The surprise tour of Banjul by President Yahya Jammeh on
Monday afternoon, which took him to various streets in Banjul, it is believed,
will give him the opportunity to have first-hand information about the
condition of roads in Banjul the capital city.
The tour is, no doubt, timely as it came at a time when the poor roads in many parts of the country have become a cause for concern, and a topical issue in many corners of the country.
We are of the belief that good road networks are of great significance in the development process of any country including ours, and all efforts should be made to make them available.
Bad roads affect the overall development of the country, as it delays the transportation of goods and persons across the country.
A good road network is also an effective matter for economic growth, recognising the social and economic benefits of good roads and the mobilisation of more resources for good roads.
Good roads provide avenues for business, so one can confidently say that it also contributes significantly to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of a country.
At this point, we would like to reiterate our long time call for municipalities across the country to establish a common framework on ‘Road Network’ to involve a broad range of stakeholders.
Municipalities are established to serve the people in the endeavour to develop.
So they must strive to correctly advance the needs and demands of the people.
We have always maintained that, if we are to advance, our municipalities should always maintain close ties with the people, and serve their interests at all times.
In view of this, we advocate for mass rehabilitation of roads, as we are of the opinion that this will also contribute to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
It is our fervent belief that President Jammeh has got first hand information about the condition of our roads in Banjul, and we hope that he would act as soon as possible to make the road conditions in Banjul of the highest standard possible.
“Improvement makes straight roads; but the crooked roads without improvement are roads of genius”
William Blake