Barrow is currently on a nationwide tour in fulfilment of a constitutional requirement with a view to discussing with Gambians some of the issues affecting them in order to address them as well as roll out his government’s plans for Gambians.
As in many of the president’s meetings, hundreds of supporters from mainly the opposition Gambia Democratic Congress (GDC) and the United Democratic Party (UDP) abandoned their respective parties and joined the National People’s Party (NPP) of President Barrow.
Bansang Meeting
Speaking at a meeting held at Bansang, the Gambian leader assured locals that his administration will ensure that taxpayers’ monies are returned to them in the form of development, while citing the recent community ambulances his government purchased.
The community ambulances, he added, is the first of its kind in the history of the country, adding: “The community ambulances will help transport sick patients, especially pregnant women, from their respective villages to any nearby health centre or hospital in the country. The ambulances will also have free lines where people can contact the ambulances without being worried about credit,” he said, claiming that this is due to his government’s efforts in bringing health services to the doorstep of every Gambian.
Barrow also outlined plan to construct about 1200km of roads during his second term of office, adding that road construction is currently on-going in many places ranging from Upper and Lower Saloum, Nianija, Saba Sanjal and the Hakalang Road in NBR among other places across the country.
President Barrow maintained that Serrekunda is the next place identified for road construction upon the completion of the on-going construction in the country’s capital city, Banjul. Janjangbureh and Njoren, he continues, will also be given tractors, saying that his government is currently constructing about 104 boreholes across the country, noting that 30 to 35% of the construction of the boreholes has been completed in some communities.
Sheikh Tijan Kah and Kaleh Manneh of Chai Kunda all lamented the difficulties they encounter. Roads, electricity and lack of clean and potable water are among the top issues affecting them.
“It’s hard to say, but during Ramadan, one ice block costs around 60 dalasis or even more. This is because of the poor electricity supply in the region. We have been complaining about bad roads since the Jawara and Jammeh government but to no avail. We therefore hope that your government will put an end to this nightmare,” Alhagie Jibel Boye of Kerr Jama told the President.
Mr. Boye urged the president to help his community complete a health post that the youth of his village initiated, while assuring the president of their unflinching support.
“We have to use horse carts in order to transport sick people to a near-by health centre or hospital due to the bad roads. Hardly have you even seen vehicles, especially taxis entering Mauritania during the rainy season. If we have sick people, we have to use horse carts and transport the individual to hospital. Most of the women in the area have to go to the next village due to the unavailability of a milling machine,” Nyoka Suwareh posited.
