By Ismaila Sonko
Traders at Bamba Tenda – Yelli Tenda has called on the government of the Gambia to honour agreement made in term of compensating those who their stalls were affected and demolished during the construction of the Senegambia Bridge at the Farafenni crossing point.
According to the traders, prior to the construction of the bridge the government of The Gambia promised to build a market after the construction of the bridge making way for the demolition of their stalls, but since then the promise was not met.
Expressing their grievances the affected traders called on government to fulfill the promises made to them before the commencement of the construction of the bridge, as their situation is getting out of hands, thus, their (stalls) business being the only source of income for them.
Speaking to The Voice at the Senegambia Bridge on Monday, Abdoulie Drammeh businessman 32 years said prior to the construction government asked them out of their constructed stalls to give spaces for the construction of the bridge, which they embraced wholeheartedly. But before that the government in its capacity promised to build a market and compensate them but failed to do so.
Young Gambian businessman Abdoulie Bano – he owns a fashion boutique selling clothes and shoes at the ferry crossing in Yellitenda said explained that when they were notified by about the demolishing, they were not giving opportunity to packed and surprisingly as they came and demolished his stalls with goods worth over D 35,000 but compensated with less than half of the destroyed goods.
Assan Jah, migrated from Senegal to the Gambia in 1988 to find a better living for his family also urged government to fulfill the promise as regard the compensation made to the vendors.
The Yellitenda – Bambatenda ferry crossing point which was once full of life is gradually turning into a ghost settlement, as businessmen and women started evacuating the famous crossing point to relocate elsewhere that allows the flow of business in order to meet up with daily challenge of their family needs
