(JollofNews) – The people of Bondali District Saturday pruned tree branches that reduced visibility along the Mayork-Alla Kunda Road, where they appealed to one another to unite towards the common development interest of their district.
Construction of the road was funded by the Republic of Taiwan, Gambia’s one-time well trusted ally nation through a development partnership.
Hamadi Sowe, Mayork Ward councillor, said they believed that such initiatives will help to restore cordial relations between the people of the district and encourage them to take leading roles in their own development.
Councillor Sowe said the idea of clearing the road which has registered series of road traffic collisions was the brainchild of Mayork and Alla Kunda communities.
Construction of the 9km access road began in 2006 and completed in 2009. It connects from Mayork, 117km from Gambia’s capital, Banjul to Alla Kunda, leading to former President Yahya Jammeh’s home village of Kanilai.
“This is about us, and our safety. It will encourage us to volunteer for our district and its development,” Mr. Sowe said.
The people of the area said the road is important to them because it provides for their easy access to the main road for business and other activities. It is also frequently used by soldiers from the Fourth Infantry Battalion in Kanilai during patrol.
And while traffic is not heavy on the road in most part of the year, it has registered several accidents because of the big tree branches which sometimes even harbor wild animals like snakes.
Major Wassa Camara, acting commander of the Kanilai Battalion, reminded the people that community service is a noble engagement that guarantees peoples’ civic responsibilities and contribution to their communities.
Captain Ousman Bojang who led soldiers from Kanilai to join in the exercise, said this will encourage civil-military relationship.
“We are all users of this road and it is an obligation on us to also come and join hands with the villagers to make it safer for both military and civilians.”
Araba Bojang, councillor of Bantanjang Ward, said the people of Bondali District and the entire Gambia are one people, “and should not give chance to politics to come and tear them apart.”
Those majors and captains should just volunteer humbly and just keep their mouths shut. I don’t mean to be disrespectful at all but it seems they still have a long way to go learning “civil military relationships” The occasion was all the wards councillors’ (civil society reps) to give any speech of inspiration to all volunteers. Let the soldiers in military fatigue or in representation simply stop addressing the civil society gatherings that are meant to bring about peaceful community coexistence. Soldiers in military fatigue should demonstrate their professionalism in such gatherings by participating in the works, exhibiting humility, keeping the lowest of profiles and wearing the broadest of smiles. I think if it were a natural disaster that brought about a state of emergency, then it would have been their due to be listened to by the civil society while they give strategic advice.
Furthermore, the democratic government of the Gambia shouldn’t encourage ‘sett settals’ and road works if they are not out to promote communism. Sustainable employment of citizens in public works, is part of a viable economic structure and the government most do everything to prevail in that respect. Sett Settals, road works of the sort and all, in my opinion, robs citizens of employments thus sinking them down more into poverty by denying them a due income. Though every community member participating in such voluntary community works may not be institutionally employed in the area of the specific work they participate in, ten to twenty young men of the community permanently employed there, represents a much more sustainable development process of the community and the country, than the five hundred people of the community doing it free for a government of all. The higher the employment rates of a community means higher amounts of tax revenues to collect, tax prospects that can only materialise if stricter tax regulations and proper tax revenue spending procedures are put in place and respected.
If we are going to be communists, then it is a totally different story. We will have to do more voluntary work ….. Rations of rice, cooking oil and a kilo of meat every month and possibly nothing at times?Hungry patriots!