By Omar Bah
The mayor of Banjul, Rohey Malick Lowe, has expressed strong opposition to the recent decision by the Office of the President (OP) to take over McCarthy Square, a historic site traditionally managed by the Banjul City Council (BCC). She described the move as an act of “siege” against the city, which undermines local governance and municipal authority.
The Office of the President last week decided to take over the management of McCarthy Square, citing the need for its upkeeping and security.
But in a detailed statement shared with The Standard, Mayor Lowe said: “The OP’s claim over McCarthy Square is not just a legal overreach; it is a violation of our history, a betrayal of governance, and a deliberate insult to the people of Banjul.
She added: “This is the last thing I wanted to do. I have held my silence in the face of injustice after injustice, blatant disregard, and a well-orchestrated effort to strip Banjul of its dignity. I have watched, endured, and prayed that wisdom would prevail and that conscience would find its place in leadership. But today, I have been pushed to the wall.
“I regret that I am out of the country at this critical moment, but even from afar, I feel every tremor of this latest attempt to violate our city. I did not want to speak out, but Banjul is not just my city—it is my bloodline, my history, my father’s struggle, and my life’s mission. If I do not stand up for it, then who will?” she asked.
Mayor Lowe further argued: “They want to take it, but by what right? By what justification? By what conscience does the Office of the President have to lay claim to a place that belongs to the people?”
The mayor charged that those behind the ‘reckless’ move may not be aware of the history, significance, or rightful ownership of McCarthy Square.
“If they understood, they would know that it does not belong to any government. It belongs to Banjul and its people. It belongs to history itself.”
Mayor Lowe stated that the government’s systemic effort to undermine Banjul’s autonomy is not an isolated incident.
“It is part of a long and deliberate campaign to make my leadership untenable, to suffocate the authority of the Banjul City Council, and to diminish the voice of the people who elected me. I did not seek a fight. But let history record the relentless attacks that have been waged against this city,” she said.
She further emphasised: “The Banjul Project, a dream for our city’s transformation, was stripped from us. I let it go. Crab Island, once a beacon of education, was divided, and half of it was handed over to private interests without Banjul’s consent. I let it go. My new office, co-funded by the World Bank and the BCC, was nearly taken under the pretence that it belonged to the state. I let it go.”
Mayor Lowe also noted, “The Commission of Inquiry was set up, not to cripple KMC, as many believed, but to bully BCC. The President and I both know this. My internal auditor was taken into the Office of the President, conspiring against me and fabricating false allegations intended to undermine my leadership. Yet the people of Banjul saw through it. My staff were dismissed, leaving me with an empty council, but I continued my work.”
