President Barrow has promised a new dawn for Basse, as he announces his government’s plans with the support of the Chinese to construct the Basse-Koina road, which is in a bad shape.
Also part of the plans, he told a meeting in Basse on Thursday night, are the bridging of the Basse-Wuli crossing point, Fatoto bridge and Chamoi bridge.
As part of his ongoing nationwide tour, President Barrow Thursday night held a meeting in the provincial town of Basse in the Upper River Region. The President is accompanied on the tour by senior government officials, former APRC National Assembly Members and members of the Barrow Youth for National Development.
Speaking at the meeting, Barrow says the backwardness of the country was largely due to the fact that everything was around the former president. National development, Barrow told his Basse meeting, cannot be realized by just one individual.
Barrow, who was brought up in Basse and attended Basse Koba Kunda Primary School, said he was happy to hold a meeting in the provincial town of Basse.
The tour, he said, is a constitutional requirement for the President to tour the country and dialogue with the electorates, to know their problems and needs with a view of solving them.
He enjoined all to join him for the development of the country. This, he said will benefit all irrespective of political affiliation. He preaches unity and oneness among Gambians.
Barrow announces an agricultural project for the people of Upper River Region. The French, he said are interested in irrigation farming, focusing on rice cultivation in the Basse and in weeks’ time, they will be in URR.
According to him, it is a pilot project and it will start in his region. He urged on the people of the region to be supportive to the French during their stay in the region to continue with the project in the event the French leave.
Many senior government officials in the past hail from Basse, but according to Barrow who is also from Basse, not much has change in the area. The progress of Basse should start now, he told the crowd.
The National Development Plan developed by his government, according to President Barrow, covers all the sectors of development. Therefore, the development plan, if implemented successfully, will impact on the lives of all.
On security, The Gambian leader called on the people to respect the law enforcement agencies.
“We don’t want to see people taking the law into their hands, the same power that the former government had is the same power that is still here,” he told the meeting.
Various speakers at the meeting spoke on the need to upgrade the Basse Major Health Centre a Basse General Teaching Hospital. The women also want the government support to develop the women’s garden. They called on the government to invest in mechanized agriculture.
Tourism Minister Hamat Bah announced government’s intention to build a hotel in Basse, which he decribed as a necessity. He used the meeting to denounce tribalism.
Agriculture Minister Lamin Nambu Dibba said the government will invest massively in agriculture, a sector he said is very important in the development agenda of the government. URR and CRR, he said are blessed with fresh water for all year-round agricultural activities.
Lands Minister Musa Drammeh said he wants to see a positive change in the running of Basse Area Council to meet the expectations of the tax payers. He called on the Council to come up with their challenges for solutions.
Basic Education and Health Ministers, Claudiana Cole and Dr. Isatou Touray, both outlined their ministries’ commitment to addressing the needs and aspirations of the people.
