By Aisha Tamba
The community of Gilanfari in Foni Bintang District over the weekend launched a water borehole project in the village.
According to members of the Village Development Committee, the project was fully funded by the villagers without any outside aid.
Mr. Sadibou Badjie, the Chief Organiser of the Village Development Committee said the project cost them over D220800 and the work was done by the villagers.
He added that the source of funding was mainly the tractor and the milling machine as well as the fund that the village has from the annual congress.
He said the villagers used to walk for distance to fetch water and also used excessive force to draw water. He expressed his satisfaction over the whole project adding that his community now has access to clean water. He called on all Gambians to unite and work hard. He said unity can foster rapid development.
He said the challenges the village is facing include inaccessible road network and electricity. He said the distance from the village to the highway in Sibanor, the main town of the district is very far and there is a need to have good road to connect them to Sibanor.
Speaking at the launching ceremony, MA Bah, the deputy party leader of the Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC) expressed happiness about the project and urged the villagers to continue the strength of unity they have among themselves.
He said the people of Foni are left behind by the government of President Adama Barrow. He said that is wrong because when President Yahya Jammeh came to power, he constructed the Kerewan Bridge, hospital in Farafenni in 1994, good road among others for the people of Baddibu. He said if the current government comes to wage a war or sideline the people of Foni, it is unacceptable.
He said they have seen attacks on APRC militants both pre and post elections and that they have brought it to the notice of the police as well as representatives of UN, EU, ECOWAS among others but no step has been taken.
“We have reported almost all cases to the police but nothing came out of it but now APRC is left with no option but defend itself.
“APRC is different from Jammeh because APRC is owned by Gambians and Jammeh is an individual. Any person treating APRC as Jammeh is mistaking. APRC is here to stay because it was legally registered,” he said.
On the recently concluded council elections, Mr. Bah said it was fair on the side of APRC because they have done better than they did in the national assembly election.
The event was also attended by the Ward Councilor and the National Assembly Member for Foni Bintang.
