By: Sulayman Waan
Hon. Fabakary Tombong Jatta, the leader and secretary general of the Alliance for Patriotic Re-orientation and Construction (APRC) party has highlighted the achievement of former president Yahya Jammeh in his 22 year rule in the Gambia.
The APRC leader recalled the former president’s achievement during a recent press conference held in his residence in Talinding; saying that Jammeh had made tremendous success from 1994 to 2016; when he [Jammeh] was ousted by a seven political parties and an independent candidate led by President Adama Barrow.
According to him, the State Broadcaster, which is the Gambia Radio and Television Services (GRTS) that the current government is using to tarnish the image of Ex- president Jammeh and his government, was embedded by the Yahya Jammeh while describing the GRTS as an important tool that disseminate information across the country.
On Education
He unveiled that during the first republic, there were only one government school in the country that is Armitage High School in the Gambia. He stated that all the rest of the schools were missionary schools.
He then added that from 1994 to 2016; the Jammeh’s administration built 123 High Schools across the country.
He also said that the High School in the Kanifing Municipality were very few before the APRC government came into power but now KMC has over forty one (41) High Schools. The West Coast Region has about forty three (43) High Schools. He noted that during the PPP regime, North Bank Region was not having a single High School but currently it has about nineteen (19) High Schools while Lower River Region which was having only one school now got eight (8).Likewise, Central River Region from one to twelve (12) High Schools and Upper River Region which was having only one school in those days, now has ten (10) High Schools.
On Health
He further revealed that formerly the country was having only Bansang and RVTH hospitals but when Mr. Jammeh came into power he has built hospitals at Farafenni, Junkung Jammeh and Serekunda. He then added that the PPP government did not build a single hospital as all the two hospitals at the time were built by the British during the colonial era.
On Road Network
Hon. Jatta revealed that before 1994 there was no tar road linking Barra- Passamas, saying it was the Jammeh’s government that built the road linking these two communities, adding before the coming of the APRC regime transportation of goods and services was a nightmare in the coastal road but the APRC regime built and modernize the coastal area.
On Electricity
“By 1994 most parts in Serekunda were not having electricity talk less of more street light. It was APRC and Babili Mansa who brought generating plants that enable us to have street lights. The whole of Kombo is almost one village and electricity is in everywhere now,” he stated.
According him, the Coalition government is claiming ownership of many projects in the country such as the Laminkoto- Passamas, Sukuta -Jambajelly Roads and Senegambia Bridge construction but all these projects were initiated during the APRC regime.
On Youth and Women Empowerment
“The voting age for election was twenty-one years; youths were not participating at 18, 19, and 20 years old. These youths were not voting. It was the APRC under the leadership of Babili Mansa that reduced it to 18 years to empower the youths so that they might have a say in how they should be governed,” he said.
He further added that before the institution of the 1997 constitution, the Gambian women were not empowered in the constitution and during that time when a Gambia woman is married to a foreign man her children cannot be citizens of the country. “Is the 1997 constitution that allowed both men and women in the country such rights of citizenry,” he noted.