By: Maria Lopes & Ismaila Sonko
Hon. Halifa Sallah, National Assembly member for Serrekunda, has lamented that Banjul is sinking and its needs an urgent solution.
“Let’s go and do something about it, what we need is comprehensive planning to know exactly what is needed in order to facilitate the development of regions and municipalities,” he told National Assembly in Banjul yesterday during an adjournment debate.
He pointed out that as the raining season is fast approaching if there is no proper waste management system they will drop everything in the drains and there will be flood and that will be disaster in the urban areas and its precisely what has been happening and it will continue to happen.
He explained that the government need responsibilities to be demarcated they will tell people that the municipalities are responsible for secondary roads, the roads authority and the ministry are also responsible for the measures but where is the linking of the two, noting that they are not linked, which means at this moment a relationship is needed between the ministry.
“There is need for institution building governance and institutions and policies and their implementation. We also need a ministry of urban and regional planning and development to put an end to this fire brigade measures,” Sallah pointed out.
According to him, the municipalities not just based on mere words, but these are institutions and therefore they must have relations that are visible.
He added that: “It means that the ministry and municipality should sit down and sign a memorandum of understanding to agree on which institution is responsible for what and work plan established that is timely”
He noted that the purpose of the government is to be able to manufacture the types of policy and program that will address the needs and aspirations of our own people both local and national.
He stressed that the executive is empowered to appoint ministers who supposed is to have the competence and experience to exercise directions and control over ministries and other government business.