There have been renewed calls by a group of natives of Sanyang village for government to abandon the site earmarked for the construction of a deep sea port until proper procedures are followed, and lingering issues resolved.
A statement from The Sanyang Development Fund SDF shared with The Standard yesterday, backed by Ward Councillor Boto Bojang, contained an ultimatum for government to “halt all deep-sea port activities immediately, return to negotiations with the right people, and compensate the community or face legal action’.
According to the SDF diaspora chairman Saikou Camara, the whole process of land acquisition for the project is illegal and secretive.
“Our demands are very simple. We want the Ministry of Works and Gambia Ports Authority to produce the map of the proposed deep sea port to allow us to know where the port starts and where it ends. We also want them to tell us who gave them the land and who ordered them to lease communal land without the knowledge of the villagers,” Camara said in the statement.
He added that the SDF is demanding full compensation for affected families and a return to the original site agreed with villagers and stakeholders.
“What we want the Minister of Works, Ebrima Sillah to understand is that the SDF and all patriotic natives of Sanyang will never relent until the community gets its fair share,” Camara warned.
“The only time we will stop is when all dues entitled to Sanyang are adequately addressed” he added.
Both SDF and Councillor Boto Bojang went on to condemn recent meetings between the Ministry, GPA, and what they called the dissolved Village Development Committee, VDC.
“Engaging dissolved members of the VDC, including others without authority, will only complicate matters,” Councilor Bojang said. He recalled that the trouble started the day President Barrow laid the foundation stone, with local authorities allegedly barred from the site.
The SDF insists that the Sanyang Deep-Sea Port Taskforce Committee is the sole body mandated to speak for Sanyang on this matter.
“So our advice is for government to stop any further engagement with the dissolved VDC, or Major Momodou Bojang,” said Yankuba Ceesay, SDF Home Chapter chairman.
He said those entities are not the “alkalo or head of Kabilo, and have no mandate to speak for Sanyang.
Ebrima Kinteh Baa Touray, the SDF Gambia Chapter and vice chairman of the SDF diaspora, said any meeting organised without the full participation of the Taskforce should be disregarded.
“We will resort to court actions if these key issues are not addressed.”
The Sanyang Deep-Sea Port is billed as The Gambia’s biggest infrastructure project — designed to ease congestion at Banjul Port, create jobs, and transform the coastline. President Barrow laid the foundation stone to signal national priority.
But in the village, the project has triggered anger over land, compensation, and consultation.
Residents say notices to vacate their lands were issued while core issues including where the port will sit, how much will be paid in compensation , and what jobs and benefits will go to Sanyang women and youths, remain unresolved.
“We sincerely welcome the project,” Yankuba Ceesay said, but what we cannot absorb is the authorities playing games on us and mortgaging our community lands without compensation, guarantees for employment for our youths, or gardens for our women.”
Lawyer Lamin J Darbo, counsel for the SDF, accused the Ministry Works and GPA of dishonesty.
“All Sanyang is demanding is adequate compensation for their resources and the action by the Ministry of Works and GPA in dealing with the dissolved VDC members is illegal,” he said.