Following complaints of the closure of many shops and canteens in Brikama market after last Friday's riot by some Guinean nationals with the majority of Gambians in Brikama and its outskirts pointing accusatory fingers at the Brikama Area Council for giving out shops to foreign nationals while depriving Gambians, the Brikama Area Council has decided to clear the air.

Sereign Modou Joof, public relations officer of the council has rebutted the allegations, saying that the council was not responsible for the problem. He noted that the council's system of allocating canteens and shops is that they give 75 per cent to Gambians while only 25 per cent are allocated to foreign nationals.

'But Gambians have a habit of hiring their own shops to foreigners in return for huge profits. Most of the canteens in Brikama market that are run by foreigners were not given to them by the council, but by individual Gambians," he said.

According to Momodou Jallow, chief executive officer of the council, the issue of Gambians sub-letting canteens to foreign nationals is a general problem in all councils in the country. He urged people to stop accusing the council of what they are not guilty of.