By Buba Gagigo
Mayor Rohey Malick Lowe of the Banjul City Council (BCC) has strongly criticized the government’s decision to take over McCarthy Square, calling it a deliberate insult to the people of Banjul and a calculated move to strip the city of its dignity and autonomy.
“This is the last thing I wanted to do.” Mayor Lowe said. “I have held my silence through injustice after injustice, through blatant disregard, through a well-orchestrated effort to strip Banjul of its dignity. I have watched, endured, and prayed that wisdom would prevail and that conscience would find its place in leadership. But today, I have been pushed to the wall. I regret that I am out of the country at this critical moment, but even from afar, I feel every tremor of this latest attempt to violate our city. The Office of the President’s claim over McCarthy Square is not just a legal overreach—it is a violation of our history, a betrayal of governance, and a deliberate insult to the people of Banjul,” Mayor Lowe said.
Currently out of the country, the mayor expressed her deep disappointment, emphasizing that Banjul is more than just a city to her—it is her bloodline, her history, and her life’s mission.“It is my bloodline, my history, my father’s struggle, and my life’s mission. And if I do not stand up for it, then who will?” she asked.
Mayor Lowe reminisced about her childhood, recalling how her father would walk her through the streets of Banjul, recounting stories of struggle, sacrifice, and resilience.
“Stories of struggle, of sacrifice, of how our people stood their ground even when they had nothing but their dignity. He taught me that Banjul was never just a city; it was a symbol. And at the heart of that symbol, McCarthy Square stood as our living history. McCarthy Square is where our fathers, our uncles, our grandmothers and mothers gathered when the voices of Gambians demanded their rightful place in governance. It is where, year after year, we have come together as a nation to celebrate our independence—a space where unity triumphed over division, where history was written not by the powerful but by the people,” she said.
She questioned the government’s motives, asking, “By what right, by what justification, and by what conscience does the Office of the President lay claim to a place that belongs to the people?”
“It is where processions of grief and triumph have walked, where prayers have been whispered into the wind, and where the heartbeat of this city is felt most deeply. And now they want to take it away. By what right? By what justification? By what conscience does the Office of the President lay claim to a place that belongs to the people?” Mayor Lowe asked.
According to Mayor Lowe, those behind this decision have either failed to educate themselves on McCarthy Square’s historical significance or have deliberately chosen to ignore it. She firmly stated that McCarthy Square does not belong to any government—”it belongs to Banjul, its people, and its history.”
The mayor also highlighted a series of past incidents where the government allegedly attempted to weaken her leadership and diminish Banjul’s authority. From the Banjul Project’s removal to the controversial handling of Crab Island and her new office building, she detailed what she described as a continuous campaign against her administration.“I did not seek a fight. But let history record the relentless attacks that have been waged against this city: The Banjul Project, a dream for our city’s transformation, was stripped from us. I let it go. Crab Island, once a beacon of education, was divided, and half of it handed with force. I let it go. My new office, which was co-funded by the World Bank but with the full counterpart contribution paid by BCC, was nearly taken under the false pretense that it belonged to the state. I let it go. A commission of inquiry was set up, not to cripple KMC, as many believed, but to bully BCC. The President and I both know this.
“My internal auditor was taken into the Office of the President, conspiring against me, fabricating false allegations that were meant to destroy my leadership. Yet the people of Banjul saw through it. My staff were dismissed, leaving me with an empty council, but I continued my work. The people of Half Die were displaced, reducing my city’s revenue by 10% and rendering many families homeless. I swallowed the pain and let it go. Bond Road, an integral part of our city, was taken from the council. I let it go. Mining operations in Banjul pay not a single dalasi to the city—twice over. I let it go. Burr Banjul is now being claimed. For how long must I keep letting go?” she asked.
She further argued that even during the darkest periods of past regimes, there was never such an obsession with seizing council-managed assets. “Yet, under a government that claims democracy and justice, we have seen the most ruthless assault on Banjul’s autonomy,” she said.
She added, “The President once lamented that the UDP has tried to make his leadership untenable. But I ask: Has he not done worse to me? I have been called his informant by members of my own party. I have endured Mark Janneh’s vicious and relentless attempts to discredit me. I have been bullied, stigmatized, and vilified—not because I have failed my people, but because I refuse to bow.”
Despite these challenges, Mayor Lowe insisted that her leadership has elevated Banjul onto the global stage through partnerships with organizations like REFELA and Bloomberg Philanthropies. She lamented the lack of government support compared to other mayors in Africa and emphasized how much more could have been achieved without political interference.
“Banjul is on the global map because of my leadership. From REFELA to Bloomberg Philanthropies, from international city networks to youth and women’s empowerment initiatives, I have fought to bring opportunity to my people. Banjul has built partnerships never before seen—while my counterparts in Lusaka and Freetown are supported by their governments, I have had to fight for every inch of progress. I have done more with less while those in power deliberately deprive Banjul of what it rightfully deserves.
“But imagine what more could have been achieved if I had been allowed to lead without interference. Imagine a Banjul that was not strangled by political agendas but uplifted by a true commitment to progress,” Mayor Lowe said.
Addressing President Adama Barrow directly, she asked, “Mr. President, I ask you: Why is Banjul treated as an orphan in this country? Why must its leadership be sabotaged rather than supported? I have never been included in your international delegations. I have never been invited to negotiate for my city as other mayors do. I have never been given the basic courtesies of leadership. And yet, I stand. I stand as the daughter of this city. I stand as the woman who refuses to bow. I stand as the Mayor who will not be erased,” she said.
Mayor Lowe vowed that McCarthy Square would not be taken, and Banjul would not be silenced. She called on the government to set aside political agendas in favor of true development and to honor the sacrifices made by past generations.
“I did not seek this fight. But I will not run from it either. Out of the love we share for our people and the commitments we made on being elected into office, I implore the Presidency to put petty, partisan politics aside for true development. We owe it to our people and generations yet unborn to deliver legacies that will emancipate our people from poverty. Our children must hear stories from us, as I heard from my beloved father on the sacrifices we made to make their lives and living better. These cannot be achieved if we continue to engage in squabbles over Real Estate, even outside the legal and ethical perimeters surrounding them. The Office of The President should, must be bigger and better than these,” she said.
She said throughout history, Banjul has been a resilient city against the impact of climate change, dictatorship, war and community disharmony. She said the government’s act is not a war against the Mayorship of Banjul but against its people and their heritage.
Concluding her statement, she warned, “Your Excellency, of all the lines that have been crossed, this will be the one my people will not forget. We shall overcome.”