A Culture of Accountability Will Be a Crucial Start-President Barrow

 President Adama Barrow

President Adama Barrow has told the Cabinet Retreat at Sheraton Beach Hotel on May 5, 2017 that a culture of accountability will be a crucial start, so that national resources and those contributed by our partners are wisely invested.

He said the ability to collaborate for the sake of national interest even in the heat of political competition will be equally crucial.

He noted that the retreat is very timely and is one of the critical supportsystems that the UN has generously provided, and continues to offer to the new government since the elections in December 2016. It is the first in a series of capacity building and experience sharing platforms that the UN has committed to support us with.

Barrow said the retreat could not have come at a better timegiven that the new Cabinet members and their technicians are working hard to finalize and align the vision as contained in the Coalition 2016 Election Manifesto with thenew National Development blueprint.

He pointed out that the workshop clearly provides us the unique opportunity to interact and enhance our ability to create the conduciveenvironment in which we can hold inclusive and constructive conversations on how best to serve our people.

He said the day, the responsibility to make key decisions that will have significant impacts on which direction we take as a country, rests on us. Therefore, how we engage among ourselves and the actions that we agree on will determine how our country seizes this opportunity of change to build a better and prosperous future for this great country.

He said: “We have inherited many challenges including a low performing public service, lack of accountability as well as a credible policy direction, that have understandably led to growing frustrations of the population, particularly the youths.”

According to him these challenges provide the opportunity for an urgent reformof our systems and structures as well as attitudes so that together, we can usher in higheroutput, greater democracy and economic growth.

He said he have no doubt that constant national engagements and reflections at policy level like this will strengthenour unity and cohesion so that we can all rise above partisan interest and work for the public good, for the new Gambia.

He noted that they have come from a painful pastespecially in the last two decades in which we hurt each other in many different ways. While I strongly believe in the healing power of reconciliation and forgiveness,

He said it is important to underscore the reality that justice must not only be served but in fact be seen to be done where necessary, saying “However, what is urgently required of us is to unify the country around our transformative development agenda so that we can move speedily with our bilateral and multilateral partners to bring about socio economic development for our people.”

He underscore that his government need to take a moment to reflect on the Gambia that we wish to see our children grow up in and to identify the changes in attitudes and behaviours that will be required to bring about the new Gambia we promised.

He stress that the most important element is for the leadership to be exemplary, and as such wemust demonstrate by our personal action a commitment to the highest standard of integrity and personal positivereform for the public to follow.

He said the Gambia’s aspiration for inclusiveness that leaves no one behind and builds peaceful and strong communities across the country is vital to the success of our democracy.

The Gambia cannot afford to leave its women and youths behind making it important that all collaborative efforts include and involve women equally, to achieve sustainable peace and development.

He said this is why I am particularly happy that this afternoon we will be deliberating on the draft National Development Plan 2017 to 2020which will essentially guide our choice of priorities to move this nation forward. We should be forward looking in our thinking and direction as we fight to reduce poverty, which currently stands at almost 50%.

He also said “Also of importance is the need to improve our infrastructure, generate decent employment for our peopleespecially the youths and women,and by extension improve the standard of living of all Gambians.” 

He pointed out that his government is committed to encourage and create spaces for collaboration, dialogue and constructive feedback from the people of the Gambia, who gave us the mandate to serve them.

“We are therefore pleased with the UN support to expand and entrench a culture of collaboration and dialogue among ourselves. We will count on your continuous support for the strengthening of national capacities to build momentum among the leadership and Gambians generally, for all inclusive peace and development,” he said.

He concludes that it is my hope that this retreat will be an opportunity for genuine interactions and reflectionsin which we can gain insights from one and another’sexperiences and from our resource persons here present. 

By Mafugi Ceesay