President Adama Barrow says his government has electrified 204 communities in the North Bank Region in 10 years, compared to 40 in 50 years under former Presidents Jawara and Jammeh combined, and built over 1,500km of roads versus 855km in 50 years.
Speaking Thursday in Passi Chally, Upper Niumi, at the start of his Meet the People Tour running October 1-19, Barrow said transformation is evident nationwide.
“The Gambia yesterday and today are not the same. The Gambia has drastically changed now,” he said.
He recalled that in 2017, speakers demanded water, electricity, roads, schools and hospitals, but that is no longer the case.
“That is not happening and that is a clear manifestation that we have made a lot of developments in the last 10 years,” he said. “What we have achieved in the last 10 years is small because what we are going to do next is bigger.”
Barrow gave regional breakdowns: CRR 355 communities electrified against 25 in 50 years, URR 220 against 32, LRR 82 against 14.
“So the two regimes of Jawara and Jammeh, compared to mine, are like day and night,” he said.
He said just over 300 villages remain without electricity, surveyed and contracted for electrification.
On taxpayer argument, he said: “Were you not paying taxes for those 50 years of Jawara and Jammeh? Were you not paying taxes to have electricity? You were indeed paying taxes.”
“These developments happened because of our intelligence, our strategies, our self-esteem, and the love for our country,” he said.
On roads, Barrow said previous regimes built 855km of mainly highways – highway stopping at Lamin Koto and Trans-Gambia highway at Basse – while his government built over 1,500km including feeder roads and Banjul rehabilitation.
“When I was coming into power, there were certain places in Banjul that looked like a river... But we are all seeing how Banjul is right now. Even if food is put on the ground, you can eat it there,” he said.
