“Basse will remain a stronghold for the ruling APRC party. The recent PDOIS launching was done in Wuli Barrow Kunda, which used to be an opposition stronghold but come 2016 elections, it will change. The launching of PDOIS Agenda 2016 is not a threat to APRC in Basse, it is never a threat and those opposition will never be a threat to APRC in URR.” The URR Governor said this in an exclusive interview with The Standard at his Basse Mansanjang residence. He said URR will remain loyal to APRC government under President Yahya Jammeh.
“The opposition today in URR is less than 5%. There will be no election in URR come 2016 because the president’s Vision 2016 is appreciated by all and sundry in URR. What we are yearning for is already there, we will not waste our time for campaign. We don’t have time for that, we have time for work to attain Vision 2016, grow what we eat and eat what we grow. That is our aim and surely we will attain it. We will not waste our time on politics; politics in URR now is go and work. We have seen The Gambia yesterday and The Gambia today.”
Quizzed as to whether the president’s Vision 2016 call for an end to the importation of rice is attainable in URR, Governor Ceesay said: “URR is one the biggest farming communities in The Gambia, so in URR you have the potential and the land to make sure and fulfill the president’s Vision 2016 dream. We have the water, land and work force. So, for us in URR, we are prepared to answer to the president’s Vision 2016 call. For us in URR, we are talking of 2015 not 2016 to attain the president’s Vision 2016. This year alone, if you see the number of people that are answering to the president’s call. It is amazing and I think by 2015 we will be there. Let me tell you one thing in URR, there are some villages that have already attained the president’s vision. There are few villages in URR where they don’t buy rice, they cultivate rice and coos. You don’t see them coming to buy imported rice because they cultivate enough for consumption.
“It is indeed attainable in 2015 but seeing is believing. Come July, August I will invite you to come and see for yourself. If you go to Sotuma, where the president had a farm, you see for yourself. Every district is clearing one kilometre of land preparing for 2015 and 2016 respectively. We have started to irrigate areas. If you go to Dampha Kunda, right now, you will find people clearing the president’s rice and you see them working on their rice fields and in next 10 days they will harvest their rice. For the next three months, they will harvest again. Every year in these villages, they do harvest two to three times in a year so they are already there. My plans are development and unity for this region. We want a united URR based on development,” he concluded.
By Sainey Marenah
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