As I write to you today, I am moving from one house to another. The house I am leaving is no longer conducive for a habitat. This is because the landlord does not maintain the house at all. He collects the money of tenants and does nothing. So the house has become inhabitable in this rainy season.
Mr President, I do not know whether there are laws regulating tenancy in this country. If there are, then they should be enforced. If there aren’t then there should be. We should enact laws which will control the relationship between the tenants and the landlords/landladies. The landlords and landladies charge exorbitant fees for rent and do not maintain their houses.
Mr President, a large percentage of our population is living in houses for rent. And as we all know, the salary scale in this country is deplorable and the state of the economy does not allow you to increase salaries this year. So the average public servant cannot afford expensive house rent and survive with the little salary we have.
Everywhere you go in the urban areas, the least amount one pays for a double room and parlor is two thousand five hundred dalasis a month. In some areas, it is three thousand dalasis a month. Who can pay that huge amount of money alongwith other bills?
Mr President, please, help us Gambians and instruct the relevant authorities to ensure that the laws protect us. Ensure that we have a place where we can lodge our complaints so they will be addressed. The rights of many Gambians are being violated everyday. The people can no longer bear this. Please come to our rescue.
Have a good day Mr President.
