By Louise Jobe
The Brikama Area Council (BAC) still insists that it will take legal action against the destruction of structures it recognises as part of its market.
The Public Relation Officer (PRO) of the Council (BAC) Lamin Singhateh told Foroyaa yesterday that the council still maintained its position to take legal action against the National Road Authority (NRA) and the Gambia Police Force on Monday 27th November 2023.
He also said that a notice has already been written and sent to National Road Authority Department (NRA ) and copied to the Gambia Police Force (GPF) by their Lawyers.
The notice is about the council’s decision to take actions against the Gambia Police Force, the National Road Authority (NRA), and the Department of Physical Planning for their unauthorized demolition of the market stalls in and around the Brikama Central Market from 8 November 2023 to date in the name of Operation
Clear the Roads.
The BAC maintains that it is only the BAC that has the legal authority empowered by sections 193 and 194 of the Constitution of the Gambia 1997 and Section 48 of the Local Government Act 2002, which enjoins the council to “exercise all Political and Executive powers and Functions” in the region and further enjoins it with the legal authority to establish, erect, demolish, control, and manage markets in the region.
Mr. Singhateh further explained that the Council maintains that none of the aforementioned stakeholders, be it the GPF,
NRA, and Physical Planning, have any legal authority to exercise such powers over its markets without its blessings or an order of the court of law.
The council states that the said operation had no such blessing from it nor any court of law, he said.
One Arohey Saidy a vendor at the said market who sells soap, rings and other items for females, said that they got their stalls from the Brikama Area council. She added that she paid some money to the area council before she get the place apart from the daily duties that she pays.
Lamin Dampha a second hand clothes vendor said that the place where he was selling was rented to him. He also said that he was never informed that the area was not part of the market.
Dampha stressed that BAC should have informed them (the stakeholders) at the Brikama Central Market that the area they occupied is not part of the market before they put up structures.
He also said that from 8th November 2023 when they started the destruction of their stalls they went to the area council and met the chairman Mr. Yankuba Darboe and explained to him about the destruction done by the authorities.
He said Mr. Darboe told them that he will engaged their legal representatives to take all necessary legal actions to
put a stop to the ongoing destruction of its markets.
