By Tabora Bojang
The opposition UDP representative for Central Baddibu Sulayman Saho has criticised President Barrow’s on going road foundation laying, calling it another wasting of resources at a time when the real issue he needs to tackle is the plight of farmers who are wallowing in poverty and lacking fertiliser and other inputs deep in the rainy season.
”Before spending all these millions on inaugurating roads and laying foundation stones, why not you help communities in NBR who still have their monies owed by Seccos? How about fertiliser which still remains a challenge for farmers?” he asked the president .
Saho also called on the president to assure the farmers about the dialogue with Dakar on the situation along the border with some farmers fearing they would be deprived of their ancestral farmlands now being claimed by Senegal.
Saho admitted the importance of road infrastructure but said it must not divert the president’s attention from other issues affecting ordinary Gambians.
Questioning the quality of the roads, Saho said most of the roads are not built to standard and it must be said they are funded the by tax payers. “The Banni – Salikenni road for example was funded from pump levies which every Gambian contributed. We are not sleeping. This tour is only enabling self-perpetuation and mismanagement of public funds. I warn farmers, youths and women to never allow anyone to use them as tools for exploitation”, Saho said.
He warned that nobody will use Baddibu as a bait.