By Madi Jobarteh
Look at these expensive vehicles posed in front of muddied lakes in our communities as if shooting of a Hollywood action movie is about to begin. These is how politicians hoodwink and exploit their people. They keep them so impoverished, uninformed and destitute and then appear before them in shiny hardwares and in immaculate dresses as if they are not from those people.
What is President Adama Barrow trying to prove here? For over one year, public announcements and advertisements are bombarded on our radios and television about OIC coming to build 20 new roads as if that will make The Gambia look like Dubai! Yet where are the workers and equipment to build the roads? OIC summit is in November 2022 yet the construction of 20 new roads, not to mention building hotels and hospitals, are yet to start. It is less than 20 months to November 2022. Is it that in every month a new road will be constructed?
What’s the value in visiting it these roads? Is it only to dirty expensive vehicles bought with poor people’s money? These pictures should make the President ashamed to realize that the masses of our people live in these communities thanks to Government failure.
People have to be jumping like frogs amidst these lakes of mud in our streets just to avoid being stained and dirtied. People have been struggling to get to and from home because of these muddied waters because they don’t have such vehicles that the President and entourage are brandishing here like movie stars in an action thriller.
To bring these vehicles here is utter mockery, insensitivity and blatant display of opulence! Utterly irresponsible and unnecessary! This is nothing but a show to wow the people into believing mere propaganda!
Instead, let the President respond to the leakage at the airport. To spend 14 million dollars on such a edifice only to have it leaking is unacceptable.
Let the President respond to the bad roads that are said to be newly constructed such as the Ice Man road or the road connecting LK Sabiji market to Coastal Road in Wellingara or the never-ending construction of the road from that same market going into Sukuta.
The road from Jokor Westfield to Abuko via Talinding and Faji Kunda is horrible. These are among many public works that are substandard yet millions are spent on them. Let the President address that. All of these roads indicate bribery and corruption and inefficiency.
Finally before coming here, let the President address the poor drainage and sewage systems all over the greater Banjul area.
The Minister of Health has just announced a polio outbreak precisely because of poor drainage and sewage. The polio virus were discovered in Banjul and Kotu yet the President has not even talked about that!!!
Polio is a more dangerous situation than COVID because it targets children by making them physically disabled hence undermining their growth, denying them opportunities and equality in future!
Let the President stop the foolery and respond to urgent national issues. If you have already secured funding for 20 new roads, then let the work begin than taking expensive vehicles to dirty them in the mud for nothing. Stop playing with public resources!
For The Gambia ?? Our Homeland
