By Omar Bah
Opposition UDP Bundung Constituency spokesperson Sulayman Dampha has blasted NPP KM aspirant Babucarr Jeng for asking Mayor Talib Bensouda to resign.
Last week, Jeng, an aspiring candidate for the National People’s Party (NPP) in KM called on Mayor Talib Bensouda to resign, adding he will organise a protest if the mayor fails to do so.
But reacting to his claims, Sulayman Dampha said: “Babucarr Jeng has no moral authority to demand Mayor Bensouda’s resignation. How can you unilaterally call for the resignation of the most loved mayor in the history of KMC without consulting the residents of the municipality? Who gives you that authority? But we are warning you to mind your business and focus on your ambitions, for we will not let anyone discredit Mayor Bensouda.”
Dampha said residents of KMC and the Gambian people are more preoccupied by the daily skyrocketing food commodity prices and lack of employment which is a result of the government’s failure.
“Jeng said if Mayor Bensouda fails to resign, he will write to the IGP and seek a permit to protest. We dare him to do so. We will teach him a lesson by organising a counter protest that would not even require a permit,” he said.
Dampha also defended Mayor Bensouda and his colleague’s decision to go to the high court to scrap the president’s powers to dissolve all councils and set up interim committees to see through the remaining three months before the elections.
“If Jeng is a serious democrat, he would have appreciated the decision of the high court. I would have expected people like him to speak truth to power to ensure the right things are done at all times. This government is corrupt to the core but have you ever heard Jeng talk about these things? No, because he doesn’t care,” Dampha added.
He said Jeng and his NPP surrogates should, before trying to discredit Mayor Bensouda, tell the Barrow administration to fight against the “massive corruption” hindering the country’s progress.
“Just recently, a D10 million corruption scandal was reported at the ministry of health – few individuals squandered D10 million of project funds and the government is hellbent on paying it back with taxpayers’ money. What is more worthy of investigating than that? Is this government really serious about fighting corruption? Tell me, who is corrupt here? I urged Jeng to swallow his pride and ego and face the truth,” Dampha said.
He added: “We know the NPP and President Barrow’s biggest headache is the KM and Banjul mayoral seats. We are fine with that but we urge them to follow due process and leveled the playing field ahead of the polls,” he said.
