By Tabora Bojang
The Chief of Upper Baddibu, Seyfo Mustapha Dibba has rejected social media allegations that he dispatched a team to collect serial numbers of ID cards and voters cards from family heads in his district for election related purposes, calling the allegation as “baseless and misleading.”
An audio gone viral, featured the voice of a man accusing the chief of sending people to the district to collect ID card and voters card numbers purportedly for a government a project to help rural households, when the intention is to use them for political purposes.
Contacted by The Standard on these allegations yesterday, Chief Mustapha Dibba said there is an ongoing legitimate exercise of taking details of beneficiaries of an environmental project that would provide cooking stoves for households in his district implemented by DelAgua.
He said the project aims to provide integrated cooking stoves to families to reduce their use of wood fuel, as part of climate change mitigation efforts in cutting household air pollution, The chief said the project is not at all political and all residents in the district, natives and aliens alike, are to benefit from it . “The cooking stoves are to be distributed free of charge but each household head must provide the serial number of his or her ID card, passport, birth certificate and driving license. Voters card is only required when a household head is not able to produce an ID, or other documents. Non-Gambians, are required to present their Alien card to be registered to benefit from the project Seyfo Mustapha Dibba said.
Asked about his specific role in the exercise, Seyfo Dibba replied; “The Seyfo’s office is the entry point in the district through which development and support to the district are channeled for easy facilitation. So the alkalolu were called and these processes were explained to them and they were given books to go and file the information of interested beneficiaries. So, I have no other role in this other than the entry point role,” Chief Dibba said. He added that the exercise is optional and that family heads have a choice to take part or otherwise.
On allegations that the exercise was meant for voting or election related purposes, Chief Dibba argued that if that was the case no other national document would be required apart from voter’s card. Chief Mustapha Dibba further argued that people who knew him will not doubt his character and integrity adding that he has a cordial relationship with everybody in his district regardless of political affiliation. “I am not appointed as the chief for UDP, NPP, NRP or any other party or ethnic group. I am appointed as the chief of Upper Baddibu district representing people from all social, political and economic background,” he assured.
