By Mafugi Ceesay
The mayor of Kanifing municipality has told the minister and permanent secretary at the Ministry of Regional Government to desist from misrepresenting the facts as obtained in the Latrikunda German alkaloship crisis.
On Thursday, Permanent Secretary Buba Sanyang announced that Minister Drammeh rejected Mayor Bensouda’s recommendation for alkalo of Latrikunda Swaebou Faal, claiming the selection process was fraudulent and anomalous.
The ministry announced Pa Omar Faal as the alkalo.
But addressing reporters in his office yesterday morning, Talib Bensouda said: “Please do not misrepresent the facts and create falsehood. The system used in Latrikunda German was recommended by you [the minister] to resolve leadership issues. The same system was used in Bakau, Abuko, Tallinding, Bakoteh, and Serekunda. Why is the case of Latrikunda different? It is your recommendation to give yard-owners an opportunity to endorse their alkalo and that was why the council attached a yard-owners form to its recommendation letter and sent it to the ministry for endorsement.
“You never said this method was bad. You even supported or stood by the KMC in the problem of Bakau which was solved [sic]. Why is Latrikunda which followed the same process, so special? I do not understand, because when the alkaloship issue of Latrikunda started, I received a phone called from the minister.”
He said the alkaloship crisis of Latrikunda dragged on to become an-eight month saga due to “outside interference” by those who did not have any stake in the community.
Reacting to PS Sanyang’s allegation that the mayor was strong arming one of the parties involved in the dispute, Bensouda said: “I can assure you I have no incentive to strong arm anyone. They [the ministry] were the ones [pressuring] me for many months to make the recommendation they wanted. What I said to all parties was, I have zero interest in the matter. I don’t want to be involved. Let due process be followed. Let the community sit with the mediation team and give advice and recommendations. I am indifferent. I have zero interest. I do not deal with alkalo candidates, I deal with alkalolu.”
The Local Government Act empowers the Minister of Regional Administration in consultation with the governor, mayor or seyfo to select a village headman or headwoman.
Mayor Bensouda explained that the ministry consulted him to send in his recommendations and he did but the minister did not response as required.
“I have sent recommendations six times. The ministry honoured five of them and didn’t honour the sixth. [With regard to the Latrikunda alkaloship], we received zero letters from the ministry indicating what their decision is. As of today, 9th February, I have received zero communication about the decision of the minister.”
He added: “When I am asked, I always say this is what I recommended based on the mediation team. I am not the judge to say who has more right. My goal is to have peace and strong neighbourhood among the inhabitants of my municipality and community matters are best resolved by themselves.”
On claims that he disregarded a letter from one of the parties, Bensouda claimed: “I do not entertain visits about alkaloship. I have disregarded letters from the two camps. Once I entertain any, they will say the mayor has interfered in our community based on political reasons. I just want to debunk the falsehood said on the radio that I disregarded one letter; that I have created a fabricated system of yard-owners. This is a system recommended by the ministry that we have followed in all the six alkaloship issues. If the system was so bad, how come they [the ministry] approved five of the alkalolu based on the system and never wrote to the KMC and said the system was bad. I am neither in support of or against Swaebou or Pa Omar. I will work with anyone that is selected by the ministry in the best interest of the community and the country at large.”
