President Jammeh Inaugurates Data and Voice Antenna

Feb 26,2007 00:00 by Anna

President Jammeh on Friday 23rd February 2007 inaugurated a US$ 120 000 voice and data antenna service erected at the Abuko Earth Satellite Station. The occasion, which was attended by cabinet ministers, foreign diplomats and other members of Gambian officialdom, was turned into a big event and had traffic in central Serekunda on a standstill for hours. The antenna was said to be a donation from a US company called Global Voice Group and facilitated by The Gambia’s honorary consul in Miami. Experts say the antenna will help improve both internet communication and international telephone exchanges. President Jammeh who appeared to be in an upbeat mood said that the erection of the antenna was just one other of the country’s strides towards becoming what he called “a world economic superpower.” He said the collaboration between GAMTEL and the Global Voice Group also served to demonstrate the successes of his government’s strategy of a dynamic private –public partnership for national development. A representative of the Global Voice Group, Laurent Lamonte, promised that his group would be doing more for the country.
The din of drumming and dancing by hundreds of government supporters gave the ceremony much color, a Banjul correspondent of The Gambia Journal wrote. She added that some of the more skeptical observers have started wondering who this Global Voice Group is and what the catch was. President Jammeh is known to have under-cover business associates around him who specialize on squeezing kickbacks from prospective investors in the country.