President Barrow Calls for collaboration with councils to Relocate Brikama & Serekunda Sandikas
President Adama Barrow during the visit to Sandika’s in Brikama and KM
By Fatou Sillah
President Adama Barrow, accompanied by government officials, visited the Brikama Sandika Market, Serekunda Sandika Market, and Latri Kunda Market on Tuesday, all of which were impacted by recent fire outbreaks. Following his assessment of the affected areas, the president emphasized the need for collaboration between the government and local councils to relocate the Sandikas.
“The takeaway is, I think, briefly I have discussed with some of the technicians, I think the best way forward is to relocate the Sandikas. I think that is the best way forward. But we cannot do that alone. If we are going to do it, we have to collaborate with the councils, because the councils are the ones dealing with the markets. But they are representing the government. So in that collaboration and partnership, we should work together to see how best we can address some of these problems,” the president stated.
President Barrow also pointed out that the current conditions at the affected markets were problematic, citing overcrowding and accessibility issues.
“After visiting, the assessment is, I think, the place is not well organized and access is a big problem, and it is congested. This is what I have assessed. As a government, these are things when we observe, we sit around the table and make sure that we have policies around this, to see how best we can address it,” He said.
He further added that there is a need to modernize the markets and create a more conducive environment for vendors.
“These markets need to be modernized. I think the government and council should think and see how best we relocate them and modernize the market. So we see how it is congested. They are selling food. What they are selling is what people consume in our houses.
“But the way it is handled and managed here, I think it’s not the best. You know, as a country, we are developing, we have to think and modernize our system, create a conducive environment for the people doing the business and we the consumers also, the customers,” He said. The president reassured market vendors that his government, in partnership with local councils, is committed to relocating the sandika markets to more appropriate locations that would offer safer and improved facilities. He also shared an initial local assessment of the damage, revealing that Brikama’s losses were valued at 15 million Dalasis, while Latrikunda were estimated at 5 million Dalasis.
“So far, locally, I spoke to the spokesperson in Brikama. According to their own assessment, I think, according to their assessment, the value of 15 million for Brikama and 5 million Latrikunda and 20 million. That is the assessment so far. If you put that together, it’s about 40 million Dalasi. But we will wait for the official assessment, and the government will see how best it can support the victims,” he concluded.