By: Dawda Baldeh
Talib Ahmed Bensouda, who last week has been re-elected mayor of Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC), has promised to put partisan politics aside and call President Adama Barrow on Monday, May 29 to seek the collaboration and partnership of the central government for the interest of the municipality.
Bensouda made this promise while delivering his speech after taking an oath of office to lead the council in its drive to bring development for the people of the municipality for the second time.
“On Monday, I will put partisan politics aside and I will call H.E President Adama Barrow to seek his partnership to extend a collaborative hand of the council. This I will do for the supreme interest of Gambians and for the supreme interest of our municipality. We are energized, we are motivated, and we are ready to work harder than ever for you people,” he remarked.
Bensouda, who renewed his commitment to serve a second mandate, told the swearing-in ceremony attendees that they will work tirelessly to fulfil their campaign promises to the people of his municipality.
The KMC boss also used the occasion to call on the central government to be their partners and collaborators for rapid development, adding that together they (KMC and central government) will demonstrate to the people that through unity development can be faster.
“We will continue to ask for more decentralization of functions from the central government in order to take more responsibility for the needs of the people of KM. To serve our people better and more efficiently, we will also seek to realize changes in the relevant legislation so that the council can be granted more authority.
“We invite the government to let go of the authority of KMC so that we can ease the development burden. This will enable the government to focus more on their oversight function to guide us or to assist us to increase our capacity to serve the people,” he added.
The opposition mayor said the people of KMC demand more rapid development and they deserve more rapid development.
He reiterated that they will now focus more on road infrastructure development within the municipality, low-cost municipal bus transport service, construction of affordable housing to ease the congestion and minimising cost of rent for the less privileged, mechanized waste management at the Bakoteh dumpsite, markets expansion, more youth engagement and participation in development, to the establishment of a public information office to guide the residents of KM among others.
“This council will strive every day to fulfil the promise to the people of KM to make this next term one for the record books.
“I, therefore, re-commit to waking up every single day to do my utmost to deliver on our plans and to accelerate the growth we have previously registered. This new term will be shorter and will expire exactly in four years,” he emphasized.
He called on the councillors and the staff of the council to collectively rise to work together even more closely for us to achieve a common development goal.
