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Gambia News : Gambian leader presents his government’s programme to legislators

Among his audience were legislators from Nigeria and Senegal, as well as former President Sir Dawda Jawara along with a large crowd of diplomats and other guests.

In the address, which is a constitutional requirement, Jammeh reported on his government’s achievements over the past year and outlined development and legislative programme for the year ahead.

He pointed to the unfavourable global economic situation but said despite it, The Gambia fared well with prospects of inflation stabilizing at 5 per cent and the Dalasi, the national currency, stabilizing against major international currencies such as the dollar, the euro and the pound sterling.

In his wide ranging presentation, Jammeh renewed his promise to build a bridge across the River Gambia at Janjanbureh, to link that mid-river island community to the mainland and said the regional capital of the north bank region, Kerewan, would be transferred to the more populous town of Farafenni located further up river at the strategic trans-Gambia crossing which links north and south Senegal by ferry across the River Gambia.

Other innovations he came up with included the decision to break up the central River Region, which is the largest in the country, into two. Presently, this region is divided into north and south on both sides of the River Gambia. The regional capital of the south bank would remain at Janjabureh while the north bank will have a new regional capital at the river port of Kaur.

Jammeh also outlined progress attained in the health sector, in agriculture, fisheries, education, road and infrastructure development, tourism, poverty alleviation and the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals.

With regard to the latter, he was hopeful of The Gambia attaining the goals in immunization some four years in advance and in universal primary education some six years in advance of the 2015 deadline.

In foreign policy, he spoke of it as being open and active based on principles of respect for the sovereign rights of nations to exist. He said new diplomatic missions were opened in India, Venezuela and Spain, and he spoke of Gambian participation in peacekeeping in Darfur and other parts of the world.

Jammeh thanked the Britten Woods institutions and other development partners for their invaluable assistance to The Gambia. He named in particular the United Nations, the African Development Bank (AfDB), the European Union (EU), the Islamic Development Bank (IDB), the Organization of Oil Exporting Countries (OPEC), the Kuwaiti Fund, the Arab Bank for African Economic Development (BADEA) and Taiwan. He also singled out Nigeria for special praise because of its the long standing assistance to The Gambia in the health sector and the judiciary and for all the sacrifices it made for Africa.

Jammeh took the opportunity to stress the importance his government was giving to the development of the youth who form the bulk of the population and to stress his government’s pro-woman policy. He spoke at length at the way the Gambian women in contrast to the men slave to earn for the family. He also pointed to the stability and peace in The Gambia which he attributed to adherence to Islam and Christianity in the country. He therefore advised foreigners that they are welcome here and should therefore not abuse the tolerance and hospitality of Gambians with violence, crime and drug peddling.