Editor,

Kindly allow me space to express my thoughts regarding our darling capital city - Banjul. Capital cities everywhere are a source of pride, a normative for modernity and the seat of civilization. The capital city is usually the first to taste and benefit from the values and the precepts associated with modernity and civilization.

It is in recognition of this fact that the present government of our beloved country took itself to revamp the city to standard. Numerous efforts were employed to give our darling city an admirable and respectable look.

The establishment of Arch 22 at the very entrance of the city proper - a magnificent edifice with symbolic traditional and historical realities, has earned the government a perfect score in their development efforts. It is an elegant monument that would be cherished and that the present regime would be long remembered for by the streak of succeeding generations.

Another remarkable effort initiated by the Jammeh government is the coastal rehabilitation project which saw the interception of the sprawling sea of Banjul. The sea had been a great concern for the entire Gambian populace as people wondered where all the advances of the sea would end. The once fearful sprawling sea that ate deep into the contours of Banjul has been curbed by the massive spreading of sand dunes along the coast.

The timely rehabilitation project had let Gambians breathe a deep shy of relief. Another striking effort by the government is the rehabilitation of July 22 Square to a standard recreational centre; a centre of attraction portraying fabulous scenery that reminds you of being in a capital city.

These, as well as other small infrastructural projects geared towards upgrading the standard of Banjul, have been or are being implemented and show the government’s consciousness of the value and the need to upgrade the capital.  

However, it will be admitted that there are some more concerted efforts needed to upgrade the city. The drainage and sewerage system of Banjul are the most pressing issues that need to be addressed. There is no time that this problem is more noticeable than in the rainy season where gutters overflow to create difficulty in mobility and creating good breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

I therefore implore on various stakeholders including the inhabitants to give government the needed support, in its efforts to upgrade Banjul to a respectable and attractive outlook.