Mayor Lowe expresses concerns over Half Die expansion exercise

She made this remark at Gambia Ports Authority (GPA) and stakeholders’ meeting with the Banjul City Council regarding a recently signed concession agreement between the government of The Gambia/ GPA and Albayrak Group of Turkey on the expansion of the Ports.

Mayor Lowe at the opening event of the said dialogue thanked Gambia Ports Authority for their contribution towards the development of the country. However, she equally expressed her disappointment over the conclusion of GPA's exercise without the inclusion of the Banjul City Council.

"l am talking on behalf of Banjulians because they gave me this mandate to talk. I wouldn't stand and talk here as Rohey Malik Lowe or someone talking to her family. The Ports Authority came to us and said that they wanted to have a conversation with Banjul City Council with regard to the expansion.”

According to her, they were a bit displeased with the matter because they expected that BCC and Ports would have a mutual and consensual understanding. “If you go to other countries, especially Dakar, they are very close with their Ports but we the Banjulians do not see any inclusivity with GPA,” she observed.

She finally expressed her lack of knowledge about the recent expansion and the procedures concerning unpaid rates by the Gambia Ports Authority in their acquisition of houses from private property owners and commercials.

Mr. Sunkaru Jarju, director of Corporate and Services, GPA, in his statement, apologised to Mayor Lowe and gave a detailed explanation of their expansion project with a reassurance to Banjul City Council as regards their concerns.

He further gave reason for the expansion of Banjul Sea Port, saying over the years, the Ports had encountered many constraints leading to the launch of a master plan over the last 28 years, which followed several other plans.

Binta Samura, a senior legal affairs manager, gave a synopsis of their procedures and negotiations during the acquisition of properties in Half Die, saying a consensual agreement with the peoples of Half Die has been attained. She further declared that the government took an extra step to allocate lands at Bakau Kachikally to property owners as compensation and also ensured that tenants were given a sum of D10,000 as displacement, with a time frame of 6 months without pay.