Mr.
President, the recently completed Russia-Africa Summit in Sochi seems to give
hope to Africans with the Russian President Valdamir Putin promising to open a
new page with Africa in terms of cooperation, trade, economy and several other
areas.
Russia
used to help Gambia by providing sholarships for students to further their studies
especially in the area of medicine.
Your
government should reinforce the bilateral cooperation between the two countries
especially in the fields of education, health, trade, tourism, and agriculture,
transport and energy with our priorities set.
Mr.
President, it is very saddening to learn about the alarming rate of road
accidents in the country. Road accidents are becoming very rampant and it is
time that serious measures are taken to tackle this problem.
Mr.
President, during dictator Jammeh’s era, the number of accidents claiming lives
was very minimal because of the death penalty law that was in place. Now that the death penalty law is no more,
other tough mechanisms have to be put in place to help reduce these alarming
number of accidents.
Mr.
President, the Police need to double their efforts on the issuing of driving
licence to every Tom, Dick and Harry without going through the right channel
and being tested before issuing licence. Some drivers drive recklessly on the
roads and dont care whilst most of the teenagers and school going children are
involved in joy riding causing serious accidents.
It
is also time for the government to check on the type of vehicles entering the
country and their life span. Vehicles should be tested before being allowed to
run on the highways.
Mr.
President, there are lot of vehicles plying the high ways which are in very bad
state and shouldnt be on the roads. The parking of vehicles on every corner of
the roads making the roads narrower is also a call for concern.
More
traffic police officers should be deployed at strategic locations to assist
with the smooth flowing of the traffic. They should also be at major junctions
and at school junctions to be helping the children to cross both in the morning
and aftnoon.
Finally,
Mr President, most of the roads are in very poor state especially during this
rainy season.
Your
government should seek for assistance especially from the Chinese goverment to
help develop feeder roads to ease the traffic jam especially in the morning and
evening. Workers find it very difficult to get to work on time and back home
because of the serious traffic jams on the highways.
Good
day
