By Buba Gagigo
Talib Ahmed Bensouda, the Mayor of Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC) has denied allegations made against him of paying the United Democratic Party Deputy Party leader, Aji Yam Seck, Forty thousand dalasis (D40,000) per month.
“Politics is not about accusations or lies. Someone accused me of paying Aunty Yam Seck Forty thousand dalasis (D40,000) every month. Another one said I am paying Falang Sonko twenty million dalasis (D20m). This time in politics is the time when all the comedians come out, destructors, liars, and people who don’t have anything that will benefit the Gambia apart from creating problems between people,” the mayor responded.
The Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC) mayor urged constituents to always asked for evidence if such accusations are made against them;
“I will tell everyone, if they tell you something, tell them to show you evidence (documents). If you asked them for evidence, they will tell you they just heard it from rumors. Mansally is in APRC and I am UDP, we also have PDOIS in KMC. I don’t think we can support our party without others knowing. When we were coming to KMC we had a lot of ghost workers. Yaye Compins, party militants, were all receiving salaries and we removed all that in KMC.
“We spent four years in KMC and no one was talking but a few months to the election, everyone is talking. Then you should know that we are in the season of destructors. If you want to be Mayor of KMC, please get up and sell your agenda, but telling people Talib Bensouda is not a good person will not make people take you as a good person. That’s not politics,” he said.
Speaking at the meeting, Councilor Babucarr Mansally of Tallinding North ward thanked the Kanifing Municipal Council for supporting him since he was elected to office. Mr. Mansally also went on to refute allegations made against him regarding the delay in the completion of the Tallinding North market;
“Thank you very much for all the support you rendered to me, even though I am APRC. You rendered a lot of support to me. They said the reason why the work at this market is not going fast is that I took two million dalasis. That money doesn’t even come through me or the ward development committee. We are the first ward development committee to create an office when Talib came to office.
“We have offices in the nineteen wards and in those offices, we agreed to sometimes buy stones to make our roads. It was the time we came up with the idea of giving every ward D200,000 for the year. To use the money to do certain works in our wards. And they don’t give us the entire D200,000 at once. They give us D100,000 then six months later, another D100,000. Whatever they tell you is a lie,” he stated.
The Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC) Mayor and the ward Councillor responded to these allegations at a meeting held in Tallinding North on Wednesday as the mayor continues his municipal meet the people dialogue tour.