Contributing to the motion on the adjournment debate at the National Assembly last Thursday, Hon. Sidia Jatta expressed the view that unless serious attention is given to agriculture and the empowerment of farmers, poverty reduction could not be achieved in the country. In his view, giving farmers the opportunity to buy fertilizers at affordable prices and to market their produce would constitute a right measure to achieve a reduction in poverty.

"It is possible to do that," he assured, adding: "It is just a question of re-arranging and organizing the measures that we have so far taken." He observed that poverty could be reduced in the country provided that the right approach is taken.

"Under the first republic," he recollected, "people engaged in horticulture and their products were sold outside this country, thus making thousands if not millions. But the country now produces horticultural products and they are left unsold as there is no market for them."

On the history of the existence of Visacas in the country, Hon. Jatta commented that the initiative came into being to help in alleviating poverty, charging that due to its poor management and the lack of qualified personnel, the Visacas have failed to deliver in accordance with the purposes for which they were meant.

Commenting on the plight of the electorate, the Wuli West Parliamentarian laid emphasis on the choice of language of communication in the National Assembly, stressing the need to put an end to "linguistic colonialism."

"We are representing a population, 90-95% of who do not speak English. So who are we speaking to," he queried, noting that the electorate always get the messages of their representatives indirectly.

Hon. Sidia Jatta added that National Assembly Members should make it possible for people to exercise their civic rights and functions in this country.

"We are no longer under the clutches of colonialism. We are ourselves.

Every language is rooted in culture and if you ignore a language of your culture by speaking a foreign language as we do here, we are doing it to the detriment of our own language," he revealed.

According to Sidia Jatta, section 105 of the Constitution provides that in addition to English, any other language can be spoken in the National Assembly. He advised members to remember that whatever they do should first and foremost be in the interest of the electorate, and should be made accessible to them.

"There are people better enough who should have been better representing us here, but this is not made possible simply because they cannot speak English," he concluded.