Some businessmen and women in the North Bank Region have commended the Gambian leader, Professor Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh, on the Rural Electrification Project, which they said has impacted greatly on their lives.

Speaking to the Daily Observer’s reporter in the region, Abdourahman Barry, a shopkeeper at the Farafenni Market, recounted how the scheme has changed his life. "We used to find it very difficult to get electricity, which discouraged us from importing some products that are perishable. It was considered a big risk to import products like chicken legs, because of the erratic nature of electricity," he said.

Barry maintained that this situation had forced many business people and workshop owners to abandon the idea of investing in the rural areas. But he was delighted to see that the situation has now changed. This, he stressed, has been a commendable move by government, under the leadership of President Jammeh, "as it gears towards alleviating poverty”. Barry described it as a fulfillment of President Jammeh’s promise to the rural people.

He concluded by emphasizing that the REP will have a lasting impact on the lives of the rural folks through increased economic activities and the active participation of the youths in gainful economic activities.

For Awa Mbaye, a woman vendor, the REP is important in that it will cut down on rural-urban drift, thereby ensuring a ready work force, and thus enhancing employment creation. She was especially appreciative of the fact that it will help women in the rural areas to preserve their agricultural produce. She commended the government of The Gambia for their concern and their efforts in decentralising development initiatives throughout the country.