By Landing Ceesay
The President of the Republic of the Gambia His Excellency Adama Barrow has called for unity among the people of Sabach Sanjal as he inaugurates 54 Kilometers of roads in the North Bank of the Gambia.
“For 50 years, you have been waiting for this day. But in just 6 years, everywhere you go in Sabach Sanjal you will have good roads. I want the whole of Sabach Sanjal to unite as one people. If you unite as one people anything you need from the government you will have it. So I want you to unite as one people and work with the government. You are all from here, and anything that comes here is for all of you. So I don’t want any difference between you people, I want you to be with your chief as one, I want you to be with your National Assembly Member as one, I want you to be with your Governor as one and work with the government,” President Barrow told the people of Sabach Sanjal.
The Gambian President called on the people of Sabach Sanjal to ignore the people talking and join his government to develop the country.
President Barrow thanked the residents of Sabach Sanjal for their cooperation with the contractor and the workers throughout the construction of the roads.
“The people of Sabach Sanjal, you have been waiting for a day like this, but today you have the day. We are very happy to be here today for the inauguration of these roads. We are thanking you the people of Sabach Sanjal. The reason we are thanking you is that, no matter how much we want the work to be done, if you people don’t want it. The work would have not been done. You stood with the worker both day and night to make sure that the work is done. So we have to thank you, people, for that stand.
“So let’s allow the talkative to continue talking while we continue doing the work. Because working is more important to us than talking. We are all here today and looking happy because of the work we have done. My government is here to develop the Gambia and Sabach Sanjal is part of the Gambia. You had Cabinet Ministers, you had National Assembly Members, and you had Vice Presidents here in Sabach Sanjal. But Allah did not allow them to do this kind of work for their people,” the Gambian President said.
Hon. Ebrima Sillah Minister of Works and Infrastructure said the road project extends for 54 KM fulfilling the goal of President Adama Barrow’s government of complimenting the Gambia’s North Bank Region trunk roads to weather the activities that the people of the North Bank Region have been enduring for decades.
“These 9 meters wide double shield roads consist of 7 meters carriageway with shoulders of 1.5 meters outside settlement areas and 2 meters within settlement areas on each side of the carriageway connecting the North Bank trunk road of the country to the riverside settlements which will further promote trade and regional connectivity.
“Prior to this intervention your Excellency, the condition of the roads in this area, were already hugely deteriorated due to a number of factors associated with the underlining terrain through which the lateral gravel road network was built. One of such factors was the absence of adequate drainage thus the issue of drainage was one of the highest considered factors in the design process of these roads. As such a total of 38 box converts had been constructed to ensure adequate drainage for both the main and access roads,” Hon. Sillah said.
Meanwhile, the National Assembly Member for Sanbach Sanjal, Alhagie Babou Ceesay thanked President Barrow for the construction of the roads in his constituency.
Hon. Ceesay said the people of his constituency have suffered a lot due to the bad road network and that they are grateful to President Barrow for the roads.
“We the people of Sabach Sanjal suffered a lot. So we thank His Excellency Adama Barrow and the Ministry of Works for the construction of these beautiful roads. These roads are better and more famous than any other in the country. The person who gives you breakfast gives you lunch and gives you dinner. If that person asked you to go and sleep in the morning he will give you breakfast so what is it that you don’t have from that person? So your Excellency these roads are very beautiful, they are very good, decorations of the roads are very good. But what is left now to make Sabach Sanjal even more beautiful is the electricity.
“Your Excellency, the people of Sabach Sanjal beg previous governments up to an extent we feel tired. But since you came, we never begged you for anything and you just sympathize and construct these beautiful roads for us. So we are thanking you so much for the gift. Your government’s focus is to develop this country, Insha Allah you will be rewarded for the good job you are doing,” Hon. Ceesay said.
The Inauguration of the 54 Kilometers of roads was held at Sara Kunda Village in Sabach Sanjal in the North Bank Region.
The inauguration was graced by Cabinet Ministers, senior government officials, residents of Sabach Sanjal, and supporters of the ruling National People’s Party (NPP).