By Assan Bah
As the President continues his ‘Meet the Peoples Tour’ in communities in provincial Gambia, residents continue to ask the president to provide them with certain necessities.
At the joint meeting in Sami Pachonki village in CRR North, residents lamented the lack of hospitals, good roads, and clean drinking water in their communities.
Speaking at the gathering, Chief Mam Demba Jallow of Sami, appealed for the construction of a hospital inYallal Karantaba and Sami Omar Jula communities, and the construction of the roads in his district.
Fanta Ceesay of Sami thanked the government for providing them with electricity and said the availability of electricity has served as a source of income for women of the community who now make ice blocks for sale. She, however, appealed to the president to provide them with a health facility and potable water for the community.
“Women in labour go all the way to Bansang which is distant from their community,’’ Fanta said.
Mariama Bah, a Lady Councilor, equally appealed to the president for the construction of good roads in their communities.
“Just recently, a woman lost her life while on her way to the health centre, due to the condition of the road. She lost a lot of blood before reaching the health centre and this subsequently caused complications which resulted in the loss of her life when she was in labor,” Ms Bah said.
“We the residents of Niamina Mayo go all the way to Kuntaur to access medical service by either using horse or donkey carts, because of the condition of our roads,” she added.
Saffie Kanteh, a resident of Niani told the president that “the entire Niani does not have a good road and other basic amenities, and joined his counterparts in the North Bank Region in lamenting the poor groundnut harvest this year.
“We have worked on our farms, but our farms have failed,’’ Saffie said.
Responding to some of the concerns raised, Dr Demba Sabally, the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Security, said Sami and Niani all benefited from fertilizer supply that was subsidized by the government. He said the government provided a thirty-hectare farm for the community of Niani Sukuta with rice and groundnut seeds and chemicals. He further reported that in the area of matching grants, Niani benefited from the GIRAV and ROOTS matching grants schemes and said GAFSP will provide these and other gardens with seeds and other materials.
“Government provided thirteen thousand kilograms (13, 500 kg) of rice seeds to Sami and Niani, and one thousand, four hundred and eighty-five (1, 485) bags of fertilizer were given to rice farmers at no cost,’’ Dr Sabally told the gathering. On the poor groundnut harvest, Minister Sabally said they would examine the issue.
On his part, Hamat NK Bah, the Minister for Local Government, Lands, and Religious Affairs, advised the youth to learn skills saying this will help them to be self-employed.
“Skills will help you to be self-employed because you will not be scrambling for job opportunities,’’ Hamat said.
While responding to the concerns and demands of the people, President Barrow in his speech highlighted that the government works according to its budget, noting that even households spend according to their budgets. He however promised to build roads and hospitals in the communities of Niani and Sami and assured that he always keeps his promises.
“Last year, I promised to provide electricity and this has almost been achieved. Starting from Jarumeh Koto to Niamanar; Salikenni to Jarumeh Koto; Niani Kayai to Niani Sukuta; Barra JallyTouba to Barra Jally Tenda; Touba Mballow, Choya Kuta, Jataba, Fula Kunda to Kuntaur and Wassu, Fula Kunda to Jataba, Kayai among other roads, will all be built,’’ president Barrow told the crowd. He also promised to build a health centre in Sami and Jataba Omar and to upgrade the Kuntaur Health Centre, which would be funded by the Africa Development Bank.
“Poor groundnut harvest has been repeatedly said in all my meetings and after the tour, we will conduct an assessment on the issue,’’ the president said.
The president further assured the gathering about the early payment of their farm produce.
“We will ensure that farmers receive their payments immediately after weighing their groundnuts since everyone is crying about poor harvest. There will be no delay in payment,’’ President Barrow said.
While reporting on the construction of a mega TVET centre in WASSU, President Barrow encouraged the youth to learn skills in order to be self-employed and called for peace.
“Let us all join hands and develop the country by enhancing peace and unity.”
Meanwhile, the GIRAV project presented over three million dalasi to nine beneficiaries of their project.
