By Buba Gagigo
In a bold stance against what he considers an act of trespass, Lawyer Ousainou Darboe, Secretary General and Party Leader of the United Democratic Party (UDP), has challenged the Inspector General of Police Abdoulie Sanyang to provide the legal authority sanctioning the confiscation of council property.
Speaking at a celebratory event in Brikama on Saturday, Darboe addressed the recent incident involving the Brikama Area Council’s vehicle, emphasizing that the action lacked legal grounding. “Nobody can say that the vehicle that belongs to Brikama Area Council is a central government vehicle. But because we (UDP) are law-abiding, we don’t do things that can lead to destruction, but they have no authority in law in picking up that vehicle,” Darboe asserted.
He went on to challenge the Inspector General of Police to produce the legal basis that allows anyone to seize the property of any council. “What has been done is an act of trespass to provoke us, but we will not be provoked. We will leave you to expose your ignorance; we will leave you to expose your unwillingness to work with the local government authorities,” Darboe declared.
The UDP leader further urged the government and local government authorities to collaborate, emphasizing that councils led by UDP-elected chairmen and mayors are not adversaries but rather partners in national development. “The local government and central government should join hands to work together. Decentralization is a government policy. The councils that are headed by UDP elected chairmen or mayors, they are not competitors to the government of the Gambia, they are not enemies to the government of the Gambia,” he stated.
Darboe stressed the importance of seeing local councils as development partners and called for a united effort towards the country’s development. “This will give you credibility for your call for decentralization. You cannot shut the function of the local government authorities because you believe that you can do so with impunity, or you believe you can do so without any consequence,” he emphasized.
In a rallying cry to UDP councils, Darboe urged them to remain focused and not be distracted by external pressures. “UDP councils must concentrate; they must focus on their mission, and this distraction, they should not in any way be distracted by that. This distraction will keep their focus from their purpose,” he advised.
The remarks by Lawyer Ousainou Darboe come in the wake of the celebration of victory for UDP’s chairman and elected councilors in the recent local government election.