The situation at the Bignona health center and the municipal stadium was a major concern for members of the "Bignona Jiito" movement. At a press conference held at their headquarters, they demanded clear answers from the various authorities regarding these facilities, which directly impact the Bignona department and are the current cause of numerous difficulties faced by the residents of Bignona. "The situation at the Bignona health center is catastrophic," stated Lamine Badji, president of "Bignona Jiito," unequivocally.

"This is the umpteenth time we've talked about this situation. We have repeatedly warned on television programs and social media that Bignona is experiencing a catastrophic situation because we have a health center that is first of all a century old and is in a very advanced state of disrepair. And this is causing loss of life, because we know very well that the medical facilities are not up to standard and we are constantly having to evacuate patients to Ziguinchor," said Lamine Badji.

The president of "Bignona Jiito" and Co. deplore this situation and indicate that the department of Bignona, which represents almost two-thirds of the region, deserves a hospital and not a health center.

"We are requesting the construction of a level 2 hospital because Bignona is a department and a department must have a level 2 hospital. Bignona has more than 300,000 inhabitants. So, it is unacceptable that we are living in this catastrophic situation," said Lamine Badji, during this press briefing, also deploring the statement of the President of the Republic of the new, who according to him, affirmed that the health situation is very good.

In Bignona, the health of the population is in poor condition and its health center is in even worse shape, said the president of Bignona Jiito.

The conditions for patient care at the Bignona health center are extremely alarming. "Hospitalized patients bring their own supplies: bed sheets, fans, power strips," stated Lamine Badji. This deplorable situation was condemned by the leader of "Bignona Jiito," who also noted the systematic evacuations of patients to Ziguinchor, along chaotic roads, particularly the Bignona-Kafountine and Bignona-Seletti routes, via Diouloulou.

"Today people from Bignona are dying simply because they are displaced and evacuated for medical treatment. And that is unacceptable in this period of the 21st ^century ," lamented Lamine Badji.

According to members of the Bignona Jiito movement, the working conditions of health workers in Bignona are precarious and difficult, and the care of patients is ruthless.

  Municipal stadium renovations: Mayor accused of misuse of funds

The president of the "Bignona Jiito" movement is criticizing the mayor of Bignona's handling of the municipal stadium's finishing work. Members of the Bignona Jiito movement, including its president Lamine Badji, accuse their mayor of misappropriating funds intended for the stadium's construction.

The construction of the municipal stadium took six years, Mr. Badji recalled. It began in 2020 under the previous municipal administration with funding of 550 million CFA francs. The municipality of Bignona applied to the PACASEN program and was awarded this 550 million CFA franc grant for the stadium's construction, stated the president of "Bignona Jiito." Lamine Badji lamented the current municipal administration's difficulty in completing the stadium.

"We asked Mayor Bakary Diatta about the completion of this stadium. But so far, we cannot get a clear answer. He even said that the work will start this January. We are waiting to see," he said.

He continued: "In 2024, the municipality disbursed 268 million for major sports projects. The municipal stadium we have here is one such major sports project. When we requested it, this sum was used for other projects, notably the hospital ward in Badioncoto and the perimeter wall of the Etoba complex. During his New Year's greetings, we saw him listing his achievements. Unfortunately, everything he listed was funded by PACASEN money—that is, the money for the stadium he built," insinuated the president of the Bignona Jiito movement.

He wonders where the mayor will find the money to build this stadium? And also, how much has he put into the stadium?