By: Alimatou S Bajinka
President Adama Barrow has embarked on a tour of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) project sites, ahead of the OIC summit scheduled to be held in The Gambia in November 2022.
The aim of the President’s visit to the project sites is to monitor and assess the progress of the work.
Speaking to the media at the end of the tour, His Excellency Adama Barrow, expressed disappointment over the slow progress of the construction of the 50km project of 20 roads within the Kanifing Municipality and West Coast Region. He also said the progress is about 1%.
“Definitely we are not happy with the progress because all the assessments can be contested. Their progress is about 1% and this job started about 7 months ago, we were expecting by now, according to the schedule, they should have been at least 40 to 50%, so if they are about 1% that is very bad and we cannot explain that anywhere, they should have at least achieved more than what they have achieved now under any circumstance,” he said.
The project is divided into two components that is Lot 1 and Lot 2 given to both foreign and local construction companies. Lot 1 will include the New Jeswang –Jokor Junction, Kanifing hospital, Bertil Harding road, Westfield junction—Abuko road, Sukuta-Latrikunda road, Junction Baa–SOS road, Sukuta Health Center–Senegambia road, Kololi–Senegambia road, Kanifing hospital – GTMI road and Banjul-Serrakunda highway.
While Lot-2 road is a 28km road and would include Kololi Tavern—Bijilo road, Bijilo–Bertil Harding Highway, Sukuta Nemasu–Latrikunda road, Sukuta–Wellingara road, Kombo Coastal Highway–Wulinkama road and Brufut—Ghana Town road.
According to the President, all these roads are part of the preparation for the hosting of the OIC Summit, while expressing disappointment towards the progress of the roads.
“Looking at the 50km project, we are definitely not happy, I am not happy and I am even disappointed with Lot 1 and Lot 2,” he said.
The President further revealed that there is a problem with the two project sites and that a meeting would be conducted today July 15 2022 at midday to find solutions.
“There is a problem, but I have called for an emergency meeting at my office at 12:30 so that all the stakeholders will come together to discuss the roads, and how we can move faster. There is a problem and we have to sit and discuss and find solutions to the problem because there is no problem without a solution,” he said.
