By Haddy Touray
The village authorities of Sanyang have demanded that the Gambia Ports Authority produce the master plan of the Sanyang Deep Sea Port (DSP)for transparency and especially to know how many properties were affected by the project.
The reactions of the residents of Sanyany came following a recent remark made by the Managing Director (MD), of Gambia Ports Authority (GPA), Ousman Jobarteh, and some members of the management of GPA who were featured on two local radios.
The residents of Sanyang are allegedly accusing MD Jobarteh and his management of misleading the Gambian population by claiming that only 461 properties will be affected by the DSP project while harbouring information relative to the mining and housing estate aspect of the concession agreement, the Gambia government signed with Albayrak Group, a Turkish Company hired to manage the Banjul Sea Port and develop a Deep-Sea Port in Sanyang.
In their response to the radio programmes, the village authorities debunk the statements describing them as misleading and untransparent.
According to the resident, over 3000 properties will be affected as per the assessment of the Village Development Committee and also from the number of flyers issued to property owners.
“These properties include hotels, beach bars, guesthouses, lodges, canteens, stalls, residential properties, and schools among others,” the VDC noted.
Chairman Sanyang Village Development Committee (SVDC) Abdoulie Botto Gaye stated that residents of Sanyang have demanded a copy of the DSP masterplan from the GPA since October 19, 2024, to no avail, noting that the demand was made in the presence of the Minister of Works and Infrastructure, Ebrima Sillah who assured that by January, the masterplan will be available and to date, nothing of such happened.
“Some of the other questions raised by the community is, where is the DSP going to start and where it will end as far as Sanyang is concerned but to date no masterplan has been produced for us.
We saw them (GPA) issuing flyers to properties affected at the sites, even though, they did not bring the masterplan nor did we discuss with them as we agreed during the October 19, 2024 meeting,” Abdoulie Botto Gaye explained.
The VDC Chairman urged GPA management to conduct a site visit to the project to ascertain the real number of properties affected by the DSP project, noting that the project will consume more than 40 percent of the community of Sanyang.
Dr. Seedy Sanyang, Chairman of the Sanyang Deep Sea Port Taskforce Committee disclosed that the people of Sanyang are appreciative of the project which is expected to immensely contribute to social, infrastructural, and economic development of the community.
Malang Njie, a member of the Sanyang Diaspora called for total transparency of the DSP project earmarked for the community, expressing fears that Albayrak Group’s activities in Sanyang may not be stopped at the development of the DSP but rather engaging in mining, casting and real estate development.
Saikou Camara, Secretary General and Legal Compliance Officer, Sanyang UK Association (SUKA), described the operations of the GPA and its agents in Sanyang as unsatisfactory, demeaning, and an assault on the valuable properties of the people of Sanyang.
He noted that GPA has consistently refused to produce the master plan of the DSP, and also failed to adequately engage the people of Sanyang while engaging in smear media activities to win the sympathy of the Gambian people at the detriment of the people of Sanyang.
Barrister Lamin J. Darboe, Counsel for the community of Sanyang, and Yankuba Ceesay, Chairman of the Sanyang Development Fund (SDF) all made similar statements regarding the positions of the community.
An insider at the Gambia Port Authority, whose name withheld confirmed to this medium the GPA or the government of the Gambia is yet to show the master plan to the village authorities of Sanyang.
