By Abdoulie Nyockeh
As the fight against the ravaging Coronavirus Disease, otherwise COVID-19, pandemic intensifies, a Gambian business mogul, Alhagie Ali Mbye, popularly known as Buga Mbahal, has also chipped in with a D50,000.00 (fifty thousand dalasi) cash donation to Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC), as his contribution to the ongoing fight against the “common enemy of humanity”.
Speaking on behalf of the Business tycoon, at the presentation ceremony attended by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of KMC, senior staff, media and the donors at the KMC grounds, Mr. Momodou Joof, explained that the donation was part of Mbye’s personal contribution towards the fight against COVID-19. Noting that currently, it’s everywhere and is a cause for concern, Joof said that was Mbye decided to give a handsome donation to the Mayor of KMC, to join in the crusade against the menace.
He reasoned that the objective is to eliminate this pandemic in “our way and methods” as per the directives and advices from the Health authorities.
Joof said it’s no secret that, the watchword now is Coronavirus (COVID-19), adding that was why a Gambian par excellence in his own right, doubled as a patriotic citizen of this nation, decided to come out with his clean heart and lend a helping hand to KMC in the fight against the pandemic.
“We all know our nation is a tax-based nation, and certainly, Government cannot do it all; likewise the Municipality, departments and institutions cannot do it all,” Joof held. Maintaining the philanthropic gesture is worthy of commendation, he stressed the need for all and sundry to come together in a bid to make a head-way as the nation’s resources are very small.
Joof said this is not the first-time the businessman is supporting different events that occurred in this country. He recalled the 1995 rebel attack on Farafenni Military Barracks in which some soldiers lost their lives and others were wounded, saying Alhagie Ali was among the first Gambians who made a handsome donation to help alleviate the suffering of their families.
Again, in 2006, when fire gutted Serekunda Market, he was among the first Gambians to come out to the municipality and rendered support to the affected victims, as Joof recollected.
In receiving the cash, the KMC Mayor, Mr. Talib Ahmed Bensouda, expressed appreciation over the gesture, seeing it as very timely and a welcome move, considering this period of time when the country registered three positive cases of Covid-19, and a fourth one was yet to be confirmed.
The Municipality boss admitted that this is a very difficult time for everybody, within the municipality, and “it is very important that we all come together but also as brothers and sisters, as Gambia is very small”. Bensouda echoed that everybody is related and it’s the time that people show that relationship.
He reported that it’s just that morning they had a directors’ meeting to fumigate the 19 markets in his Municipality. But due to certain budgetary challenges, he said it was very difficult. He, therefore, described the gesture as a significant contribution towards the fight against Coronavirus Disease. He thanked Mbye for his benevolent gesture, while urging others to emulate him, reminding that “this pandemic is a major concern”.
