Dear editor,
The pulpit announcement, by the imam of Bakau, during January 31st, Friday prayers and the Monday February 3rd, 2020 issue of The Standard newspaper that “Bakau Gets a New Alkalo” contain a lot of fraud, misconceptions, and hasty judgments/decision-making on the outcome/result of the yard-owner listing.
This unverified information has been repeated elsewhere in the national media. For the benefit of those who rely solely on these announcements, and for the sake of fairness and maintaining peace and unity in Bakau, we would like to comment on the irregularities in the yard owner listing process and the dubious role of the National Assembly Member (NAM) for Bakau, the Councilor for Bakau and the Kanifing Municipal Council’s (KMC) director of administration. The trio, together, aided and abetted fraud and untruth, by providing fake and manipulated listings that served as the determinant for the alkalo position.
This clarification, if you wish a rejoinder, is to submit facts, not conjectures, which the Bakau yard owners (rate/tax payers/voters), as well as citizen readers may find useful on which to base a more objective assessment of the fraudulent, disorderly and administrative incompetence at the KMC that facilitated wrong decision making. Our concern is the false yard owner list that informed the decision to appoint.
Few days after the death of the alkalo, the Bakau imam claimed to be sent by the “elders of Bakau,” to propose the newly appointed alkalo as their choice. Who are these elders of Bakau? Some of those contacted and had their names listed, protested very strongly. Nonetheless, the manipulated the list was sent to KMC. This marked the beginning of malpractices. According to reliable information, the list was supported by the director of administration but greeted with suspicion by the mayor.
After the 40-day charity of the late alkalo, KMC sent forms: List Of Yard Owners At Bakau to the aspiring contenders. The forms included: Name, identification card/voters card number, telephone number and signature. The process was supposed to be overseen by the National Assembly Member (NAM) and the Councilor for Bakau, under the overall coordination of the Director of Administration of KMC. The two contenders were Suruwa B Wawa Jaiteh and Dodou Bojang.
The essence of the listing of yard owners was to recommend for appointment the contender with the highest number of listed yard owners. It is reliably learnt that Suruwa Jaiteh listed 118 authentic yard owners across the identified area: Old Bakau, Katchikally, Sanchaba, New Town and Fajara. The list was submitted on January 21st, 2020. Whereas, Dodou Bojang was said to have listed more than 200 yard owners. This was submitted on January 22nd, 2020.
The question is where are these 200 plusyard owners from? How authentic are they as yard owners? It is alleged that the National Assembly Member (NAM) and the Councilor for Bakau have listed non-yard owners (mostly housewives, dependents and tenants, some of whom have already confessed.
Why did the director of administration fail to verify the yard owner listings with the Inventory of Yard Owners at the Rates Office? This complacency and a hidden agenda that informed the wrong decision making are the main cause of our concern.
We do not want false information to divide Bakau. Our mission is to maintain peace and unity in Bakau through “honesty as the best policy.”
Allah (SWT) is watching us and His angels are recording us and, to Him we shall return.
Concerned yard owner and citizen of Bakau
Name and address withheld on demand
