Dear Editor,
I am writing to bring to your immediate attention serious concerns regarding the current operational condition of the sewage system in Banjul. Although the system was originally established to ensure the city meets global sanitary standards, I have observed significant mechanical and management failures that now pose severe threats to marine ecology, public health, and the local economy.
A pressing issue is the discharge of untreated sewage into the river. This occurs both through the underground pipeline behind the Atlantic Hotel and through the drainage canals connected to the Bond Road pumping station at Nawec Sewage Station in Banjul at Box Bar. The consequences of these failures are grave and far-reaching:
Public health crisis:
Contaminated water pumped into the Bond Road mangroves is entering the food chain. Oysters harvested in these polluted waters, as well as fish and crab feeding in the area, are being sold in major markets across the greater Banjul areas. This has dramatically increased the risk of residents consuming toxic seafood, posing an immediate and serious threat to human health.
Ecological damage:
The continuous discharge of untreated sewage may endanger the fragile mangrove and wetland ecosystem which is critical breeding and nursery grounds for many marine species. The ongoing pollution is degrading these vital ecosystems and will have long-term consequences for biodiversity and environmental resilience.
Economic threat:
The deterioration of the marine environment is directly affecting the livelihoods of local fishermen and women who depend on these waters. Furthermore, contamination of seafood undermines public confidence and threatens the sustainability of the fishing industry, a vital component of the economy of both Banjul and The Gambia.
This situation is not merely an environmental concern; it may also represent an escalating public health and economic emergency requiring immediate intervention.
I, therefore, respectfully and urgently call on your office to mobilise all available resources to conduct a comprehensive study geared towards addressing emerging critical failures in the sewage system of the city. Swift action is essential to safeguard the health of our citizens, protect our marine ecosystems, and secure the economic wellbeing of the communities whose livelihoods depend on them.
I look forward to your prompt response and decisive action on this matter of urgent national importance.
Amadou W Jallow
The National Assembly should prioritise citizens in the 2026 budget
Dear Editor,
As the National Assembly convenes to review and approve the 2026 Budget Estimates, the Edward Francis Small Centre for Rights and Justice calls on Members to place the needs and welfare of citizens above the privileges and comforts of public officials, especially those at the top.
The 2026 budget is unfortunately consistent with previous national budgets in which the bulk of public resources is allocated to sustaining the salaries, allowances, and extensive benefits of public officials. As the second most important law after the Constitution, the national budget must fundamentally serve the people by providing tangible goods, services, facilities, and opportunities that uplift their lives and safeguard their dignity.
Since Independence, successive governments have crafted national budgets that prioritize the welfare of public officials. Salaries, allowances, luxury vehicles, fuel, office furnishings, retirement benefits, travel expenses, per diems, staff loans, overseas medical treatment, among other incentives continue to consume the largest share of public funds. This approach has resulted in chronic underinvestment in the essential public services that citizens rely on daily.
A cursory look across the country reveals dilapidated and under-equipped hospitals, schools with insufficient teaching materials, police stations and prisons lacking basic tools, ferries and utility services struggling to function, and courtrooms and public service centres unable to operate efficiently to serve the people. These realities reflect a budget culture that places the comfort of officials above the wellbeing of citizens.
For example:
· The multimillion-dalasi luxury SUVs purchased annually for top officials could instead equip hospitals across the country with modern medical devices.
· The huge sums spent on travel and per diems could provide teaching and learning materials for every primary, secondary, and tertiary school.
· The money allocated to allowances and office rent could be redirected to strengthen key productive sectors of the economy.
EFSCRJ therefore calls on National Assembly Members to return the country’s money to the people through a budget that puts citizens first. We urge NAMs to reflect deeply on the persistent paradox: despite increasing budgets year after year, along with rising taxes and growing loans, poverty, deprivation, unemployment, and minimal opportunities remain widespread. Instead of empowering citizens and strengthening national development, our budgets have too often become engines of inequality and hardship.
This must end now.
We remind Members that their constitutional duty is to the people and not to themselves or to other public officials. History will one day judge whether this National Assembly chose to make a clean break from the past or opted to maintain a status quo that denies citizens the dignity, prosperity, and opportunities they deserve.
EFSCRJ
