The department of Saint-Louis, like most of the localities in Senegal, faces difficulties linked to territorial inconsistencies. In the commune of Gandon, local elected officials denounce limits between local authorities which, according to them, are prejudice to their locality.
The limits between municipalities are often a source of differences. Like the other local authorities in the department of Saint-Louis, Gandon sometimes says he is injured. For Djibril Diagne, municipal councilor and chairman of the external relations committee, decentralized and inter -municipal cooperation, the commune of Gandon is also the victim of inconsistencies in the cutting. The most striking, he continues, are those linked to the limits between communities. They sometimes create problems between the municipalities, especially in the management of certain development projects.
“Between the commune of Gandon and that of Fass Ngom, for example, there are limits of limits, which negatively impact the management of the occupation and soil assignment plan (POAS). Sometimes there are encroachments between the two municipalities, and often it is a problem, “said Djibril Diagne. The same situation is observed between Gandon and Diama in the department of Dagana, but also between Gandon, Ndièbene Gandiol and Saint-Louis, according to the local elected official. “In particular, in hydrobase, there are limits of limits between the town of Gandon and Ndièbene Gandiol. In this area, there are many hotel channels. Sometimes there are disputes on the territorial spring to set up these hotel establishments. There is a vagueness at that level, “added Diagne.
The exploitation of gas in Saint-Louis accentuated these problems between local authorities in the locality. Some, like Gandon, ask to benefit, as is Saint-Louis, from corporate social responsibility (CSR) of structures like Kosmos Energy and BP responsible for the exploitation of the platform. Djibril Diagne is legitimate that Gandon can take advantage of this CSR currently paid to the town of Saint-Louis, since the platform is seated on a good part of the municipal territory of Gandon. The construction of health infrastructure and the transport field are also a source of controversy.
The other municipalities also want to have infrastructure in the same way as Saint-Louis. They denounce, for example, that the site to house the level 4 hospital, that is by presidential decree, attached to the town of Saint-Louis, while it is at the entrance to the town of Ndièbène Gandiol. “There is already a regional hospital located in Saint-Louis, in addition to another, and a health center. All in the commune of Saint-Louis, while in other local authorities, there are only health posts, which are only of name, which lack equipment and infrastructure that could make a good technical platform, “denounces Mr. Diagne.
The inhabitants of other municipalities in the department of Saint-Louis also denounce the fact that the majority of state programs as promo, Pacasen are only intended for the town of Saint-Louis. The latter note “inequitable” treatment. An “injustice” more felt by rural communities that have become common with act 3 of decentralization. For the local elected official of Gandon, these inconsistencies can however be corrected with the intermunicipal association which brings together the local authorities of the department, namely Saint-Louis, Gandon, Ndièbene Gandiol, MPAL and FASS NGOM.
Jeanne Sagna (correspondent)
