UDP’s regional spokesperson for the North Bank Region (NBR) Mr. Karamo Njie has said President Adama Barrow cannot use the World Bank Group-funded feeder roads project to score political gains.
The Gambian leader and a high-powered delegation last Thursday crossed over to the NBR to begin the laying of foundation stones for over 200 kilometers of feeder roads across the country. The project is bankrolled by the World Bank Group under Gambia’s GIRAV project and one of its goals is to promote agricultural production through an enhanced road network.
Grand ceremonies were held in beneficiary communities such as Njawara in the NBR during which President Barrow acknowledged the World Bank Group’s financial support to the feeder roads project in his addresses.
However, some of the speakers at the community meetings appeared to have apportioned the lion’s share of the credit to President Barrow.
UDP’s NBR spokesperson Karamo Njie said Barrow cannot pound his chest about the feeder roads.
“He cannot make any political gain out of them,” the UDP NBR spokesman maintained.
The Gambia government will reportedly make a counterpart contribution of US$1 million to the project, which will be implemented at over US$50 million.
“Adama cannot use this feeder roads project to fool any sane Gambian,” Njie told JollofNews in an interview in Bundung on Tuesday. He added:”Only those that are unaware would be hoodwinked. These roads will be largely funded by the World Bank Group. The global financial institution’s country representative was in fact with the delegation.”
Njie pointed out that the Gambia’s first President Sir Dawda Jawara has laid the blueprint for these feeder roads by carving them out of virgin forests and tough terrains
“Jawara carved out feeder roads from virgin forests in the North Bank such as the Ngaiyen/Minteh Kunda road and Bounyadou/ Kuntayaa road. And Yaya Jammeh came and built on the momentum by tarring some of these feeder roads,” stated Njie: “The Barra/Kerewan road was tarred by Yaya Jammeh. He tarred the Kerewan/Ngaiyen Sanjal road. If someone said the Kerewan/Ngaiyen Sanjal road was constructed by Barrow, many could not fathom that. The electricity the lady also spoke about was in fact provided by Yaya Jammeh. Jammeh brought electricity to the North Bank communities of Mandory, Bani, Noo Kunda, Illiasa, Farafenni and India.”
Njie said Gambians have passed the stage where they can be fooled.
“Gambians are so sophisticated to be fooled,” he argued.
