I am very pleased with the initiative taken to fix the city of Banjul. I will give the initiators an A grade for their intent. However thsts were I personally deviate with them because I believe that a comprehensive study should have been commissioned by the client (Banjul/Government) as prescribed by an EPC contract and also the supervision of works by a reputable consulting firm. I am cautiously optimistic about the quality of work based on the photos presented. I have vehemently stated that Banjul needs an overhaul starting with a new blueprint but our development strides are always short sighted. God save us and for us who choose to speak up, we are seen as saboteurs and jealous people I will gladly be called that if I feel like due process and global best practices are not adhered to.
We all agree that Banjul has been neglected for reasons best known to Jammeh not withstanding, we still have to do the right thing and the best for our beloved city. I have negotiated contracts and sourced funding for public infrastructure works in the past and all am saying without fear, favor or 'll will is that there are international best practice for contract supervision that must be strictly adhered to inorder for the beneficiary (Banjul) to make the most out of this venture. Generally an EPC contract requires a thorough study by a reputable firm, a technical design vetted by the consultant and strict supervision during the execution phase. All these must be in place before one bag of cement is poured on the ground. We are not fools and no one must insult our intelligence. The days of cronyism must be a thing of the past considering where we came from. Am never shy to call a spade a spade irrespective of who feels offended. There are no short cuts to good procedural processes and we either want the best or we are tacitly complicit in short changing Banjul. My grandfather of blessed memory Nyang Njie was fond of saying that " lou bon dou yagaa bem daahgan". We ought to know better cos no where in the world will rules be flouted the way we did in Banjul. I rest my case and time will vindicate me cos we know what's right but mostly opt for what's convenient. I have executed such projects using FIDIC rules of contract. Dodou Jagne #Bammy is a living witness and can attest to that. Let's be serious about rebuilding Banjul for once. My utterances and postulations are based on logic and prior experiences so I find it as an escapist route to term the nay sayers as know it all. We all know that the Banjul sewage system has failed and in need of an overhaul not repairs therefore fixing the roads before sorting the sewage may be a double expense in the medium term as we will get to fix the sewage sooner or later and the roads will be excavated to do so. Our differences in opinion must not be misconstrued for hatred or jealousy. We are citizens and vested parties of Banjul and we are just weighing in per the dictates of the market place of ideas so let no one take offence.. Banjul has been perennially flooding for crying out loud and these incessant floods are due not only to clogged drainage but change in levels due to the new roads constructed over the years. A drain must have a capacity (volume of water in cubic meters to flush within a specified time) and this is calculated by depth and gradient of the drains. How can a contractor execute such without a thorough study. So let's be sincere with our actions and not short change the tax payers who will eventually foot the bill.
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