In the eyes of many observers, the democratic space in The Gambia is widening and more and more citizens, especially the young people, are seeking to take an active part in the governance of the country. This is certainly a good thing and should be encouraged so that there can be improvement in the running of the country.
It has been observed that now most young people in the country pay particular attention to what goes on in government, especially in the legislative sector. When not long ago a National Assembly Member introduced a bill to lift the ban on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) there was an outcry in the public and everyone started talking about it in the country.
Recently, the bill about the judicial officers’ remuneration generated a lot of interest in the public. It reached a stage where some people were said to be seeking a permit in order to protest and manifest their disagreement with the bill.
The fact that the youth of the country are taking more interest in the affairs of the nation and trying to participate more in the running of the country is very promising. This should really be encouraged so that more and more young people will come in and play their roles in national development.
National development is a collective responsibility and therefore everyone should participate to ensure that the desired objectives are met in a timely manner. Different citizens play different roles in the building up of the nation, each to your station.
There is hope therefor that the youth are now beginning to realize their roles and responsibilities.
