FactCheck: Are All Streets in Banjul Completely Paved as Minister Sillah Claimed?
By Edward Francis Dalliah
During the Maiden Mass Kunda Town Hall engagement organised by the Ministry of Information, Media, and Broadcasting Service on 31st May, 2024, Hon. Ebrima Sillah, the Minister of Transport Works & Infrastructure, credited the government’s recent development in Banjul, particularly the streets and drainage system.
Claim: Minister Sillah asserted that immediately after President Barrow assumed office, he “made it an important reality to embark on the overall and complete facelift of Banjul by paving all the roads, the drainage, and also the sewage system. Now, for the first time [in] many decades, all the streets of Banjul are ‘completely paved”.
FactCheck:
The major streets in Banjul, particularly around commercial areas, were paved with asphalt concrete during the term of former President Yahya Jammeh (1994-2017). Most of these streets had deteriorated over time, and some were reconstructed before President Barrow’s government came to power in 2017.
On 16th February, 2019, President Adama Barrow launched a $35.5 million US dollar project worth approximately D1.8-billion Gambian dalasi to rehabilitate the city. After the launch, Gai Construction was given the contract.
The construction project, considered by President Barrow to be a realization of his “government development agenda as stated in the national development plan 2018-2022,” commenced shortly after he took office in 2017. It was designed to rehabilitate 37 km of the city’s roads, drainage, and sewage systems. By early 2023, many streets, including major routes, had been rehabilitated.
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Given that the Minister said that “all the streets of Banjul are completely paved”; to verify the claim, Fact-Check Gambia conducted a site visit. Based on our observation and photos taken, key areas in central Banjul and nearby areas such as roads leading to government buildings and high-traffic streets have been paved or rehabilitated.
Paved Street of Banjul (C) Askanwi
However, while the government celebrates the progress of the rehabilitation, some streets are still under construction. Our observation shows that work is still ongoing as streets like Lancaster and Perseverance are still yet to have new pavement.
On our reporter’s first visitation on 13th October 2024, it was observed that along Sam Jack going towards Perseverance and Lancaster Street, work was ongoing. In addition to that, both Perseverance and Lancaster Street have been paved but need some resurfacing works.
Ongoing Works © Askanwi
On the second site visit conducted on 12th November, 2024, our reporter discovered that Lancaster and Perseverance Street were paved back in 2004 by the then-mayor, Pa Sallah Jeng, during the former government. Observing other streets, our reporter also noticed that some of the pavements are not recent and appear to be a bit worn out. These streets are located next to the Gamtel Customer Care and the popular Marina Parade right next to the Presidency and major government Ministries and Institutions.
Paved Streets prior to President Barrow’s Government (c) Askanwi
Notably, while President Barrow’s administration has made commendable progress under the Banjul Roads Project, there have been previous misleading comments about it from public officials.
It is important to note that the statement that all streets have been “completely paved” is an exaggeration. Therefore, Hon. Minister Ebrima Sillah’s claim that President Barrow’s government paved all the streets in Banjul is deemed misleading.
Verdict: MISLEADING
This FactCheck was first published by FactCheckGambia.org in the link. https://factcheckgambia.org/fact-check-are-all-streets-in-banjul-completely-paved-as-minister-sillah-claimed/
