State
House, Banjul, March 15, 2020 - His Excellency, President Adama Barrow has told
a delegation from Basse that his intention is to deliver a development record
that will surpass the 50-year record of the first and second Gambian presidents
put together.
The delegation, comprising prominent and
influential citizens of Basse were at the State House on Sunday, March 15, 2020
to pay a courtesy call on President Barrow and present to him a road map for
the development of Basse and the Upper River Region as a whole.
The delegation also presented the idea of the
ongoing process to set up a group they called Basse Development Initiative,
whose primary task is to develop among other things, a master plan for the
development of Basse. Such a plan will cover a central market for Basse, roads
infrastructure, youth empowerment and business development.
In their view, this will provide a solid
complement and support to President Barrow’s vision for the development of
their region.
For President Barrow, Basse and URR are his
home region. Hence his aim is to build a legacy that will lift Basse from
marginalisation to a commercial and business hub that will serve as an example
to other regions in the country.
“What I am delivering to the URR within three
years is already unprecedented in the fifty years’ history of independent
Gambia. My aim is to deliver in ten years what former Presidents Jawara and
Jammeh were not able to deliver during their period in office,” President
Barrow said.
As a student, he recalled spending up to two
hours at the Basse ferry crossing point, just to cross to the other side. When
he was campaigning for presidency in 2016, it took him four hours to trek from
Basse to Fatoto – a journey that would last just 30 minutes on a normal,
standard road that is currently under construction.
Now that he is President, a key priority for
him is to uplift living conditions of the people in that remotest part of The
Gambia through construction of key roads and bridges, schools and hospitals,
among others.
Under
such a plan, Basse would benefit from a first class market complex in place of
the one recently lost to inferno, a dry harbour, fuel storage facility and a
four star hotel.
As a metropolitan town, Basse is a hub to trade
from Conakry, Bamako, Bissau, Freetown and eastern Senegal. Hence such
facilities, along with 24-hours electricity supply will turn the town into a
city and make it ripe for industrial growth through commerce.
To accomplish such a lofty ambition, President
Barrow urges all to give his mandate the support it requires, especially the
URR and Basse.
Other speakers at the ceremony included
Minster of Youth and Sports, Hadrammeh Sidibeh, Minister of Tourism and
Culture, Hamat Bah; Mr. Modou Lamin Baldeh, Binta Baldeh, Fatou Kandeh, Hassan
Jallow, Hamed Jago and Batchilly.
