Hajie Suwaneh, the National Youth President of the United Democratic Party has challenged the statement of President Adama Barrow that the youths can make it on their home soil, Suwaneh says it is a misleading word.
He asked rhetorically how the youths would make it saying there are no job opportunities in the country. He said this is one of the insincere statements that is leading to the mass deportation of Gambians from Europe back to the Gambia. “The President keeps uttering this statement just to mislead the development partners, that there are enough job opportunities in the Gambia,” he ranted.
He said everyone knows how difficult it is when it comes to job issues, a more reason causing youths to embark on this dangerous route commonly called the ‘Back Way’ to Europe.
“The statement is misleading donors will think the youths are not suffering while it is the opposite. The saddest issue is that after their deportation some choose to abuse drugs and others go insane,” the UDP youth leader explained.
He urged the government to provide a reintegration package to allow the deportees to plan something for their future and that “President Adama Barrow is very proactive in uttering empty promises and we the youths are so easy to be deceived.”
Hajjie Suwareh wants to know what the government has done to empower the youths to make them not go back.
According to him, he said the tourism industry has died, the agricultural sector remains unproductive, and farmers continue crying for farming tools and better prices for their products. “These are the two biggest jobs creating industry and if the government decided to neglect then I wonder what else will be their priority,” he added.
Meanwhile, he said the hardship economic condition continues to discourage the youths and these are some of the reasons why Gambian youths are sacrificing their lives.
“I believe Government policies are highly contributing to discouraging our youths to stay in this country. President Barrow’s government kept on making empty noise in the name of politics thinking that, they can continue to deceive the youths,” Hajjie said.
He encouraged President Barrow to act, saying Gambians are suffering and complaining of the high cost of living and others.
“Going by the 2024 budget, it’s very simple to understand that young people will face lots of hardship and challenges particularly, job creation. The allocation to the Youth and Sports is just an insult to young people,” he noted.
However, “going by the current budget and the President’s announcement of Tax increment, I can tell you that, there is no doubt 2024 will be hectic for the country particularly, to the young people and the ordinary Gambians at large.”
By Binta Jaiteh. Thevoice