While Pres. Barrow and his Vice President Joof and his Infrastructure minister Sillah are perambulating in our neighborhoods like aliens pretending to care about the plight of the people, please let us know that The Gambia Government has created several multimillion-dollar project after project purportedly to address roads, sewage and drainage in this country.
Citizens must not sit there to receive these public officials brandishing shiny SUVs which they plunge in dirty water just to show care and concern! They are damaging public property which is crime! One SUV cost over a million dalasi!
When they visit you, shout on them that The Gambia Government has failed woefully and they are the cause of these floods! You are not a subject of pity from public officials that you pay to work for you.
Banjul road project alone is over 2 billion dalasi! Where has that money gone to? Ask President that question than trying to lament before him. Respect and value yourself.
This blatant act of irresponsibility of public officials has to stop. How can the President Adama Barrow and Minister Ebrima Sillah have the temerity to announce yet another 70-million-dalasi drainage project when billions have already been spent under their watch yet today our communities are more ravaged than ever before!
When will our citizens wake up!
Madi Jobateh
Am I deaf
The biggest opposition party in the Gambia at present is the UDP. I assiduously read every fragment of information that comes my way. I have yet to find the UDP making pronouncement on major issues or challenging the government on the budget, its policies and institutions in any forceful manner. I would like to know whether the UDP have selected individual members of the party executive to shadow each government Ministry.
I am a keen advocate of deepening our democratic culture and making it work. I would in this context suggest that the biggest opposition party in Parliament should be funded to enable it to perform its Parliamentary function effectively.
In the UK, the leader of the opposition in Parliament is paid salary and allowances equal to that of a Minister and provided with an official vehicle. The operation of his office is funded and representation allowance given to the party to function as Her Majesty’s Opposition. This is a very civilised and productive way of maintaining that important democratic culture. The leader of the opposition should hold discussions with the President on these lines. It is not my business to advise the UDP but I would suggest that the party secure a seat for their leader to lead his troops in the Assembly.
We criticise the government when we find them wanting. In equal measure we should turn the spot light on the opposition when we feel that they are not doing the job of holding the government accountable
Abdou Sara Janha
