By Omar Bah
The mayor of Kanifing Municipal Council, Talib Bensouda, has denounced government’s decision to takeover McCarthy Square from the care of Banjul City Council BCC.
The decision was conveyed to the BCC in a letter signed by the secretary to cabinet.
But reacting to the decision in a statement share with The Standard Mayor Talib Bensouda said: “The notion that the seizure of McCarthy Square from the BCC by the State is justified by an alleged lack of resources on the part of the council is misguided and directly contradicts the government’s decentralisation policy.”
The mayor argued that the government’s ‘National Policy for Decentralisation and Local Development (2015-2024)’ explicitly aims to empower local governments, promote active citizen participation, and enhance service delivery by devolving both powers and resources to local authorities.
“Rather than acting unilaterally, the State should have engaged BCC in a meaningful dialogue regarding their planned investments in McCarthy Square. Such collaborative engagement could have facilitated resource-sharing or even prompt the State to fulfill its longstanding obligation of disbursing owed subventions—amounting to hundreds of millions—to support municipal development,” he added.
Bensouda continued: “While local governments maintain autonomy, their effectiveness relies heavily on being treated as respected partners by the central government. Cooperation, collaboration, and open communication are essential for meaningful progress. Unfortunately, the abrupt seizure of McCarthy Square reflects none of these critical governance values.”
He said local authorities across The Gambia—irrespective of political affiliation—face systemic administrative and governance bottlenecks that hinder progress.
“These include: Limited control over human resources preventing councils from effectively managing recruitment, remuneration, and disciplinary processes. Title over community assets restricting development opportunities and discouraging potential investments. Legislative barriers to municipal financing-limiting the councils’ ability to raise municipal bonds or secure significant external funding necessary for impactful projects. Inability to conduct property valuations independently due to the Rates Act requiring central government assessments every five years, which have not occurred since 2005.
“I stand firmly in solidarity with Mayor Rohey Lowe, Deputy Mayor Aziz Gaye, and the entire Banjul City Council in opposing this act of executive overreach. Together, we will continue to advocate for transformational local government reforms essential to building a stronger, more inclusive, and prosperous nation,” the KM mayor concluded.
