It could be recalled that the country's capital city mayoress was last year elected as the president of African Capital Cities Sustainability Forum; (ACCSF). Mayoress Lowe in the same year was appointed executive member of Global Parliament of Mayors (GPM) for the next three years. The BCC mayoress and some inhabitants of the capital city, Banjul, have reacted to the latest international recognition from the UCLG.
In an exclusive interview with The Point yesterday at her office in Banjul, Mayoress Lowe commended UCLG for the recognition, saying: “This latest international recognition clearly demonstrate our commitment to not only the development of Banjul but also towards putting smile on the faces of women of Banjul and the country at large. I am committed to ensure that the difficulties women of this country are encountering will become history.”
“This recognition also indicates that our work in The Gambia is recognised by people outside the country. However, now is the time to keep moving and keep focusing on achieving our desired goals? We have big cities in Africa, hence naming me as the mayor of April also demonstrates our commitment to women empowerment. Showing support for the woman around you is crucial to your success too. I can assure you that this recognition will also add value to what we do here in Banjul.”
Mayoress Lowe also responded to reports about why her party is mute on her recent international recognition despite being the party’s second vice president, saying: “This achievement is not about the UDP party, but Gambian women in general. My priorities have always been to see development and empowerment of Gambian women. I believe sometimes people are not fair to the party. What is more important is that the grassroots people recognised this award,” she added, noting that she didn’t see anything abnormal on this issue.
Isatou Loum, a native of Banjul speaking to this reporter on recent development said: “We the people of Banjul are proud to have Rohey Malick Lowe as our mayor. As you can see, the capital city is transforming rapidly in all aspects. One thing I like about her is the fact that she is fulfilling all her campaign promises.”
According to her, in March 2019, Mayoress Lowe allocated D10 million of her own money to the Rohey Malick Lowe Women's and Girls' Empowerment Initiative, which was part of her campaign promises. The initiative, Mrs. Loum added, has gone a long way towards empowering the women of Banjul among others. “Lot of women in Banjul are into business today thanks to the initiative. Again, dozens of needy students benefited from the initiative.”
Isatou Loum, a UDP militant, said: “It’s important that we celebrate our people. I believe our party should have taken the lead in recognising Mayoress Lowe’s international recognition. It’s not fair for the party to not at least issue a statement on all her three international recognitions.”
