By Seedy Jobe
Rohey Malick Lowe, the mayor of Banjul, said she would lead a peaceful protest at Denton Bridge on Aug. 27 over royalties she says Sino Majilac Sand Mining Company owes the Banjul City Council.
The announcement follows nearly two years of unsuccessful efforts by the council to secure the payments, according to the mayor. She said the dispute had disrupted the council’s budget and delayed development programs across the capital.
In a telephone interview with Kerr Fatou on Saturday, Ms. Lowe said the company had operated at Denton Bridge since 2021. She cited an advertisement issued by the company that year as evidence of when its operations began.
“It’s very, very simple. It’s not for me even to confirm; they started operation in 2021,” she said.
Ms. Lowe said the council had repeatedly contacted the company, the relevant government ministry, and the Accountant General’s Department but had received only promises that the issue would be addressed.
According to the mayor, a committee was established under a memorandum of understanding signed by the council’s former chief executive and other parties to oversee the payment of royalties required by law.
“We did everything,” Ms. Lowe said. “We exhausted every possibility to make sure that they paid the royalties to Banjul City Council, but to no avail.”
She said the company’s managing director, Mr. Jagne, had not responded to the council’s inquiries. She also criticized what she described as conflicting accounts of whether the company’s activities at Denton Bridge constitute sand mining or dredging.
“If you are telling us that you don’t know whether it’s sand mining or dredging, and that’s very funny, because the MOU is very clear,” she said.
Mayor Lowe said she had also received conflicting reports about whether any payment had been made. She argued that the dispute reflected a broader pattern in which Banjul is overlooked or treated unfairly by national authorities.
The mayor said the expected royalties had already been included in the council’s budget and were intended to support projects at Crab Island, youth excellence programs, a city health survey, and an initiative to plant more trees across Banjul.
“These funds are already cut short in our budget,” she said. “It will disrupt us a lot. And the money is meant for the development of Banjul.”
Ms. Lowe claimed that between 80 and 100 trucks transport sand from the site each day and estimated that the operation could generate between 200 million and 300 million dalasis annually. She did not disclose the amount the council believes it is owed.
The mayor said she submitted a request to the inspector general of police on July 21 seeking authorization for the demonstration. The protest is planned for Aug. 27, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Denton Bridge.
Ms. Lowe said she selected the date to allow sufficient time for the authorities to consider the application and because she would be outside the country for one week.
“We are not demanding anything. We are just asking for what we deserve,” she said. “We are asking for justice for Banjul, what we deserve. That is the royalty.”
Asked whether Banjul City Council members supported the protest, Ms. Lowe said she was pursuing the matter as a personal responsibility arising from her position as mayor.
“I take this personally. I have to be very frank with you,” she said. “When i have seen something that is going wrong for Banjul, it is my duty to stand. So the position of the councilors, I really can’t tell you.”
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