The National Assembly member for Niamina East has called on the Vice President to apologise to Gambian youths over her “disrespectful” remarks.

Dr Isatou Touray on Sunday blamed Gambian youths for not taking up employment opportunities like loading and offloading of government purchased COVID-19 bags of rice and sugar.  

The VP described the manual labour work as “dignified and great job opportunity for  Gambian youths” adding that “the youths are lazy” and don’t want to do that type of work which are being done by foreign nationals. 

The VP’s statement drew criticism from many sections of the Gambian society. Politicians and youth leaders lambasted Dr Touray for her “disrespectful statement” and urged her to withdraw it.

Niamina East MP Omar Ceesay said: “the comments made by the Vice President of the country has shown the lack of clear government policies to provide decent job opportunities to the youths of the country.”

Mr Ceesay said government should be doing more to develop the life skill capacity of young people in order to engage in meaningful productive activity in the country’s economic sector “than mentioning the loading and offloading of bags of rice on human heads as a dignified and great work.”

He added: “the Office of the Vice President she is occupying is just an honour and privilege. 

“She is not the most competent person to occupy that position, so at the end of the day if you are given all privileges and opportunity to occupy political space as a citizen you must not say things that will at end of the day undermine the will of the people.”

He said Dr Touray being the country’s second in command saying “loading and offloading of bags of rice, sugar and oil is a job creation for young people is very unfortunate.”

Reporting by Adama Makasuba