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Momodou
Denmark
11832 Posts |
 Posted - 13 Aug 2007 : 21:54:44
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Canteen Owners Refute Council's Claim
By Lamin Fatty
Reports reaching Foroyaa have it that a number of canteen owners in the Basse Market have expressed shock and disappointment over the announcement made by the authorities of the Basse Area Council, through the national media, that D300,000 was spent on the ongoing construction of canteens at the market.
In an interview with the canteen owners in the market, one Oustass Amadou Jallow narrated how he came to The Gamnbia in 1982 and became a mechanical foreman until 1986 when retrenchment of staff was done by the former government. He said he then decided to engage in business.
He said he was disappointed to learn that the council claimed to spend D300,000 on the canteens in the market; when he spent almost D16,000 on his own canteen. Sarjo Bah, who also claimed to have spend 17 years in The Gambia, said he spent D11, 400 on his own canteen. One Mamadou Bah, also a canteen owner, said the Council did not spend even a butut on the canteens as claimed.
According to Amadou Faal, he spent D16, 000 on his canteen. Abdourahman Jallow also said he spent D15, 500 on his canteen. He said the council authorities must not pretend that they are the ones financing the construction of the canteens.
However, this reporter went to the Basse Area Council to get their views on the matter. In an interview the Chairperson of Basse Area Council, Kanimang Sanneh, he said the councils are directly answerable to the Governors as stated in the Local Government Act. He said it will therefore be correct to first get the view of the Governor on the issue. He stated that he cannot comment on anything that might contradict the Local Government Act. When this reporter contacted the Governor of URR, Alhagie Omar Khan, he too said he cannot comment on the matter since he did not know anything about it despite the fact that the Council is answerable to him. It could be recalled that sometime around end of July it was said that an announcement was made on the National radio that Basse Area Council had claimed to have financed over D300,000 on the canteens in the said market in Basse.
Source: Foroyaa Newspaper Burning Issue
Issue No. 94/2007, 13 - 14 August 2007
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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