NAM says Kiang ‘disappointed’ with new gov’t

By Juldeh Njie The National Assembly Member for Kiang West, Fakebba Colley, has said that the people of Kiang “are really disappointed” with the Barrow government for neglecting Kiang, two years into office. Speaking in a Standard exclusive, Colley queried: “The people of Kiang suffered so much to bring about change and defeat Yahya Jammeh. After 22 years of neglect, we were with the hope that Kiang West will have development, unfortunately this is not the case. The people of Kiang are really disappointed with the new government. “I am very disappointed. After all the promises we have been given by the Coalition government that Kiang will be given the first priority in terms of development, nothing has not happened.” He said during the UDP stand-off with the para-military police at Fass Njaga Choi in April 2015, Kiang deployed 18 young people to help them. He explained: “We [the UDP] faced the PIU for five days. They were with guns and we were with stones and everybody was scared because there was going to be war and having heard about our clash, the people of Kiang deployed 18 young people to join us to die with us because we were going to die if a fight should erupt there, all in anticipation of change in this country”. He also said “quite a good number of people” who were arrested at the 14 April 2006 protest at Westfield came from Kiang West. “After all the struggle, we were of the belief that the new government was going to give us priority. In the presidential election, we had 76% votes highest in The Gambia, in the National Assembly election, I have 86%, the highest in The Gambia. All these show that the people of Kiang are interested in change and we have got the change but it hasn’t benefitted us”, he lamented. “Our roads are not good. Our health facilities are poor, and there is a lack of clean drinking water. I cannot say that they [the government] will not do anything for Kiang, but as at now they really failed us. I was in prison during the election. We were promised that immediately after the election, Kiang West was going to be given the first priority because we were neglected for 22 years. But nothing.” But after rehashing his complaints, Honourable Colley urged his people to exercise patience “because things might change”.]]>