The unfolding dispute within the Banjul City Council between Mayor Rohey Malick Lowe and Councilor Fallou Gallas Ceesay Jnr is not a personal quarrel. It is a defining moment for transparency and democratic governance in Banjul.
Reports that the Mayor is threatening legal action against a fellow council member over public statements regarding council projects are deeply troubling. When disagreements arise over the management of public resources, the appropriate response in a democracy is rebuttal, disclosure, and investigation, and not litigation.
Councilors are not spectators. They are elected representatives with oversight responsibilities. If Councilor Gallas believes certain projects are being improperly managed, he has not only the right but the duty to speak. Differences in interpretation, emphasis, and narrative are normal in governance. Suppressing dissent is not.
Defamation laws protect private reputations. But this matter concerns public funds, public projects, and public officials. When allegations touch on the administration of taxpayer resources, the threshold for scrutiny is necessarily high. Public officials require a thicker skin.
If the Mayor believes the claims are false or malicious, the most powerful response is not a lawyer’s letter, it is transparency. Constitute a commission of inquiry. Invite independent auditors. Open procurement files. Request oversight from the Ministry of Local Government. Hold a public council session. Let the records speak.
An independent investigation would either vindicate the Mayor or expose weaknesses that require correction. In either case, the people of Banjul win. Resorting to legal threats risks creating a chilling effect within the Council, where elected officials become hesitant to question executive decisions for fear of retaliation.
Democracy does not function when scrutiny is framed as sabotage. It functions when evidence is tested openly and institutions resolve disputes impartially. Gallas has made quite compelling allegations in his media encounters. I have also seen the Deputy Mayor Abdou Azziz Gaye rebut the claims by Gallas as unfounded and misleading. Therefore, why is the Mayor going to the lawyers and threatening court action?
Councilor Gallas, for his part, must ensure that any allegations are evidence-based and responsibly articulated. Public-interest speech carries responsibility. But responsibility does not mean silence. It means substantiation. But he must not cease and desist on issues that affect the people of Banjul.
Leadership is not comfort. As the Mandinka say, it is suntukung – everything will be thrown at you. Good and bad. Great leaders do not shrink from scrutiny; they institutionalize it. They do not threaten; they disclose. They do not silence; they subject themselves to independent review.
Mayor Lowe has an opportunity to strengthen her leadership and the credibility of the Banjul City Council. Withdrawing legal threats and embracing a transparent inquiry would demonstrate confidence, not weakness. In Banjul, the real issue is simple: accountability is not defamation.
For The Gambia, Our Homeland.
