Speaking on the Coffee Time, Minister of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services Dr Ismaila Ceesay said the government’s position is based on what officials have heard during previous presidential tours across the country.
“We have gone around the country and we have given people a platform, all people are asking for in these areas is what the president is giving them, we want clean water, we want roads, we want schools, we want hospitals, we want support for farmers.”
He said the government does not respond to what is being discussed on social media, but rather to what communities are telling officials directly.
Ceesay, was responding to claims that cost of living and security are among the biggest concerns for Gambians. He said government officials have collected feedback from communities during the president’s tours and that these issues have not featured prominently in those engagements.
“The people on the ground today want clean water the communities, the farmers want support they want cheap fertilizer they want seeds, they want equipment,” he said.
According to Ceesay, many rural communities depend heavily on farming for their livelihoods. He said farmers produce food for their families, sell part of their produce and use the income to meet their needs.
He argued that this explains why government’s current tour is focused on development rather than a cost-of-living campaign.
“For us, the president is responding to what the people are asking for and what they’re asking for is water, electricity, roads, schools, support for farmers,” Ceesay said.
The minister also defended the government’s investment in rural infrastructure, saying roads are helping communities gain access to schools, health facilities and markets.
He cited the Hakalang road and other roads being developed across rural communities as examples of projects intended to connect areas that were previously difficult to reach.
Ceesay said the government is also working to improve healthcare access, with a target of ensuring communities have health facilities within three kilometres and an ambulance for clusters of about 10 to 12 villages.
He maintained that the development projects are part of a broader effort to ensure rural Gambians benefit from national development, regardless of their political affiliation.
