Editor,

Development is the leading objective of every leadership. What leaders defer in is their approach to their development goals. It takes only a visionary leadership to spearhead a people centered development process where the people become the sole beneficiaries of the development outcomes.

This is to say development is multifaceted and as such all sectors of society take equal opportunity in the development process - be it political, infrastructural, economic or social. But the most fundamental is the development intervention that seeks to liberate the people from being hostages of poverty. The timely intervention of rebuilding Serrekunda Market is a demonstration of this government's readiness to put the country on the path of a structural development process.

In the past consecutive years, this most vibrant pillar of our economy has seen near regular fire disasters, resulting into mass losses of valuable goods. And most of the people who occupy the market earn their livelihood from it.

Such an intervention by the government therefore, will accord the people the chance to maintain an acceptable standard of living by moving a step ahead to expanding their businesses since the security aspect of it will have been guaranteed. The fact that the vendors could not help but outpour their firm appreciation of the intervention of the president is an exposition that his move is a step in the right direction towards our collective battle against poverty.

Now that the vendors themselves have acknowledged the timely intervention of the president, we wish to remind them that they have to take ownership of the market, put it under strict surveillance to avoid sabotage, and, above all, to ensure making maximum utilization of the opportunities accorded them.

The president's move to rebuild the market explains that the fulfillment of the people is his utmost priority. He is indeed a caring president. Therefore, the people concerned should realise that it is only through efficient utilization of their market that positive results can be registered.