By Binta Jaiteh
Gambian leader, President Adama Barrow has stated that the Gambia has transitioned through a national socio-political crisis brought about by undemocratic tendencies to a chain of global crises that have a telling effect on the nation’s well-being, economy, and development prospects.
He added that consequently, the evolution of his administration over these years is marked by the implementation of unplanned but pragmatic crisis management strategies, alongside a determined and successful execution of well-defined and impactful national initiatives.
He made this statement at the 2023 State of the Nation Address ( SONA) at the National Assembly in Banjul on Thursday, where he said “As the situation may be, my government has successfully risen to both national and international challenges to register remarkable achievements in various aspects of nation building.”
“Infrastructure development, social services, digitization, production, vulnerable groups (particularly women, the youth, and the physically challenged), employment, trade, food security, and energy are among the many issues that my administration gives sustained attention and priority. All of them feature vividly in my address. Our focus will strategically be on the people in order to build on our achievements,” he said.
He reflected on the past year’s incident saying “Indeed, 2022 was eventful, particularly for the Legislature, as it led to the composition of the diverse Assembly we have today. The loss of a Vice President, seventy innocent children, and other dear citizens are among the tragic events of the year. We pray that the departed souls continue to rest in peace.”
President Barrow further said, “Politically, like all other nations, we have our share of global concerns over internal security and crime, living costs, stability, employment, public service, and productivity.”
He noted that nonetheless, the critical factor that threatens peace and development most is disunity.
“As I always observe, we may belong to different political parties, religious faiths, or other social groupings, but we must unite as a nation to realise our national targets,” President Barrow told Gambians yesterday at his State of the Nation Address.
He added that “the core mandates of the Executive, the Legislature, and the Judiciary are interlocked and require that we work together in harmony. No person is an island and no unit in an interlinked structure can function in isolation.”
He also pointed out that once they have a common goal, such as the development and progress of the people they are serve there will always be the need to unite and a path to do so.
“Fortunately, we subscribe to democracy and can collectively rally around its principles to merge our programmes in the national interest; that is, if we sincerely commit ourselves to standing by the people and acting on their behalf.
“Certainly, if democracy is not regarded merely as a political tool to gain an advantage over others, but applied as a transformative social construct, our communities, institutions, and the nation will fare better, and we will all live in peace,” he pointed out.
President Barrow explained that the recent Local Council Elections provided the nation with a golden opportunity to put these democratic principles into concrete action and rise once again on the global political landscape.
He called on Honourable Members of the House that while discharging their duties, to dialogue and initiate bi-partisan collaboration in a positively democratic manner.
“This would allow you to table issues not exclusively from political party perspectives, but from genuine patriotic standpoints and through the people’s lenses. The legal frameworks, policies, and programmes developed and mentioned in my address are relevant and potent enough to guide the people to success,” he urged.
However, he concluded that their effective implementation rest on the professionals and their action officers, but this Assembly and the public has a facilitating role to play in the process. “I assure you that the Ministry of Public Service also has all the sector policies and will monitor their implementation,”