Hundreds of patriotic Gambians took to the streets today to protest what they describe as entrenched corruption and poor governance across the country. 

The protest, organised under the banner of Gambians Against Looted Assets (GALA), saw demonstrators present a detailed petition to Mahmoud L. Jawla, the Acting Executive Director of the National Sports Council.

The petition highlighted the Gambia Football Federation’s (GFF) long list of what protesters described as “stalled and mismanaged projects.”

In their petition, GALA stated; “Many of these projects remain incomplete, and contractors are rarely held accountable or taken to court for breaching contracts. There are suspicions that the GFF may be receiving kickbacks, leading to a lack of contractor accountability.”

The petition lists at least ten football infrastructure projects across the country that have either stalled, fallen into disrepair, or never moved beyond a perimeter fence despite millions in funding.

The Jarra Soma Project, for instance, has stood abandoned since 2015, lacking seating benches, dressing rooms, or pavilions. The Gunjur Project, launched in 2018, remains unfinished and unusable until this past season frustrating young footballers in the area.

In Bakau, the community has had to step in to maintain a grass pitch after GFF upgrades fell short. The installed borehole for watering the pitch is often inoperable due to power cuts, while promised pavilion works remain incomplete.

In Banjul, the petition highlights how floodlights installed in 2020 have never functioned due to “the purchase of sub-standard products by the GFF.” The artificial turf has already been replaced twice but is “currently deemed unplayable.”

FIFA-funded work at Serrekunda West was described by GALA as “one of the worst projects ever undertaken by the GFF,” with only unsuitable industrial floodlights installed while pavilions and the grass pitch were ignored.

At Serrekunda East, the only input from the GFF was the installation of floodlights which have never worked, leaving the local sports committee to maintain the grounds through nawettan ticket sales and local sponsorships.

The petition also raises questions about the National Technical Training Centre (Goal Project), which was supposed to include a new swimming pool and pitch.

GALA alleges mismanagement, arguing “The GFF claimed to have spent D44 million to renovate 44 rooms to upgrade the Goal Project to hotel standard. Interestingly, the GFF’s 1st Vice President, Bakary K Jammeh, continues to serve as the Project Manager for all GFF projects, raising concerns about a conflict of interest.”

For communities like Busumbala, Manjai and others, these unfinished sites often overgrown and left to ruin represent what protesters describe as “elephant projects,” standing as physical reminders of mismanagement.

While the wider demonstration called for action against corruption and poor governance across government institutions, the GFF’s abandoned projects have become a flashpoint for citizens demanding transparency, accountability, and better investment in youth and community sports.

By Ebrima KB Sonko