I almost won the jackpot last night, seriously. Unfortunately I did not.  So the ‘Gambia almost meets ..” does not help much, does it?

MDGs

1.       Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger

2.        Achieve universal primary education

3.       Promote gender equality and empower women

4.       Reduce child mortality

5.       Improve maternal health

6.       Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases

7.       Ensure environmental sustainability

8.       Develop a global partnership for development

Perhaps his excellency with many titles can inform the Gambian people what prevented him from reaching the lowest of the low hanging fruits of the MDGs. One would imagine that the guy with electric brooms, Allah banks and mystical powers that cure HIV/AIDS, high blood pressure, diabetes and infertility in women(not men) would have no problem achieving these goals. I wonder how many of the 8 goals have been achieved?  

“Wolf in sheep clothing”, some wise guy would say.

Malanding

‘Gambia almost meets MDGs 2, 3 & 4’

Africa » Gambia

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

The deputy permanent secretary at the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs has revealed that the government of The Gambia has been rated to almost meeting Millennium Development Goals 2, education, 3,gender equity and 4,child mortality.

Juldeh Ceesay, also the UN System’s Gambia office focal person for MDGs, was speaking recently in Brikama during the launching of the 2014 MDG Status Report.

She said transparency and accountability are attributed to The Gambia government’s strides towards attaining several MDGs. “The Gambia has done well in the achievement of the MDGs and has been ranked by the United Nations to be among eight countries that have accomplished most of the MDG targets and maintain accountability and transparency,” she said.

The Gambia’s commitment to the attainment of MDGs, Ceesay added, is exemplified by her works since the signing of the declaration by world leaders in 2000.  

Ceesay told the gathering that the launching of the MDG Status Report targets to incorporate grassroots voices and views on what requests Gambia can table before the UN for the next target goals.

She also underscored that promoting the understanding of MDGs in the development planning at both national and local levels is critical for poverty reduction in The Gambia. This process, she said, requires advocacy, awareness campaign and dissemination of findings to enable all actors in development to be better poised to participate.

The Gambia government’s objective in meeting the MDGs, according to her, is greatly demonstrated by her commitment to report bi-annually and including new programmes and priorities like the Vision 2016 food self-sufficiency agenda.

The deputy governor of West Coast Region (WCR), Bakary Jaiteh called on the participants to be active advocates in the dissemination of the MDG Status Reports.

He assured of his region’s relentless commitment towards the achievement of the MDGs, saying President Jammeh’s government has always maintained accountability and transparency in all its development activities.

Author: Amadou Jallow