In the past fifty-two years since we gained independence, we have undoubtedly failed to attain our developmental aspirations. This is due to many varying factors, but the most profound of them is the lack of good leadership. The woes of the African continent have been diagnosed by many intellectuals around the world as emanating from the lack of honest, competent and good leadership. This is true in most cases as we see even in countries that are blessed with a lot of natural resources still failing to develop.
In the Gambia, we have not been able to build a just and equitable economic system and as such we observe a large gap of economic disparity in our country. For instance, we have not been able to provide adequate, accessible and affordable healthcare, education system, access to roads infrastructure and so on and so forth even here in the urban areas.
But at least we can observe a semblance of these in the urban areas; albeit, at a very minimal level due to the poor performance of our economy. In the provinces though, a horrible picture of poverty, want and deprivation is observable almost everywhere. In many parts of the rural areas, people cannot even have good roads to access health centres, markets to sell their agricultural produce or other social needs.
The need to decentralize our developmental achievements, meagre as they are, is indeed a big challenge which should be given due priority. One’s heart aches when you see people in these parts of the country struggle on horse or donkey carts to reach health centres. Imagine a pregnant woman who needs to see a doctor and can only reach one on a donkey cart. How uncomfortable and difficult that must be! The bumps one has to go through are even likely to aggravate that person’s woes.
The people in the rural areas are our farmers, they grow our food and pay taxes, campaign and vote in elections and perform all their civic duties to the best of their abilities. So, they deserve the attention of the government as well. They deserve good schools; good, adequate and accessible health centres, a good road network and indeed all the things that we enjoy here in the urban areas. They are as Gambian as you, I or any other.
Mr President, we need to have plans which include the development of the rural areas, take the development to them as well and provide for them all what is enjoyed in urban Gambia. The current outcry about water and electricity is only here in the urban areas as the provinces were not even enjoying the erratic one we had here. As far as we all pay taxes, it is equally their right to have and enjoy whatever we have and enjoy here. Remember, yours is a government of inclusion.
Set out a plan to take these to the provinces as well.
Have a Good Day Mr President….
Tha Scribbler Bah
A Concerned Citizen
