Sunday, October 3, 2010

UDP Leader Questions the Competence of Local and Central Government

Posted by Modou S. Joof on January 19, 2010 at 8:22pm
Says “I cannot get water to rinse my face”
 
Banjul, The Gambia (TNBES) The leader of the United Democracy Party (UDP), Lawyer Ousainou Darboe has renewed his usual missile attacks on the Central and Local Government of The Gambia, saying that priority is not set in the development programme as Farafenni Town and Ndawen Village are buying water on a daily basis.

According to reports monitored from the Online Publication, Mansa Banko, the Leader of the Main Opposition Party indicated that Farafenni Town is located in North Bank Region while Ndawen Village is in the Central River Region South and both are buying water on a daily basis for home uses like washing cloths, cooking etc.


According to local newspapers publication, in an interview with Mr. Darboe at his office in Banjul, Darboe stated that “if we have set priorities in our development programme on issues and matters that need to be addressed urgently, we will address these matters once and for all”.

According the lawyer cum politician, he has been in both places and spends the nights there. “Honestly, in the morning, I could not even have water to wash my face, and Ndawen was the seat of the Chief of Niani at that time,” Darboe was quoted as telling local newspapers.

In his own thinking, the government should really act together to address issues that are of concern to the people, not only bringing white elephant projects to its citizenry like the rural electrification, when those in the rural areas cannot even pay bills for electricity because it is too expensive.

He noted that in the rural areas, “No one will pay D6, 000 for a meter, when you cannot provide two bags of rice in your house. So the priority should be water supply. And I hope that both central and local government will address this issue urgently for us to make use of water in our various ways.”

He went on to explain that, water is life. As he puts it, “We can’t live without water under any circumstances. You can’t even perform your religious rites correctly without water. So water is everything and that he is regretting that in the 21st century Gambian people are buying water due to scarcity of water in a large settlement like Farafenni.

“Rural electrification programme should go hand in hand with water supply for the rural areas. In fact, priority should be rural water supply rather than rural electrification.” The UDP leader said.

UDP leader also pointed out that the local government authorities have a responsibility to ensure that water is available to residents within their various local governments administrative areas, noting that no Government, whether local or central government, is worth its salt if it cannot provide water for its citizens. VOL:2 ISSN:35

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