By Momodou Jarju
The Gambia’s vice president, Dr. Isatou Touray, has informed the national assembly members that the promise President Adama Barrow made in Brikama in 2017 to provide the region with street lights and CCTV cameras is still alive and kicking.
Member for Brikama South, Lamin J. Sanneh, asked the VP to inform the assembly when the street lights and CCTV cameras will be provided in Brikama as was promised by President Barrow.
Madam Touray responded that she cannot tell exactly when the street lights would be provided in Brikama with Wi-Fi and CCTV cameras as was promised by President Barrow in 2017.
“However, it is important to state that the goal of the government under Adama Barrow is to deliver a fully transformed Gambia that has a future, a country that is energy secured, food self-sufficient and an investment friendly destination that is doing business in The Gambia,” she said.
She further said the energy is part and parcel of the flagship programmes of The Gambia’s development blueprint, NDP 2018-2021. Touray further said the construction of the first OMVG hydropower station connecting communities from Jarra Soma, Lower River Region to Brikama, West Coast Region, is at an advanced stage to deliver a significant impact on the economic and social front.
“The Gambia is on the right track based on the current digital plans to begin to exploit and harness the benefits of information, communication, technology through the communication and digital policy of the government.
The aim is to provide a more secured and enhanced connectivity to the world’s digital economy as a means for modernization and youth empowerment,” she said.
Madam Toury said the government is still committed to its plans to help boast security and cut down on crime rate by improving the surveillance capacity of the country’s security services, while providing affordable and easy internet access.
Already, VP Touray said GAMTEL collaborated with a partner in 2019 to implement a pilot project in Westfield and at the Independence Stadium during the last Trade Fair aimed at providing only limited Wi-Fi services to customers as a starting point.
“Evaluation of this project has demonstrated that it will be feasible to scale up in Brikama and other targeted sites sooner than later,” she said.
Touray said despite the President made the promise in 2017, the process is still ongoing and they are doing everything possible to ensure it happens.
