Halifa Sallah, secretary general of PDOIS, has slammed the 57-year long underdevelopment of regions and municipalities in the country. 

Speaking at a news conference yesterday at the party’s bureau in Churchill’s Town, Mr Sallah said for over five decades the policies on councils and municipalities were misplaced. 

“Because the objective of ensuring that the people take part in development was not fully comprehensive.

“When the local government reform programme was initiated that gave lights to Local Government Act, you will see there the creation of village and ward development committees, but they do not have budgets to be able to bring about development. 

“So that’s why we are saying they articulated a process but they didn’t know its objective and therefore they could not know what it requires to bring about development. So, that’s why they failed.”

The veteran politician, who was launching the party’s campaign for next month’s local government elections, said successive governments and local councils have failed to make a difference due to their poor planning and execution. 

He said nothing was carefully planned and structured when it comes to roads, drainage and public facilities including toilets 

“Our experience here is that no-pedestrian mapping took place. Every place was utilised helter-skelter. Consequently, people saw development emerging without proper drainage and borehole facilities.”

Mr Sallah added that the issue of poor planning and underdevelopment has been ongoing since the First Republic (Jawara administration). 

“You can hardly go into cities and municipalities and find a space where you can bring about other forms of development. 

“You cannot have sidewalks because the roads are very much congested. You cannot have drainage because the area has been taken over for residential purposes. If you you go to municipalities like KM, you cannot find sporting grounds for children in many of its areas.

“It’s the same thing with the housing, there is congestion everywhere. People are being evicted from lands to make way for commercial buildings. You’re encouraging commerce. But who will buy it?”

Mr Sallah continued: “This is the developmental trajectory that the country entered into the First Republic, get into the Second Republic, no change. 

“And I hear people trying to make comparison between the First and Second Republic. But then what’s strange is that you come to certain communities in the regions and municipalities, you walk the pathway and what do you see potholes everywhere, pools of water everywhere. No development and you are still comparing which one is better.

“You’re walking on the same roads, having the same drainage problems. Lacking all the facilities, sporting facilities, sidewalks, anything we call civilization, and you are still trapped into what is better, rather than shaping the destiny in the future fit for us to live in.”

He called on voters to take actions and elect officials that will bring developments to their municipalities. 

“You must conceptualise right now and start the process of unrolling it [underdevelopment]. Even if you cannot address the situation now. But you can unroll it based on the people you elect,”he said.

Reporting by Adama Makasuba