By Seedy Jobe
The Chairman of the Brikama Area Council (BAC), Yankuba Darboe, has assured residents of Foni Bantanjang that taxes collected by the council will be reinvested in their communities through locally determined development projects as the council intensifies efforts to monitor ongoing public infrastructure works.
Speaking during a regional inspection tour of community development projects in Foni Bondali, Mr. Darboe said the council’s visits are intended to ensure that projects financed with public funds are progressing as planned and delivering tangible benefits to residents.
“Any butut that the Brikama Area Council invests in a project, we go there to check the status of that project. We check how the project is progressing and what still needs to be done,” Mr. Darboe said.
The monitoring exercise forms part of the council’s broader oversight of development initiatives across the West Coast Region and comes as local authorities seek to demonstrate accountability for the use of taxpayer funds.
Mr. Darboe said concerns over the unfinished Bondali market had first been brought to the council’s attention during a political tour by the opposition United Democratic Party, prompting the council to prioritize follow-up inspections. He explained that the BAC allocates development funding based on priorities identified by individual constituencies and wards, with revenues collected from taxpayers intended to finance projects within their respective communities.
Addressing concerns raised by the Diamond Ladies group over ownership of the Bondali market, Mr. Darboe acknowledged the community’s role in initiating the project but said markets ultimately fall under the legal authority of area councils once completed.
“The truth is, the market belongs to Bondali. But what happens is that even if you build the market up to completion, it will ultimately be owned by the Brikama Area Council. That is the truth, and let me make that clear to you,” he said.
He argued that the arrangement is consistent with local government laws, citing markets in Brikama, Bwiam and Kansala that were later transferred to council administration after being built by individuals or previous governments.
Mr. Darboe emphasized that council ownership should not be interpreted as depriving communities of their resources. Instead, he said, revenue generated from Foni Bantanjang would continue to be reinvested in the area through community-selected projects.
The council, he said, is seeking to expand its revenue base to increase development spending at the ward level. According to Mr. Darboe, the BAC collected D136 million in revenue during the first six months of the year and is targeting D300 million by the end of 2026.
“Our aim is that Bantanjang Ward should receive one million Dalasi each year from the Brikama Area Council. When that one million comes to Bantanjang, it is the people of Bantanjang Ward who should decide how it is used,” he said.
Mr. Darboe urged residents to take ownership of development initiatives, saying the council’s work would continue beyond the tenure of any individual officeholder.
“The council will remain even after we leave office,” he said, calling on communities to actively participate in identifying and safeguarding projects funded with public resources.
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