Abdoulai G. Dibba
The distribution of the donated rice from the People’s Republic of China to the Government of the Gambia, has commenced in all the Regions except the North Bank Region. This reporter can confirm that up to yesterday, no distribution of the donated rice, has started in the North Bank Region.
However, during a tour of the rural communities from 12th to the 16th of October 2017, people started to question the mode of distribution of the rice as some household heads informed this reporter that their names were found in the register at the Regional Governor’s office. Most of the people who spoke to this medium, complain of some political interference in the distribution process.
Upon receiving this information, this medium contacted the coordinator of the Distribution Task Force, Musa Sonko, to shed light on the composition of the regional distribution committees for the donated rice.
According to the Mr. Sonko, the Governors of the Regions are in charge of the distribution and they are supposed to form regional committees for the distribution of the rice.
“We want the Governors to be independent in discharging their responsibility of distributing the rice within their regions,” he said.
With regard to the composition of regional committees, he said the Governors will be in a better position to explain since they are the ones mandated to form the committees. He however said the format of the committee should be such that the Governor, the Agricultural Region Director, the Area Council, a Woman representative, a Youth Representative and a Public servant within the region who has experience in the area of distribution, would be the members of the committees.
Foroyaa will approach the Regional Governors to find out whether the format has been respected or set aside. The people deserve to know.
