West Africa Development Relief Association and Joe Ride Global Gambia have dismissed “misleading” social media report of their service delivery in the country.

A signed document between West Africa Development Relief Association and Joe Ride Global Ltd dated 19 January 2022 stated that Joe Ride Global Ltd shall be responsible for the management of the vehicle and pay all West Africa Development Relief Association selected beneficiaries D8,200 (28 day month) D8,883 (30/31 day month), adding that the tricycle drivers are to pay 500 dalasi per day. 

In addition to this, the total income depending on the number of days that each vehicle was able to operate in the month is paid to the accounts of the Imams by percentage ( 68.4% for WARDA beneficiaries and 31.6% for Joe Ride Management Fees). 

Ebrima Ceesay, programmes manager for West Africa Relief and Development Association, described the report as “misleading and not accurate” adding that “because Umma Welfare Trust is not registered in The Gambia — it’s a funding partner to this organisation (WARDA).”

“They are mentioning Joe Ride there as a charitable organisation and Joe Ride is a business operating and the charitable organisation here is West Africa Relief Development Association which gave this 58 Tuk Tuk to Joe Ride on a management agreement basis. 

“The Tuk Tuks are being managed by this company, and at the end of every month whatever is deposited based on how much is being earn by every vehicle. 

“With regards to drivers management, training and security parking are the responsibility of Joe Ride company and not WARDA. 

“So, we make sure that at the end of every month the funds for the Imams are deposited to their respective accounts which we believe it is key,” he said.

“The most misleading information rates that each Imam receives D1,981 monthly is completely false. I think this could only happen when they were testing the vehicles and they’ve tested the vehicle for a while and we agreed that they should park the vehicles until we completed our agreement, and the vehicles started operating normally. 

“So, even that period the amount of money they were able to save was paid to these Imams even though the vehicles were being tested. Those funds were being transferred to the accounts of the Imams.

“Its a tricycle management agreement. This is what we have signed with Joe Ride company. And the Imams here are the Imams of West Africa Development Relief Association. 

“Joe Ride don’t deal with the Imams and we don’t deal with the drivers who are being paid by Joe Ride company. 

“We deal with our Imams and we make sure that if we receive the money, those funds are being transferred to the accounts of these Imams,” he added.

Joseph Maye, chief executive officer for Joe Ride Global Gambia Ltd, also said that: “the money is based on how long the vehicle has been on the road in a month and that determined how they would get paid at the end of the month. 

“West Africa Development Relief Association has given us total control to manage these vehicles where we are choose the drivers and manage them in the traffic and paying them in a month.

“The information is totally false, and I would say there is lot of inconsistency in it. So, I would say we are not in partnership with West Africa Development Relief Association, we are managing the vehicles with a management agreement for WARDA,” he added.

Reporting by Adama Makasuba