Alieu Badara Joof, the new Vice President of The Gambia has urged his cabinet colleagues to nurture and promote the spirit of teamwork, saying the appointment to the cabinet is a privilege driven by performance, results, delivery, and development.
VP Joof, a native of Kuntaur in the Central River Region (CRR) was speaking at the Statehouse on Tuesday 10th May 2022, during the swearing and inauguration of President Barrow’s new cabinet now set to begin work into his second term.
The Gambia’s new Vice President urged cabinet ministers to work diligently in achieving the country’s development agenda.
“The appointment to the cabinet is a privileged one but the position is not driven by privileges. It is driven by performance, results, service delivery and development,” said VP Joof
He added: “We have to work as a team and to work as a team, we need to consult, we need to coordinate, we need to corporate and we need to dialogue.
“Working in silence will fragment the development agenda and therefore the realization of the national development plan will be undermined.”
According to him, Cabinet needs to work as a team and as a group as depicted by its names, noting that the cabinet is a family that should remain so to push the development aspirations of the people, adding that the recent election is a watershed moment for Gambians that the current cabinet cannot afford to fail.
The former Higher Education Minister went on to say that mitigating the spiraling cost of living in the country is among the key challenges confronting the cabinet, calling on the ministry of finance, central bank of the Gambia, Gambia Revenue Authority, and Gambia Chamber of Commerce and Industries (GCCI) to work with the business community to ameliorate the situation and hiking prices.
VP Joof also disclosed that the second big challenge facing the country is security. He called on the Minister of Interior, Defense, and all security outfits to unite in the work to create a conducive environment for investment and tourism development.
According to VP Joof, the cost of living and security are two immediate challenges for the new cabinet that need quick addressing, adding that Cabinet Ministers must always be open for consultation, sharing of ideas, and teamwork to fulfill the responsibilities bestowed on them.
For his part, Gambian leader, President Adama Barrow assured the in-coming Cabinet of his fullest support in delivering their responsibilities, adding that the new cabinet must take a zero-tolerance stance on corruption.
“We are responsible for state resources in our custody, and should not be found wanting. Strict measures will be taken to implement the anti-corruption law,” President Barrow disclosed at the swearing ceremony, urging everyone in government to work towards making the Gambia a model in public service delivery.
