By Makutu Manneh
Yankuba Darboe, the chairman of the Brikama Area Council and a senior member of the opposition United Democratic Party (UDP), said the council is encountering significant obstacles in its efforts to deliver development projects across the region.
Speaking in an interview with UDP TV and Media on Saturday, Mr. Darboe said the council’s plans to improve infrastructure and services have been repeatedly hindered.
“It is not easy,” he said. “There are so many developments we want to bring about, but we are hindered.”
Mr. Darboe pointed to a dispute over a newly constructed market in Brikama as an example of what he described as interference by the central government. According to him, the government built a market containing 88 stores within the existing Brikama market complex, but later declined to transfer its management to the council.
“At first, they said the market was handed over to the council,” Mr. Darboe said. “But when we had issues with the chief executive officer and others, the keys were taken to the governor’s office, and they said the government owns the market.”
He added that security personnel were involved in securing the facility during the dispute.
The chairman said the council later took the matter to court, but the market ultimately remained under the control of the central government. As a result, he said, revenue generated from the shops is collected by national authorities rather than the council.
“The taxes collected there are going into the government’s coffers instead of the council’s,” he said, noting that the market is located at the center of Brikama’s main commercial area.
Mr. Darboe also urged residents of Brikama to exercise caution over plans by the government to build another market with 1,200 stores. The proposal follows a pledge by Adama Barrow to construct a larger market in the area.
Mr. Darboe warned that, based on the experience of the 88-store market, the government could ultimately retain ownership and control of the new facility and its revenues. He called on residents to resist allocating additional land for the project unless clear guarantees are provided regarding the council’s authority over the market.
Comments are closed.