By Seedy Jobe
Former Chairman of the Sanyang Village Development Committee (VDC), Abdoulie Gaye, has said he formally disengaged from party politics upon assuming office, insisting that he governed strictly in line with the Local Government Act.
Speaking in an interview with Kerr Fatou, Gaye reflected on his time in office, describing both the challenges he inherited and the reforms he says he pursued.
“When I came in, I identified many issues and found that there were many hidden things in the Sanyang VDC. Those who came before me in the position didn’t have the courage to reveal them. I also found that politics had destroyed the VDC, because any VDC that aligns itself with politics will struggle,” he said.
Gaye noted that he was previously affiliated with the United Democratic Party (UDP) and served as a councilor’s secretary in Sanyang before assuming the VDC chairmanship. However, he said he relinquished all party ties upon taking office.
“I was in the UDP when I came to the VDC. I was the councilor’s secretary in Sanyang. But when I came in, I told the councilor: today I have returned the position. I am no longer in the UDP. Why? Because I have now put on Sanyang’s clothes, not UDP, NPP, or APRC. I put on Sanyang’s clothes,” he stated.
He said he consistently encouraged neutrality within the committee, stressing that political, tribal, and religious affiliations should not influence decision-making in community governance.
“When you are a leader, you need to be careful about certain things. Everyone belongs to a party. I am a Muslim, and Christians are in this community. That’s why, in every meeting with my committee, I told them to put aside regional and party differences. I told them not to associate those with the VDC,” he said.
Gaye also addressed issues of tribal representation, emphasizing inclusivity in the distribution of opportunities.
“But there is not only one tribe in Sanyang. I am a Wolof. My mother and father are Wolof, but that doesn’t mean that when an opportunity comes, I will give it only to Wolof people. When an opportunity comes, I bring it to the table, and we decide collectively how to proceed,” he explained.
Defending the work of his committee, the former chairman said development projects were implemented across all parts of the community. He also highlighted land allocations reserved for public infrastructure.
“That’s why, when we came in, there was no part of Sanyang that my VDC did not work with. Development reached every area. We also found that part of the community’s reserve land had been allocated for future development. Today, if you look at Sanyang, land was allocated for the police station, immigration post, and the Drug Law Enforcement Agency building. The same applies to schools, the health center, and the senior secondary school,” he said.
On the legal framework guiding his administration, Gaye said the Local Government Act of 2002 served as his primary reference point, adding that inconsistencies in Sanyang’s local constitution created friction with the Brikama Area Council (BAC).
“This question is very important. I think this was the source of disagreement between the Brikama Area Council and us. There is a law that governs all VDCs in The Gambia — the Local Government Act enacted by the National Assembly in 2002,” he explained.
He further stated that while Sanyang had its own constitution, it was neither fully validated nor properly registered.
“When we came in, we found Sanyang’s constitution. It existed, but on the day of my selection, the Brikama Area Council showed that it was incomplete and had many gaps. First, it was not registered at the Attorney General’s Chambers. Second, it was not validated. You cannot have a few people sit, adopt a constitution, and declare it the constitution of Sanyang,” he said.
According to Gaye, the Area Council directed a review of the document due to contradictions with national law.
“The Area Council instructed them to review the constitution because it had many contradictions with the Local Government Act. Where the Act says A, the Constitution says F. In that document, most of the VDC’s powers were removed. We know those who wrote it,” he added.
He maintained that his administration relied exclusively on national law in executing its duties.
“That is why, when I met with the Brikama Area Council, I made it clear that I am guided by the Local Government Act. That is what I governed with. Any action I took was based on what the Act says about how VDCs should operate,” he said.
Comments are closed.