The Barrow administration is still tight-lipped on how the Banjul Rehabilitation Project was awarded to Senegalese constructor, Hadim Gai without a tender process.
An insider at the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure revealed: “There was no tender process. The project was single sourced. Technically, Hadim should have submitted a list of his projects in the last five years and his financial statements to gauge if he has the financial leverage to perform, but none was submitted.”
According to the insider, the decision to award the contract to the Senegalese constructor was from the State House.
“$36million is too much. I know for asphalt roads it should be nothing more than $20m for 37km including drainage and that usually involves foreign companies with resources and big overheads.”
A social media commentator, Saul Sarr said: “The fact that the Banjul mayor was not in the loop says a lot. How was Hadim Gai awarded the contract?”
A US-based Gambian journalist also argued: “The Banjul project is fishy. What’s Hadim’s track record and where is he getting the $36million to finance that project.”
When asked whether the project is 'fishy', the Ministry of Works and Infrastructure insider responded: “Yes, it’s fishy. Hadim is wealthy. We all know that, but I doubt he has $36m to finance the project. Something is not quite right. The figures don’t add up and he doesn’t have that capacity.”
He continued: “Do you know he is the one who constructed the Manjai Road that connects to Tavern? That road is not the best. It is a double surface dressing that wouldn’t last more than 5 years without potholes. That method is used for rural roads with very limited traffic.
“In this country, if you want to get multi-million dollar contracts just be loud and be ready to play dirty.”
The Banjul Rehabilitation Project was launched on Saturday by President Adama Barrow. The project will include the rehabilitation of the drainage and sewerage systems, the road network of the city stretching 37km, beautification and lighting system of the city.