The new Chief of Kombo Central District in the Western Region, Dembo Kelleng Bojang, who is also the APRC constituency chairman, has declared that among his priorities is to unite the people of his district for the sake of peace and the development of the district, region and the Gambia in general.
He said he will always encourage his people to desist from all kinds of troubles and be peacemakers in the district.
Chief Dembo Kelleng, who was speaking in an exclusive interview with this paper at his Brikama Mansaring-su residence recently, noted that if the people in his district speak with one voice, and have one aim, then development would be brought to their doorsteps.
He said there is undeniable co-operation in Kombo Central, and vowed to make sure it is augmented to higher heights.
On the common issue of land grabbing in the country, especially in the districts of Kombo Central and North, Chief Bojang declared that he would not accept unlawful land grabbing in his district.
In his view, land should not be taken from their original owners without their consent. He warned the landowners and dealers in his district to be careful when dealing with land, especially the family land, and to avoid double-allocation of land to people.
He suggested that the landowners should not to sell all their land, but must reserve some land for the young ones and also to reserve some land for government development projects.
He further suggested that leasing land to non-Gambians is better than selling land to them, since when the lease ends ownership of the land will remain in the hands of the original owners.
He promised that he would collaborate with his fellow chiefs in the country for the sake of development and peace in The Gambia.
Dembo Kelleng Bojang is not new in politics. He was born in 1933, stood with late Sanjally Bojang 25 years ago during the Chieftaincy election, but was defeated by Sanjally. Again during the PPP regime, he stood with his predecessor Dembo Santang Bojang in the chieftaincy election who also defeated him in the Kombo Central District.
His predecessor, Dembo Santang Bojang, had been the longest serving chief in the district, having served for 17 years.
