A TRANSPARENT, RESPONSIVE AND EFFECTIVE BANJUL CITY COUNCIL FOR A CLEANER, HABITABLE AND THRIVING CITY
I have been voluntarily serving the inhabitants of Portuguese Town Ward, in particular, and the City of Banjul, in general, for many years now through my involvement in community based organisations and participation in social and sporting activities.
Now I am seeking the direct mandate of the people in order to continue serving them by contesting as a Councillor under the ticket of PDOIS in the forthcoming 12 April 2018 local government elections.
As a PDOIS sponsored Candidate, I stand for a Transparent, Responsive and Effective Banjul City Council (BCC) that is capable of bringing about a Cleaner, Habitable and Thriving City for its inhabitants.
PLEDGE
I wish to solemnly pledge, if elected into office as a Councillor for Portuguese Town Ward, that I will commit myself to serving the community and city of Banjul, in accordance with the laws or powers and functions of Local Government institutions as well as the PDOIS principles of commitment, dedication and selfless service to the sovereign people of the Gambia. In my stewardship as an elected City Councillor, I will ensure the following:
Transparency in the operation of the Banjul City Council by pushing for Council proceedings to be made open to the public as required by Section 30 of the Local Government Act, 2002 as well as the practice of democracy and good governance. Accountability to the electorate for all moneys that accrue to the Council from levies, taxes, government subvention and other legitimate sources.
Responsiveness of Council to the concerns and needs of the inhabitants in terms of the provision of essential, timely and efficient services by proactively participating in the planning and implementation of programmes and projects Community participation by pushing for the involvement of the people in the conception and execution of development plans at both the Ward and City levels.
Effectiveness of the Council in utilising its resources for the development of the city and the welfare of its inhabitants by putting in place an efficient and robust waste management system, good infrastructure, improved social services, etc. Innovation geared towards identifying other alternative sources of none tax revenue for the Council to increase its resource base in order to be able to sustain the provision of the much needed services.
Community participation by pushing for the involvement of the people in the conception and execution of development plans at both the Ward and City levels.
WHAT MOTIVATES ME TO CONTEST?
As a sovereign Gambian citizen, I am exercising my right to stand for election under a PDOIS ticket in order to provide for the Portuguese Town Ward, in particular, and the inhabitants of Banjul, in general, the type of political representation at the local government level that puts the interest of the people first before self. I felt oblige to contest in this election in order to get the mandate of the people to help find solutions to reverse the trend of a rapid decline and deterioration of the city in terms of infrastructure, sanitation, population, social and economic activities. The present condition of the streets, drainage system and the environmental sanitation, among others, leaves much to be desired and therefore needs urgent action. Hence, the city of Banjul is in dire need of essential social services, infrastructure and other amenities, e.g. recreational activities, etc.
If elected into office, I will be engaging in scrutinizing the revenue collection and budget of Council to ensure that the resources are available and properly utilised to provide for the necessary services to the residents of the city.
I will be engaging all the stakeholders within the ward and municipality to participate in initiatives and activities aimed at improving the conditions of their neighbourhoods as well as promoting their welfare.
The quality representation characterised by clarity, humility, commitment and devotion to the welfare of the people, as being amply demonstrated by the current National Assembly Members of PDOIS both inside and outside of the National Assembly, is what I will endeavor to do when elected to office as Councillor.
WHO IS ALHAGIE MANSERY NJIE, commonly known as ‘Sheen’?
Alhagie Mansery Njie was born on the 7th May 1966 at New Street in Banjul. He went to Wesley Primary School and later Crab Island Junior Secondary School. He started work as a teacher at the Methodist Primary School in Janjangbureh (then Maccarthy) and later Pakau Njogou Primary School in the North Bank Region (NBR). He worked as a Tally Clerk first with the Gambia Ports Authority (GPA) and at the then Gambia Produced Marketing Board (GPMB) Weight Bridge at Denton Bridge. He is now actively involved in various social activities at the levels of the Ward and city.
In his social and community engagements, he served as Executive Member in various bodies such as the Banjul Sports Committee, Portuguese Town Development Committee and was also the President of RICO Social Youth Development Association.
As it is the practice in PDOIS, he intends to open an office, when elected as a Councillor, so as to enable the people to have direct access to raise their concerns with their representative.
NOTE FROM THE EDITORS: The Gambia Times has not endorsed candidates for the local government elections, but provides a platform to publish and disseminate their manifestos to the electorates. The Times encourages all candidates to send in their manifestos for publication in their quest to propagate their ideas to win the support of the voters in their respective wards and localities. Candidates may send their manifestos and press releases to info@thegambiatimes.com for publication.