Controversy in Petit-Thialy: The mayor of Thiès-Nord provides clarifications on the school project

The mayor of Thiès-Nord, Mouhamadou Diakhaté, has broken his silence to provide details on the project to build a new school. This project is being contested by young people in the Petit-Thialy neighborhood who fear the loss of their football field.

Speaking to the press, the mayor explained that the project's primary aim is to relocate the Petit-Thialy school, which is built in a flood zone. This situation regularly disrupts the start of classes and endangers students and teachers.

According to Mr. Diakhaté, municipal authorities were alerted to this problem as soon as they took office in 2022. Site visits were conducted with the relevant services, before a report from the Civil Protection service concluded that the site was dangerous.

In response to the emergency, the town hall relocated the students to a building rented in 2023 thanks to a budget of 12.4 million CFA francs.

The mayor explained that research conducted with the land registry and urban planning departments identified a plot of land belonging to the State of Senegal, already designated for the construction of a school and a football field. Following site approval, the Ministry of National Education gave its consent and committed to funding the school's construction.

Regarding the protest by the young people of Petit-Thialy, Mouhamadou Diakhaté states that several awareness-raising meetings have been organized without resolving the misunderstandings. He also indicates that a meeting held by the governor concluded that the site chosen for the school is not the one occupied by the youth football field.

"Our school construction project has nothing to do with this football pitch. Nobody will touch their football pitch," the mayor insisted.

In conclusion, the mayor urged the neighborhood's youth to "come to their senses," to seek information from the authorities, and to support this project, which he considers beneficial for the entire community. "This school belongs to the community. I encourage you to take ownership of this project and contribute to its success for the benefit of all."