As part of its commitment towards nation building, the Brikama Area Council yesterday presented a cheque amounting to D800, 000 to GAMWORKS towards the Community Based Infrastructure and Livelihood Improvement Project (CILIP).
The money, presented at a ceremony held at the Brikama Area Council, is the first counterpart contribution of BAC to GAMWORKS.
In his welcoming remarks at the ceremony witnessed by senior staff of the Council, GAMWORKS officials, Councillors as well as government officials, Sunkary Badjie, Chairman of the Brikama Area Council underscored the Council’s commitment towards ploughing back revenue generated to society.
According to him, BAC is a council with a difference in the sense that it does things that others don’t do.
For his part, Tamba S. Kinteh, Chief Executive Officer of BAC said the ceremony truly manifests the commitment of the council to plough the revenue generated from the public in the form of basic amenities and services to the community in the region.
“The amount that we are about to pay to CILIP will fund the implementation of identified priority projects for communities in the region. The implementation of these priority projects such as roads, markets and car parks will positively impact on the livelihood of the communities and improve their socio-economic well being amongst others,” Kinteh stated.
According to him, a 90 kilometres roads construction is earmarked to be funded as Cross Community Projects, which will directly serve 30 communities in the region.
Such roads, he went on, includes Sukuta-Mariama Kunda, Wellingara-Sukuta, Brikama-Kassa Kunda to Siffoe and Kafuta-Kafuta Tumbung feeder roads among others.
CEO Kinteh also disclosed that the project is also intended to fund the construction of Brikama Nyambai market, the extension of the Brikama Central Market and the construction of car parks for the communities of Gunjur, Sanchaba Sulay Jobe and Lamin.
While assuring that the BAC will pay its second counterpart contribution by end of January 2013, CEO Kinteh expressed conviction that over a quarter of the population of the West Coast Region will benefit from the intervention of the CILIP project.
Also speaking at the presentation ceremony, Saikou K. Sanyang, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Regional Administration, Lands and Traditional Rulers revealed that the CILIP project is one of the contributors to PAGE, the Gambia Government’s blue print for development.
“This particular component enables communities to identify their own needs in terms of infrastructural facilities in their areas for implementation. This means that the bottom up approach to development is being adopted and perhaps, this is the only way sustainable development can be achieved in the context of decentralization,” PS Sanyang stated.
According to him, under the leadership of President Jammeh, the sky is the limit.
Modou Sarr, Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist at GAMWORKS, said the CILIP is a US$18.2 million financed by the Islamic Development Bank and the Government of the Gambia.
According to him, the trust community infrastructural component, is a US$4 million allocated to be implemented by all area councils in the Gambia including the Kanifing Municipality and Banjul City Council.
The Brikama Area Council, he added, is benefiting from 34.6 million dalasi as a requirement based on the criteria set for the project to give allocation to each of the area councils.
Sarr noted that by the correspondents, the Brikama Area Council is supposed to contribute five percent and that translate to 1.733 million dalasi.
Lamin Sanneh, Governor of the West Coast Region said the development and transformation are very key when it comes to decentralization.
While commending BAC for its commitment, Governor Sanneh urged them to be part of the implementation of the project for the benefit of the community.
