By Fatou Sillah
Dr. Ismaila Ceesay, Minister of Information, Media, and Broadcasting Services, has expressed serious concerns about the leadership of Talib Ahmed Bensouda, Mayor of Kanifing Municipal Council and leader of the Unite Movement for Change, warning that his governance could pose risks to The Gambia.
In an interview with West Coast Radio, Dr. Ceesay questioned Bensouda’s readiness to lead the country, citing a lack of tangible achievements during his tenure as mayor. “For eight years, very little has changed in Kanifing Municipal Council. Waste management remains a challenge, and many projects have failed to deliver value for money,” he said.
Dr. Ceesay further criticized Bensouda’s political alliances, suggesting that his leadership is primarily supported by capitalist business interests with no clear solutions for national development. “It is dangerous to give a country to such people whose only interest is to expand their business activities; they have no solution for this country,” he remarked.
He also expressed doubts about the competence of the Unite Movement for Change’s potential cabinet, describing its members as inexperienced. “Whose potential cabinet is composed of people who are itinerant and nomadic politicians, with no background whatsoever in anything. They have no CVs, in fact, of boys who have tried for ten years, and they could not finish a simple UTG program,” he added.
Dr. Ceesay concluded that Mayor Bensouda’s political priorities are driven by personal business interests, making him unable to connect with ordinary Gambians or responsibly govern the country.