Barrow Ties Completion of North Bank Projects to December Election Outcome

By Makutu Manneh

President Adama Barrow told supporters in Farafenni on Saturday that the completion of major infrastructure projects planned for the North Bank Region would depend on voters returning him to office in the Dec. 5 presidential election.

Speaking at a rally organized by his National People’s Party, Mr. Barrow pointed to more than 200 kilometers of planned road construction and efforts to extend electricity to communities that remain without power, presenting the projects as part of a development agenda that would continue under his administration.

“You have to decide on December 5 whether you want continuity or to start afresh,” Mr. Barrow said. “If you want continuity, that is President Barrow, but if you want things to go backward, you can bring in another person.”

Mr. Barrow said the road projects for which he had laid foundation stones included what he described as the first paved roads within Farafenni town.

He also said communities in the North Bank Region that remain without electricity had been included in an electrification project that had already gone through the tender process. A contractor has been identified, he said, and contracts are expected to be signed soon.

The president’s remarks come as electricity remains a politically sensitive issue ahead of the election. Earlier this month, Mr. Barrow acknowledged shortcomings in the country’s electricity planning, generation, and maintenance systems while announcing measures aimed at improving supply. His government says electricity access nationwide has risen from 36 percent in 2017 to about 90 percent today.

Mr. Barrow also addressed the use of money and other inducements during political campaigns, accusing some politicians of attempting to influence voters by distributing T-shirts and cash payments ranging from 2,000 to 5,000 dalasis.

He urged supporters not to allow such incentives to determine their votes, telling them that if politicians offered them money, they could accept it while still voting for the candidate of their choice.

Mr. Barrow also criticized opposition politicians who, he said, dismiss road construction as insufficient evidence of development. He questioned how politicians who take that position would meet the country’s infrastructure needs if elected.

The president said his administration could not carry out its development agenda without the support of Gambians and urged eligible voters to turn out in large numbers on Election Day.