The Chairman of Sanyang Village Development Committee (VDC), Mr. Abdoulie Boto Gaye, has asserted that GACH Mining’s contribution to Sanyang’s development remains unparalleled since sand mining began in the coastal community in the 50s.
“We were told by our elders that GML started mining in Sanyang in the 50s. When we grew up, from Ginkon, Unity Mining and Carnegie, no past VDC chair would tell you that any of them gave the VDC a butut,” Gaye said in a recent Star Tv interview.
The Sanyang VDC chair recalled how some natives of Sanyang were taken to Mile II for merely demanding justice for Sanyang when ex-president Jammeh was mining there.
“When President Jammeh was mining minerals [in Sanyang], Kaba and others followed him for royalties until they were taken to Mile 2,” Gaye explained. “I took over on 28 July 2024, as VDC chairman but what GACH has contributed to the VDC during my 11 months surpassed the contributions of all the mining companies that had operations in Sanyang.”
Mr. Gaye shared that the Sanyang police station was singlehandedly rehabilitated by GACH. “Not even a single butut from the VDC or the government was spent there. GACH funded all,” he stated, further enumerating that the foundation project for the proposed Sanyang garage was also wholly financed by GACH.
“If you go to the central mosque, all the tiles in the mosque and outside it were donated by GACH. My first budget to GACH when I took over on 28 July 2024, was D942,000, which was for the construction of Sanyang health centre. GACH singlehandedly financed the project and even paid for the food, chairs, drinks, among others, during the inaugural ceremony,” he added.
The Sanyang VDC chair revealed that GACH recently donated 300 solar lights to Sanyang through the ward councillor.
He also explained that the VDC signed a road maintenance contract with Hips Construction and Logistics, disclosing that GACH has donated 250 trips of gravel to the project.
“We wrote to GACH [for the project’s implementation] and today the Sanyang Faala road has been laid with gravel, all the potholes on Baaming Doors have been filled, you go to Nice Junction, Manjang Junction, Nimisaki, Fula Kunku, Gmalina Junction, all were laid with gravel thanks to GACH,” he acknowledged.
