Date for OIC Summit not yet finalised – Fadera

Mr. Fadera made these remarks during an interview with this reporter at his office recently.

He explained that discussions regarding the date for the summit in The Gambia is still ongoing and yet to be finalised by top OIC officials.

According to him, since the date for the Summit is not yet stated; it will be difficult to say that The Gambia will host the Summit this year.

He added that there were countries that were meant to host the Summit and it got cancelled and deferred for a year or two and their projects continued. He said upon completion of their projects they hosted the Summit.

Fadera said even if The Gambia does not host the Summit this year, it will not stop the ongoing OIC projects in the country.

He indicated that the VVIP lounge at the Banjul International Airport is near completion, saying by November this year, contractors will hand over the keys to the OIC Secretariat.

He further said that if the projects are not completed before the Summit, they will be completed after the Summit. “The project will not stop The Gambia from hosting the Summit.”

Mr. Fadera noted that the OIC water and electricity projects will boost the capacity of the National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC) in terms of service delivery across the country.

He said the construction of the Five Star Hotel in The Gambia will add value to the country’s tourist destination.

Mr. Fadera also said that the roads project will boost the country’s commerce, socio-economic development and improve urban outlook.

“Once completed, these 20 new roads will decrease the volume of traffic jams and speed up travel by more than half the usual time. Given their strategic geo-locations, the identified roads, which connect major communities, will no doubt reduce pressure on major highways, enabling commuters to move with ease and pace," he said.

He appealed for the cooperation of the public as construction works may cause disruption.