EDITORIAL

We would like to congratulate the newly sworn-in ministers on their appointments and on accepting their new roles. As they have already taken the solemn oath to execute their duties to the best of their abilities and to live up to the confidence reposed in them, they have a daunting challenge ahead, as their appointments came at a time that the country is fast approaching the target date for the Vision 2020 blueprint and as well as other prominent development goals.

These newly sworn–in ministers, as the president himself stated, are appointed because they are believed to be patriotic, honest and sincere Gambians and therefore have accepted a big national responsibility. We also wish to re-echo the remarks made by the president during the swearing-in ceremony of this new ministers that they should do what is expected of them and foster the spirit of collectivism in national development. This, as the president envisaged will lead to the rapid and sustainable transformation of the country into the Silicon Valley of the continent. This call by the president has come at a much better time; a time that we are warming up to commemorate our 45 years of nationhood in which we take of stock of our achievement since the Independence so as to formulate strategic plans to surmount our challenges and improve on what we already have.

This government has already been credited for massively transforming this country in all aspects of development and for improving the lives of the citizenry. Therefore, to become part of such a pragmatic team under a dynamic and visionary leadership, should be regarded as an honour and in the same way a cause for motivation to perform well.

Vices like corruption, sabotage and guerilla operations to satisfy alien interests, as President Jammeh rightly put it, are not a sound basis for prosperity and all public figures regardless of position should endeavor to distance themselves from such activities. The country under the dynamic leadership of President Jammeh has gone far in meeting the needs and aspirations of the people. We are optimistic that more development projects are in the pipeline.

It is therefore time that people to heed to the calls of the president for Gambians to take ownership of our development process, expand our productive base and become self-enterprising. Hard work, dedication and commitment on the part of our public trustees will serve as vehicle to mobilize the citizenry to complementing the efforts of the status quo. And above all, leading by example as the president himself has always been doing is the only magic that can take us to where we want to be. We hope that our public figures will pay heed to the advice of the president and embrace the tasks before them as patriotic citizens of the country so that collective we can materialize the dreams of our dear president.