By: Momodou S Gagigo
In an emotional appeal that silenced the crowd during President Adama Barrow’s nationwide tour, Manjago community Representative David Bass stood before the President on Sunday and laid bare decades of perceived marginalisation.
“There has been tremendous development since you came to power, Your Excellency,” Bass told President Barrow, “but very often the Manjagos are left behind – no electricity in many of our villages, no good roads, no pipe-borne water.” Speaking in Siffoe, a predominantly Manjago area, Bass listed specific infrastructure needs: the rehabilitation of the road linking Kunkunjang to Banyaka and the stretch from Latriya to Mamuda.
In a robust cultural demand rarely heard at such forums, Bass urged the government to allow the Manjago language to be used in court proceedings involving land disputes and other legal matters affecting the community. “We want to be part of this progress,” he declared, earning applause from hundreds of residents who had gathered to welcome the President.
President Barrow, visibly attentive, promised swift action. “The biggest water project in this region is right here in Siffoe,” he responded. “What you don’t have today, you will get. Development is gradual, but it is coming, and I will not disappoint you.”
Minister of Agriculture, Demba Sabally, reinforced the commitment, announcing that contracts for the requested roads would be awarded soon.
The exchange came during the President’s visit to commission the new Brusibi Food & Drug Laboratory and the state-of-the-art Emergency Treatment Centre. While Barrow used the platform to highlight his administration’s health and infrastructure achievements and criticise political opponents, the Manjago community’s plea for inclusion dominated local conversations long after the presidential motorcade departed.
For the Manjagos of Siffoe and surrounding settlements, Saturday’s encounter was more than a ceremony – it was a long-awaited chance to remind the nation that development must reach every corner and every tongue.
