Yaya Menteng Sanyang, the National Assembly Member for Latrikunda Sabiji, has said President Barrow should stop deceiving Gambians for electoral gains.
The UDP member said the president is trying to pull a wool over the eyes of Gambians in his current frenzy of launching road projects.
Sanyang stated: “As the chairperson of all government projects monitoring and implementation [committee], I know that there is no budget allocated for any new road construction. During the 2023 budget bilateral meeting, my committee and I advised the minister of works not to contract any new road projects until the existing projects, such as the Niumi Hakalong Loop, Banjul Project, North Bank Lot 1 and 2, and Kiang West Phase 1 and 2, are completed.
“We believe that it is important to focus on completing these existing projects before starting any new ones. This will ensure that we are able to deliver on our commitments to the public and that we are using our resources wisely.
“In addition to our previous recommendations, we also adopted a new one at the preliminary meeting. We believe that the government should not contract any new roads until all of the remaining roads are finished. This can be done by paying all of the interim payment certificates that are owed to the various contractors.
“I urge all Gambians to be aware of the National People’s Party’s core principles of misinformation, tribalism, and deception. These principles are harmful to our country and should be rejected by all Gambians. President Barrow should respect Gambians and stop deceiving them with cheap political propaganda for electoral gains.
“The people of Gambia deserve to know where the money is coming from for the roads that President Barrow has laid the foundation for. Is he planning to bring a supplementary appropriations bill before the National Assembly? What will happen if the bill is not approved?
“The Gambian economy is in a state of crisis. The government has shown a lack of economic wisdom in its handling of the economy, and a supplementary appropriations bill will only make things worse. The bill will increase the national debt, which will lead to higher taxes and more inflation. This will make it even harder for ordinary Gambians to make ends meet.
“The political desperation and frustration that the president is experiencing cannot be solved with deception. Gambians have rejected his government due to his failure in addressing pressing issues such as the rising cost of living, the high cost of Internet and telecommunications, cash power, the lack of security, the lack of accountability and rampant corruption, and the incompetence of the government bureaucracy.
“Barrow’s government has made a number of mistakes that cannot be undone. The best thing he can do now is to resign or change the entire government structure. It is already beyond repair, and Gambians are ready to give his government a vote of no confidence in the upcoming local government elections. Laying foundation stones for new roads will not change that.”
