Salaji residents are embroiled in a row over their new market location following the Department of Physical Planning demolition of the previous market.

Those closed to the demolished market vowed not to join the other part of the community close to the new designated market.

Lamin Darboe, secretary to Salaji Neighbourhood Development Association, told reporters that the demolished market was allocated for the Fire Service, National Water and Electricity Company and Post Office by the government.

“Just to clear the air, here is the place allocated by the government for the market to be built for the people of Salaji. 

“This area has been allocated for the market since Salaji was created. We have seen a group of people who came together and said they have been given a place for the market. 

“And these people are not bona fide Salaji residents because we don’t know where they are from. Most of them are coming from Sare Pateh and Wulinkamng,” he said.

“There is a reason of self-interest behind it. Theirs was allocated by an individual while here is allocated by the government of The Gambia,” he added.

However, Binta B Colley, secretary of Sukuta-Salaji Unity Association accused Lamin Darboe’s group of politicising the market problem.

“We want our market on the highway. We are given this market by an individual who own this land, not the government, but from the landlord who gave us his land. They say that land should not be a market for what reason?

“We want the market here and we are not going to join them, that’s clear. Our stand is our stand. We are not going to that market. No matter what they do, we are not going to that market,” she said.

Reporting by Adama Makasuba