Sidia Jatta, the National Assembly Member for Wuli West, has called on the Government of the Gambia to be strategic in its planning in order for the country to achieve its development agenda.

Jatta, during the adjournment debate at the National Assembly, said development cannot be realized without strategic planning. He highlighted the country’s road construction as one area that must be strategic. 

“I told the National Roads Authority (NRA) during our meeting with them that if they were strategic in road construction that would have solved all our problems.”

He added that wherever there is a health facility, any road linking it to settlements should be constructed because it is strategic and essential. He said that “the road stretches from the River Bank to Yorobaol Ward was so bad to the extent that drivers took it upon themselves and contributed for its repair and maintenance.

“Together with the member for Wuli East, Suwaibou Touray, we were both asked to contribute. That did not solve the problem at all, but when President Adama Barrow was going there, they made it in such a way that I could not believe my eyes. I think I was in a new world. This was an insult to the people of the area.”

Jatta pointed out that there are about four health facilities in that part of the country, but nobody cared to construct those roads.

“They waited until their servant (the president) an employee (of the people) was going there and made the road as if the people living in the area are not human (beings).”  

He said both the government and the National Assembly members are servants of the people. “We are all servants of the people. We cannot be above them. They employ us and they pay us. That is why we derive our authority from them and that authority must be exercised in their supreme interest. That is what the law says, and if that is not done, that should be the time one should be kicked out.”  

He called on the Works minister to construct roads in Wuli especially the one that stretches from Yorobaol Ward to the River Bank, and the one from Sare Ngai to the Trans-Gambia Road adding that Sare Ngai is a business centre and because of the bad condition of the roads, businessmen and women close by 3 pm.

“This really affects them. I am appealing to the Works Minister to make sure that the stretch is constructed before the rainy season. These are fundamental and strategic roads. Baja Kunda road should also be constructed because it is where the health facility is located.”