Mr. Yankuba Colley, the APRC candidate for the mayoral in Kanifing Municipality has spoken exclusively to The Point newspaper about his plans for the future and previous achievements as an elected representative. Below is a full transcript of his conversation with The Point’s Political Desk.

Q. Mr. Colley, you have been at the helm of affairs at the Kanifing Municipal council at one time, tell me what where some of your achievements?

A. I want to leave people to judge my achievements. As a leader, you only have to do and leave people to judge, but I think all the same, we had done a lot before I left office – we had provided water services to the needy areas of the municipality, like Bakoteh, Faji Kunda, Talinding, Old Jeshwang and Manjai. We have done a lot on water projects and we also made some extensions for electricity to most areas of the municipality.

Before we left office, we had also gone out to purchase about 25 tractor-trailers. Thank God, they have arrived during my absence. They are at the council right now. And before leaving, I also made a tender for ten new trucks, a shovel loader, a bulldozer, 5 more tractor heads, 2 septic tanks and 2 compactors, all to prepare ourselves for the environment. That was my priority when I took office.

Q. What are going to be your priorities if you are returned to office?   
 
A. My priority will be to see that KMC is clean. I must clean it. That was why I engaged in bringing the equipment, because KMC was dirty and we did not have the capacity to clean it. With the hope that my time will be extended come January 24, we’ll continue to do that, because our main target is that, each compound to have a day of collection and the need would never be there again to create a dump site, somewhere, were people would feel bad. We want at least every 3 days for your garbage to be collected. We want to see KMC, as great it is, to be greater than it is right now, and cleaner. And for the achievement I had talked about, I would leave it to the people to judge during my tenure. I want people to judge because that is my concept.

Q. Why did you think your people should return you to office?

A. I believe they have seen what I have done for them. They know that I am a grass- roots worker. I have been working for them for along time. They know me very well - I have been working with them since 1994, when things were very difficult. They got that confidence in me to put me in office as a councilor.

I can recall that when I was first approached to be councilor I refused. But they took it upon themselves to pay all the dues on my behalf. I think that it is confidence that they have in me, and I think it is the same confidence that the people of the municipality have in me.

I don’t believe in “bigmanship” type of leadership. I believe I am grass-roots worker and this is a local government, which simply means that you have to be with your locality. So I don’t believe in big- manship – before you have to see me, it becomes a problem. That was why when I was in office, I made the office so open to every body because everything in that office belongs to the people of the municipality, and not from my pocket. They own it. They entrusted the place, so they also have the right to come in there. I believe in open door policy in leadership, and that is what I am having. I am free, and I have told everybody that, you don’t need to hide behind another person to see Yankuba. Whether I know you or not you equally have the right to come and see me when you have a problem as long as you are living in this municipality. So you don’t need to go to, for example, to Hon. Fabakary Tombong Jatta just to see me. If you want to see me, you just come. I think those are the qualities that the people have seen in me and that is why they asked me to come back and lead them.

Q. What are some of the plans you have for your people?

A. We have lots of plans in stock. We had a 5-year development plan before we left office and we are going to continue with that. We have a lot in stock. Already we have a plan in place that we are going to work on.

Q. From a personal point of view, I should like you to comment on the recent amendment to the Local Government Act, that now gives the president the powers to dissolve councils and remove elected mayors from office?

A. Why should one be fearful of that. The president is not a mad man. Look, if I do not do wrong, I will not be sacked – that is my believe. Infact that will make me to work harder. Because normally, some may use the law and back themselves, because no one can do anything to them. So they will do whatever they like, but with this new law you are under control. I believe you will definitely know that you must work, and KMC is not a partying place. In the mayoral office, you should be an action-orientated person to work for the development of your municipality. It is not just to go and sit down there.