Written By: Seringe ST Touray
In a rebuttal to claims made by Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC) Mayor Talib Ahmed Bensouda, Information Minister Dr. Ismaila Ceesay launched a scathing critique of the opposition mayor’s leadership and political ambitions during a recent appearance on Peter Gomez’s “Coffee Time” radio program.
Dr. Ceesay did not mince words when addressing what he described as the deplorable sanitation conditions in KMC, declaring it “one of the dirtiest municipalities on the African continent.” When challenged by the host about this characterization, the minister stood firm, saying, “The ones I’ve visited, I found KM to be the dirtiest. And that is a fact.”
The Information Minister cited specific examples, urging listeners to “walk across the street from Senegambia towards Turntable” and visit areas like “Bundung” and “Ebo Town” to witness the conditions firsthand. He further claimed to receive regular complaints about the state of local markets, particularly mentioning “the Tallinding market, Latrikunda market,” where he alleged that “toilets are not even fit for human usage.”
According to Dr. Ceesay, these issues stem from Mayor Bensouda “focusing too much on politics” while ignoring the services he was elected to provide. He accused the mayor of “going around making false statements and misleading the public, which we [the ruling government] think is not good politics.”
When the host suggested that Bensouda had improved waste management compared to his predecessors, Dr. Ceesay firmly disagreed, alleging instead that only a few people, including “some of his [Talib’s] friends and family, are benefiting from the Mbalit project, but not the general populace.” The Mbalit project is a waste management initiative launched by KMC.
The minister also refuted Bensouda’s claims about farmer support, stating that the current government has invested “close to a billion dollars to help farmers.” He detailed specific subsidies, including buying groundnuts at “$38,000 per ton” despite having to resell at “$20,000 per ton,” representing an “$18,000 per ton” subsidy. He also mentioned reducing fertilizer prices from “$2,600” to “$1,150” per bag. “Let farmers speak for themselves. He’s not the advocate for farmers,” Dr. Ceesay stated.
Perhaps most controversially, Dr. Ceesay characterized Bensouda’s suggestion that the president’s re-election would lead to an authoritarian regime as “very disingenuous, dishonest, and tasteless.” He then made the explosive claim that under Bensouda’s United Democratic Party, “the game has been turned into a dynasty” and that it has become “a family business.”
When pressed by the host to substantiate these allegations about a dynasty, Dr. Ceesay refused to provide specific names but maintained that “someone like that, if given a country, will turn this country into a dynasty. It’s going to be a family affair.” He added, “And Gambians are not sleeping.”
The Information Minister concluded by accusing Bensouda of providing “false information” regarding OIC vehicles used by ministers, claiming that the mayor “lied about the cost” and “lied in the comparison with the project vehicles,” asserting that “the specs are not the same” and “the manner in which they were procured is not the same.”
This heated exchange highlights the growing political tensions between the central government and the opposition-led Kanifing Municipality as The Gambia continues its democratic journey. With Mayor Bensouda having previously hinted at ambitions for higher office, and the central government viewing him as a potential political threat, these confrontations may well intensify as the country moves forward.
