By Omar Bah
The Mayor of Banjul has responded to President Adama Barrow’s claims that the government funded 95 percent of the City Council’s new office complex.
Addressing a meeting in Banjul during his Meet The People Tour, President Barrow said his government is being undermined by the UDP mayors in KM and Banjul, citing Ousainu Darboe’s invitation to launch the KM office complex as example of sabotage which he said should not repeat with the Banjul office complex because his government funded 95 percent of the work.
But reacting to the president’s comments on Star FM, Mayor Rohey Lowe said she is disappointed and embarrassed with the president’s comments.
“But I want to tell him, if one has power, money and the military might behind you, if you are speaking you should be measured because God is the only supreme power. I heard him say the Banjul City Council office complex will be opened by the Central Government but I want to tell him that he has made a mistake because it is not central government that funded the construction, it is funded through a World Bank project and a counterpart contribution from the Banjul City Council,” she stated.
Mayor Lowe added that the funding “only came through the ministry of finance because that is the World Bank procedure and then the ministry deals with Gam-works and the ministry of works will communicate to us that they have received funding for us and they will tell us our counterpart contribution”.
“I was the one who signed the contract with my CEO at Gam-works and I was there when the foundation was laid and when the construction was completed, the contractor handed the keys to me. Also, I heard him saying he will ask the Gam-works to take the keys from me and hand them over to the minister of works but I want to tell him that the contract was done and dusted and a single government penny was not spent on it,” she stated.
Mayor Lowe continued to address President Barrow: “So, I think you are misled and I think those who are talking to you should be truthful to you and tell you things exactly as they are. The keys have been handed to me and it is not for you to take them back and give them to the minister of works. It is very disappointing that you are showing off that you have money and power and that you will try to threaten somebody who has great respect for you.”
The mayor went on to say that President Barrow should know that “there is life after the presidency and I want to assure him that I will be the one opening that building because it belongs to the people of Banjul”.
“The projects that you constructed you open for yourself, so allow me to open my building. I have no issues with you and I respect you a lot,” she noted.
