By Omar Bah
Bakary Badjie, one of the many aspirants in April’s Mayoral election for KMC, returned home Friday from the United States to concentrate on his preparation for the election.
Addressing the media on arrival at the Banjul International Airport, Badjie said he is not ruling out contesting under a party ticket if any party is willing to accept his group’s ideas and manifesto.
“My candidature as it is right now is based on independent, but, we are consulting, and once we finish that and are able to do a final decision, then we will announce whether we will run under a political party or remain independent,” he said.
He insisted that if he is going to run under a political party then that will be determined by that party’s acceptance of his group’s ideas and manifesto.
“All the people in my team come from different political parties, while some of them are non-partisan. So it will be very difficult for me to say this is what I am going to do, all I know is I am supported by different young people, women and men,” he said.
Badjie whose candidacy was launched on 17 July 2017 to run for the KMC mayoral election, said he is backed by people who are interested in having a municipal council that manages resources and gives back to the people what they deserve.
On his plans if elected, Mr Badjie said if he wins, he will close down the Bakoteh dumpsite which poses a serious health risk to the people in the area. “We will move it to a better location,” he promised
Badjie disclosed that he has plans to lobby for companies outside the country that are interested in coming to The Gambia to work with them, so that waste will be properly managed and turned into a resource that can be transformed into energy.
He said the Kanifing Municipal Council should be able to sustain itself even without subventions from the central government.
“It is over fifty years since Gambia gained independence, there is no reason why KM as the biggest municipality in terms of population and revenue, should remain under developed,” he said.
Badjie said his candidature is a reflection of the ambition of young people with new ideas who want to change the status quo.
“I was born and brought up in Ebo-Town, so there is nobody who can tell me the daily sufferings of the ordinary man and woman within the municipality,” he said.
Badjie further stressed that if elected he will wipe out corruption in its entirety and promote transparency and accountability, saying that is the only way development can be achieved.
