The minister of Lands and Local Government Musa Drammeh has denied claims that he deployed the Police Intervention Unit to Kanifing Municipal Council to reinstall the suspended CEO. 

According to the Civil Society Organisation  (CSO) mediation team, the minister confirmed that the deployment order did not come from the neither him nor the government.

“In line with our duty as civil society, we thought it important to get all the facts and information and do our utmost to resolve the process in the interest of ensuring accountability, respect for rule of law and good governance. 

“Our first port of call was to the minister and he in short notice gave us an audience, and in our engagement with the minister, we raised the issue of the PIU primarily and other issues. And he informed us it was not his instruction or the executive instruction to deploy the PIU,” said Salieu Taal, President of Gambia Bar Association and a senior member of the CSO. 

Mr Taal added: “I would like to appeal to both parties, that’s the ministry [of local government and lands] and the council [KMC] and the mayor in resolving the differences and dispute to do so with decorum and respect and in accordance with the law. 

“And I think that’s what we expect in the new Gambia. That is why we are even standing here, having this discussion.” 

Mr Taal explained: “We reminded and advised the minister that whatever dispute there may be in terms of who has what power between the KMC, the Police Service Commission and the council that matter should [be] resolved in accordance with the law and due process.

“We also reiterate our concerns thankfully when we came. We did not find any PIU officer, which was a kind of relief. We gathered that the tension has de-escalated. So, we also expressed our concerns that we, as CSO, have been keenly following this issue. 

“But we cannot make any comments or discuss the issue, until we have all the facts. All the facts on the public domain, we have actually got those, and we are looking at it. 

“We also sought the views and perspectives of the mayor [Bensouda] and he gave us a very detailed explanation of his position and the council’s position. He also provided us with documentation.”

Reporting by Adama Makasuba