We noted with deep appreciation the equipment and the large quantity of clean rice recently donated to The Gambia, by the government of Japan.
The donated items which included six bulldozers, four ambulances, nine Pick-up trucks, three rescue boats, seven excavators, seven trucks, one truck with a trailer and seven silent generators, plus 4,503 metric tons of clean rice, are valued at 2.5 billion dalasis.
This largesse is expected to support in disaster management and rapid response initiatives in The Gambia.
With these and many other donations, the Japanese government has once more manifested their love and concern for the well-being of the Gambian people.
It is now left to the concerned authorities to take good care of the donated items, by making maximum utility of them.
The donation was done with good intention and we hope it would not go in vain.
It is our firm belief that the donated equipment, by the government of Japan through the extended Grant for Environment and Climate Change Mitigation, when properly managed would significantly improve disaster preparedness and rapid response in the country.
However, we must emphasise that for the materials to serve the country well they must be well-maintained at all times.
Once more, we join the National Disaster Management Agency to thank the government and people of Japan for supporting a cause worthy of commendation.