By: Sulayman Waan
Hon. Halifa Sallah, secretary general of People’s Democratic Organization for Independent and Socialism (PDOIS) said that the only aspiration he has is to fight tyranny and poverty in the country to ensure the welfare of the masses.
“The only aspiration I has is to use mind and energy day and night to eradicate tyranny and poverty and this is the type of youth PDOIS has been nurturing ,” he said during PDOIS’s Women and Youth congress that coincided with its 33rd anniversary; held at Nasir Senior Secondary School in Basse, Upper River Region.
“The party of PDOIS is to eradicate tyranny and poverty; so, how can we (PDOIS) struggle to run and enter to state house, only to be found two, three or five years later that we could do nothing to eradicate tyranny and poverty,’’ he said.
“Do we want to leave that legacy,” he asked; while the audience replied shout ‘no’…..
Sallah a prominent Gambian sociologist affirmed that governing without eradicating tyranny and poverty is not the legacy his party wants to leave in the country, saying even if they died just simply aspiring that is more of their (PDOIS officials) goal than handling the mantle of leadership without serving anyone.
Hon. Sallah who doubles as the National Assembly Member for Serekunda said PDOIS is a party of services, adding that, its representatives are individuals ready to serve.
“We could serve best, if we take search of the destiny of our economy. We can try our best,” he said before hundreds of PDOIS supporters in Basse.
He said the youth folk must be ready to assume responsibility, adding that the children have the right for a name, nationality as well as parental care but while said is the parents’ duty to nurture the children, which he means enables them to establish schools like Nyakoi school to ensure the children are equip with knowledge at early stage.
The renowned politician said a society must be able to provide the enabling support for parents to care their children to expectation such providing proper medical service as well as early childhood education to ensure the children get good start-up for better live.
Sallah vowed that in PDOIS’s government there would be children day care close to working places so that lactating mothers take their children to those centers and go to work to ensure the children are well cared, adding the children right to education, medical care and social welfare must be guarantee.
“You will see many programmes that PDOIS intend to implement which constitute policies on children and youth,” he assured.
“We have tried to educate people, we are now enlightened.”
He said someone with disability does not make the person less human being, adding both differently able and able people have the same rights in the society; therefore, he added that there shouldn’t be any form of discrimination among the public based physical structure or other forms of disability.
“That’s why PDOIS has a programme in ensuring that there is no discrimination against any person with different physical feature,” he noted.
He revealed that there are about 350,000 children in the countries Lower Basic Schools and said section 30 of the 1997 Constitution states that they have right to free education and equality in provision of institution as well the quality service.
“A PDOIS government would look into what schools need, not only the structures but the quality of the learning materials, we build the academic of arts and science that would guide people with the capacity to produce the learning materials so that when our young people learn at early age they will know their country, themselves and the world,” he said.
The sociologist unveiled that Gambian children are intelligent but they are not given the supporter to show their capacity; therefore, he argued that this educational system must be changed so as to provide quality education for all children.