President Adama Barrow Wednesday called on all Gambians, irrespective of political or regional affiliations, to fully support the Banjul rehabilitation project, stating that the capital city “is the pride of the country.”
“Banjul is our city, our capital city. We have nowhere that is more important than Banjul as far as we are concerned,” the president said after an inspection of the ongoing rehabilitation works.
Considering the strategic and symbolic importance of the city, the president said it behooved all citizens to unite in support of its development.
”Everybody, whether you are Banjulian or somewhere else; whether you are in the opposition or the government, let us work together in the interest of this country. It is only through unity that we can progress. It is only through unity that we can develop this country,” he said.
The president, who is proud of his personal affinity to Banjul, having lived there for about 17 years, added that the capital needed to be completely overhauled.
He explained that it was the reason the government had decided that “we cannot be doing the roads in a piecemeal, the way they were doing it”.
Although the project is being pre-fianced by a Gambian-owned company – Gaye Enterprise – President Barrow revealed that the Gambia government would begin repaying the loan from the 2020 budget.
Jubilant crowds greeted the president and his entourage as he inspected the on-going works.
With only 30 percent of the work done, according to a brief to the president, Banjul has already taken shape in its transformation into a modern city.
The inhabitants, chanting praises for the president, described the project as salvation to their plight after 52 years of neglect by the previous administrations.
They vowed to rally behind the president, as he delivers on his promises to the Gambian people.
When completed, this project will be one of President Barrow’s landmark achievements in a span of three years of his presidency.
