The vice president, who claimed to be blunt about what he said, noted that he did not mind being sacked by the president for speaking the truth.
“We have to take our responsibility because this government wants to develop for the next five years and we cannot make it without speaking the truth. I will say the truth and if they won't let the president get me out but I will say it as it’s here and the Cabinet.”
Speaking at the maiden Cabinet Retreat held at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara, VP Joof said it’s a moral obligation to say the truth, adding if one says it, it becomes a pleasure. He explained that he has pleasure in telling people the truth, no matter what.
“When the president was reelected in December, he has a resounded mandate that was given to him by the people and in fulfillment of the constitution, he constituted a Cabinet which constitutes the executive. The executive set the development agenda and the tone for the implementation of that developmental agenda. The Gambians have great expectations and they are no longer at ease. To make them at ease, we have to deliver the development agenda of this government. In doing so, we identified 10 priority areas.”
VP continued that the country can only achieve development if people change attitudes and politics. He said politics is about having the same agenda but different ways of achieving it. He continued that there is no political party that doesn’t want access to good health care, education, or tourism.
“There is no need for acrimony, insults. When people are voted in, we should forget about politics and bring cooperation and partnership to move on. State goes beyond individuals and when the interest of the state conflicts with the interest of an individual, the interest of the state prevails.”
Foreign policy
“I’m not sure we have a foreign policy. If we do, it's dormant. We need to make sure that we have effective and well-signed foreign policies that have differential targets; that have a differential strategic partnership; that go to a positive win-win situation.”
“To partner with someone that can help us in our self-developments, our foreign policies in other countries cannot be one. Foreign policy is not going and attending a meeting while coming back and saying you doing very well. Is much more than that, it’s something that brings something into this country, it’s the trigger that sets everything running. We want a foreign policy that has a strategic target that will benefit the country.”
Cost of living
He said the ministers of Finance, Trade, Central Bank, Chamber of Commerce, the Business Community, and Ports have to think about how to address this.
“We are already in a very difficult situation and it’s impacting on health and wellbeing of people. The cost of living could break marriages because it brings animosity in the family; because people will begin having one meal per day instead of three meals. Then people become agitated and emotional because they have nothing in their pockets.”
We should empower some people, give them all the initiatives, and open up rolling LCs so that essential commodities like rice, sugar, oil, flour, and others can be brought to the affordability of the people.”
“It happens in another country, we just need to be innovative on strategic advantage. We cannot pay lip service to it, nor allow it to happen. We should think of the farmers, single mothers, and the unemployed youth, which should bring the moral conscience for us as policymakers to come up with strategies that would bring affordable prices so that people can live in peace.”
