Dippa Kunda Councillor Mariama Drammeh votes against Mayor Bensouda © Askanwi
By Fatoumata Konteh
The Dippa Kunda councillor, Mariama Drammeh, stood as the lone voice in favour of Mayor Talib Ahmed Bensouda’s removal as the Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC) voted overwhelmingly to retain him in office, with 15 councillors voting against his removal, one voting in favour and two abstaining.
In a separate vote, 16 councillors rejected the Government White Paper on the Commission of Inquiry into the affairs of local government councils, with Drammeh again standing as the only councillor in support of the document.
The votes were taken during a General Council meeting convened to deliberate on the Government White Paper, particularly its recommendation that councillors hold the Mayor accountable and decide whether he should be removed from office.
In his opening remarks, the Mayor explained that the meeting was called to allow councillors to openly discuss the recommendations and make their decisions before the Gambian public.
Presenting the Council’s position, the Mayor described the inquiry process as politically motivated, tracing the dispute to earlier investigations initiated following allegations raised within the Council concerning its former Chief Executive Officer.
He argued that an earlier ministerial commission of inquiry was quashed by the High Court after the investigation report was not produced. According to him, subsequent investigations did not establish personal liability against any council official but instead identified structural challenges affecting local government institutions.
The Mayor maintained that the Commission’s findings supported the Council’s longstanding position that local governments require institutional reforms, particularly through the implementation of decentralisation policies and greater autonomy in managing resources and staff.
He also criticised the Government White Paper for what he described as its selective treatment of the Commission’s findings, arguing that issues involving alleged bribery by the former CEO and staff welfare concerns had not received sufficient attention.
The Mayor particularly disputed allegations relating to three major issues: the D10,000 market revenue survey allowance, the Embali project and the procurement of garbage trucks through a Public-Private Partnership arrangement involving S Pass Motors and the Q Group.
On the market revenue survey, he explained that the allowance was approved through a General Council resolution and that all councillors, including himself, were assigned to conduct market surveys to address suspected revenue leakages.
Regarding the Embali project, he said it passed through the Council’s Contracts Committee, General Council and the Gambia Public Procurement Authority before receiving approval.
He further defended the garbage truck arrangement, explaining that the Council entered into a PPP after government support for waste management was unavailable. He said the arrangement also received the required approvals and that, following the refusal of a duty waiver when the trucks arrived at the Port of Banjul, the Council voted to pay D13.1 million in duties to the Gambia Revenue Authority.
He questioned how the payment of government taxes could be interpreted as an economic crime against the Council.
Several councillors subsequently expressed support for the Mayor and rejected the Government White Paper.
Habib Ceesay of Ebotown was among the first to openly reject the document and its recommendations.
Lamin Dibba, councillor for Old Bakau Cape Point Ward, also defended the Council’s record, arguing that its projects underwent the necessary procurement and approval procedures before implementation. He maintained that the initiatives were intended to create employment opportunities for young people and make services more affordable.
Other councillors, including representatives of Bundung 6 Junction and Faji Kunda, also expressed opposition to the White Paper, describing the allegations as unfounded and insisting that the Council had not violated the law.
The Faji Kunda councillor specifically denied allegations concerning a trip to Sierra Leone, membership of certain council committees and payments allegedly received in connection with council projects.
Youth Councillor Kemo Bojang described the matter as political, arguing that the Council should not pretend otherwise. He also questioned the process followed by the government, particularly the failure to provide what he described as the legally required three-month period for affected individuals to defend themselves following the conclusion of the Commission’s report.
Bojang maintained that the Council should reject the White Paper completely, adding that he believed nothing would come out of it.
Drammeh argued that the Council had not been functioning effectively since the political disagreements surrounding the Mayor began. She also raised concerns about the performance of the garbage collection trucks, saying that when the trucks operated for a week, their breakdowns could result in a month of operational difficulties.
Drammeh said she could not continue supporting an administration whose leadership faced allegations of wrongdoing.
Meanwhile, the councillor representing London Corner declared herself neutral, explaining that her position was based on the advice of her constituents, who wanted her to remain neutral on the matter.
Her position attracted criticism from Christian community representative Nenneh Freda Gomez, who argued that describing oneself as neutral on the issue was dishonest. The London Corner councillor maintained that she was not present when the trucks were purchased and therefore stood by her decision to remain neutral.
Following the deliberations, councillors proceeded to vote on the Mayor’s removal and the Government White Paper.
The outcome saw an overwhelming majority of councillors vote against the Mayor’s removal, while a separate majority rejected the Government White Paper.
The meeting ended with the Council formally expressing its opposition to the government’s recommendations, setting the stage for further debate over the relationship between central government and local government authorities, particularly regarding decentralisation and the autonomy of elected councils.
