Why do we have to renew driver’s licences every year?
Dear Editor,
Countries are issuing 10-year valid licence to drivers while in The Gambia you need to renew your licence every year. This simply, is bureaucracy and red-tapism not to talk about waste of everybody’s time and resources.
If we want to develop this country, we should start doing what developed countries are doing.
To renew a mere driver’s licence in The Gambia, you need to spend the whole day going from one office to the other and waiting in long queues. And the saddest thing is that while you are waiting you will not even have a seat and you will stand the whole day and that can take a toll on people’s health.
That time could have been best used to do productive work. This useless system is causing huge losses to the economy. Once you submit all your papers, you are told to come back after a week or two.
We need to change the way we do things.
IGP Abdoulie Sanyang needs to step up his game and change this annual renewal of driver’s licences.
Saderr Cham
New Jeshwang
The Standard is not standard enough
Dear Editor,
I refer you to your headline of Wednesday 9th February 2022. It read, ‘UDP Financer Decamps To UDP’ by your reporter Sheriff Bojang. I was totally confused because how can you leave a party and join the same party at the same time?
Upon reading the article, I soon realise the reporter meant to write UDP Financer Decamps To NPP! I am a keen follower of your newspaper and I believe by far it is the best newspaper published in The Gambia but of recent I have noticed a lot of errors being printed in editions of the paper.
You have to keep standards as your name implies. These standards should not just be about being factual and balanced but also the quality of writing. I suggest you employ a copy editor who would check the prints before publication.
I hope you seriously consider this suggestion otherwise your standards will keep on falling and your paper will be like the other papers. That will be a tragedy for yourself and your readers.
Anthony Simon Richards
Tanji
Editor’s note: We regret the errors and are committed to upholding and even improving the standards at The Standard. Thank you for your patronage.
Re: Gambia College to be transformed into
‘Teacher Education University’
Dear Editor,
Let us be more serious and be fair to our people. Why not fix the existing issue currently at these institutions of higher learning first?
Gambia College, what are the challenges there right now?
GTTI, what are the challenges there right now?
UTG, what are the various challenges there right now?
Many of our current permanent secretaries attended universities outside The Gambia and they very well know or have some good idea how those universities are run. We are a small country but certain basic things about universities or higher learning institutions have to be in place.
What is the work of the governing council?
All these institutions of higher learning can be part of UTG just to streamline the operations and have an effective management structure and good budget to support their operations.
They should employ people who have good experience in university administration, invite staff from renowned universities abroad as guest lecturers, and foster bilateral relationships with other Commonwealth countries to help reshape and better direct the affairs of UTG.
If we do so, we can be among the best universities in the world!
We have to be genuine and realistic. How can UTG build a permanent structure on MDI premises? Why the reluctance in concentrating on the Faraba compus and make it the nerve centre of the UTG?
There are simply too many jokers in our government. Those in charge of the affairs now will be held responsible tomorrow if things go wrong.
Lamin Sawo
Banjul
