreciates that the Brikama area council earns far more than the revenue that they claim to have. So, what is happening to the rest? That is the big question that we have to find the answers for the people.
“They all want to know what is happening. They know they are paying, but they are not seeing anything in return. We believe that there is a black hole at the Brikama area council where our funds are disappearing and when I get into office we will seal that hole, we will make sure that no revenue despairs at the council” He said.
Mr. Darboe added that he wants to have a very transparent Council that will be open for public scrutiny.
“We will open the council to public scrutiny, media scrutiny, the public can be invited at all times whenever they request it. We are available to provide them with whatever information we hold in the council. It is important that the council is transparent. For the last many years that the council existed, one of the things that everyone has experienced is a lack of transparency.
“If you walk in the streets and ask people about their council, what is the total revenue of the council, nobody will be able to tell you because the council is not transparent enough. We cannot develop a society when we do not even know how much that society earns, that we don’t know. We have to be transparent and accountable to the people. Furthermore, we have to make sure that we open ourselves to the people so that they know exactly what is happening in the council,” He Said.
The United Democratic Candidate made these remarks after submitting his credentials to the Independent Electoral Council in Brikama.