There is no doubt that your visiting of the offices of the National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC) was timely. It shows a great sign of leadership that you showed concerned over something that many citizens are concerned about. It is well-known that the services of the company of late have been erratic. Many Gambians have complained repeatedly about their services.
Your going there; therefore, Mr President, shows that (at least in my opinion) you care deeply about the welfare of your people. That is how a good leader behaves. But, it is not enough unless it is followed up by monitoring and ensuring that all promises and targeted objectives are met. It was revealed to you that many of the generators were bought, second hand, and thirty years ago. It doesn’t take rocket science to know that those machines cannot continue to be our main source of electricity supply.
Mr President, strategies should be put in place to buy and replace these generators in their entirety. It is clear that with a constant and adequate supply of water and electricity the economy will pick up pretty quickly and thus it is indeed something to be treated with urgency. If therefore we know that there is a need in this area, every effort must be made to ensure that a solution is found as soon as possible.
In the press release issued by your office, it is stated that NAWEC are installing a generator which is expected to be operational by end of October and another by the end of November 2017. Mr President, we have heard similar claims repeatedly before but they were all and no results.
We need to be pragmatic here. Let us solve this perennial power problem once and for all.
Have a Good Day Mr President….
Tha Scribbler Bah
A Concerned Citizen