By Seedy Jobe
A member of the National Assembly is pressing local councils across the Gambia, and particularly his own, the Kanifing Municipal Council, to move more aggressively to repair feeder roads that have deteriorated during the rainy season.
Sulayman Jammeh, who represents Bundungka Kunda, said in an interview on Seen FM’s Fanoketa program that the rainy season offers councils a critical opportunity to show residents they are responsive to their needs.
Mr. Jammeh called on council leaders to work with local councilors to identify trouble spots and dispatch graders to level damaged roads, noting that such repairs fall under the councils’ authority rather than that of the National Roads Authority.
He also urged residents to support, rather than dismiss, ongoing maintenance work. Describing one recent episode, he said an elderly resident had derided road repair efforts as “nonsense,” a reaction he said reflected an attitude that discourages progress.
“If everything is destroyed, it is us that will be affected,” Mr. Jammeh said. “If roads are not available, it is us that will be affected. Let us not think that because we are not on the same side, it needs to be destroyed.”
Development, he argued, requires cooperation across political lines. While President Adama Barrow is leading the country, Mr. Jammeh said, he cannot manage every task himself, and ordinary citizens must also contribute.
Asked about the council’s presence in his constituency this season, Mr. Jammeh pointed to a workshop held last week in Bundung, organized with the council and the National Disaster Management Agency, to establish an emergency response team for flood-prone areas, including Bundung Farokono. He commended the cooperation despite political differences but said far more work remains to be done on the ground.
“What I’m saying is, councils need to make sure they tell all their councilors to identify roads,” he said. “It’s not difficult. Bring a grader and level the roads.”
Asked whether any road projects had begun in Bundung, Mr. Jammeh said none had, although several problem areas had already been identified. He called on the council to prioritize grading feeder roads immediately to ease travel during the rains.
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