Saihou Jawara, Chairman of Kuntaur Area Council
By Buba Gagigo
Councillor Musa Bah, the Deputy Chairman of the Kuntaur Area Council, has informed Kerr Fatou that the council will initiate measures against Chairman Saihou Jawara if he doesn’t return to the country today, January 31, 2024.
Explaining the situation, Bah stated, “He (Chairman Jawara) wrote to the ministry seeking a leave of absence and copied us on it. We summon an emergency meeting and look into it. The response we made to his letter is, that we didn’t guarantee him a leave of absence. Instead, we gave him a particular period and that was on or before the 20th of January 2024 for him to return to this country.
“When we met and looked at it thoroughly as a general council and I also showed them evidence of the constant communication I had with him (the chairman) through WhatsApp which was read to everybody, that was able to calm the General council and we gave him up to 31st of January for him to return. And he told us today he will be departing from the US. If he comes we will consider that, but if he fails to do that we will take action against him,”
The Kuntaur Area Council is currently grappling with the unexplained and prolonged absence of its Chairperson, Saihou Jawara, who left for the United States in September 2023 for what was supposed to be a 14-day official conference. Four months have passed, and the chairman remains in the United States, causing widespread speculation and confusion.
The saga began when the CEO of the council returned to the Gambia immediately after the conference, leaving Jawara behind. When questioned by the press about his extended stay, the chairman claimed to be engaged in meetings with potential investors in the United States, exploring opportunities for various sectors within his jurisdiction.