Rédaction Africa Links 24 with pierre Dieme
Published on 2024-03-17 00:41:25
On tour, in Thiès, this Saturday, as part of the 2024 Presidential campaign, the president of the GAKOU 2024 coalition expressed his ambition to make Thiès the largest industrial hub in Africa. “It is possible because Thiès has a rich subsoil in natural and mineral resources,” Malick Gakou asserted. He does not understand why Thiès, the first mining region of Senegal, unfortunately remains a locality where poverty is the most widely shared thing. He points out that “in its subsoil, Thiès has a lot of riches that do not benefit the population,” noted the candidate.
He highlights the assets that should contribute to the development of this region. He mentions the future exploitation of oil in exploration in Kayar, the zircon extracted in Diogo, the phosphate from the Industries Chimiques du Sénégal (ICS) in Mboro and Lam Lam, the basalt quarries in Ngoundiane, and the cement plants in Pout and Keur Mousseu.
In his view, despite all these riches, the youth is facing endemic unemployment. “If I am elected President of the Republic of Senegal, I will revitalize the industrial fabric to reduce youth unemployment, promote entrepreneurship, and self-employment. The natural and mineral resources of the Thiès region should be an opportunity that contributes to the region’s radiance now connected to the Blaise Diagne International Airport (AIBD) and crossed by the toll highway that also facilitates its connectivity,” Malick Gakou elaborated.
He announced the revival of the textile industry in Thiès. He also promised to support fishermen and horticulturists to have cold rooms to store fish and other seafood, fruits, and vegetables. The lack of facilities leads to enormous losses for fishermen, women, agricultural producers, and market gardeners.
“Once elected President of the Republic, I will renegotiate all fishing contracts with foreign multinational companies that have impoverished local stakeholders. I will also review all oil, gas, and mining contracts,” he stated.
He points out that the Niayes market gardening zone (Pout, Keur Mousseu, Notto Gouye Diama, Mboro, etc.) supplies several regions of Senegal with vegetables. He regrets that farmers and horticulturists do not have means of transport to convey their products to the interior of the country. In his Alternative Program for Senegal (PASS), to facilitate the flow of production, he will pave the lateritic tracks and build cold rooms in rural areas and provide them with refrigerated trucks for the conservation of fishery and horticultural products.
The president of the Grand Party (GP) promises to make Thiès the largest center of knowledge in Senegal. For him, this city of Thiès has trained the best agronomist engineers at the National Higher School of Agriculture (ENSA), the best polytechnicians at the Polytechnic School of Thiès (EPT), and the best army officers at the National School of Active Officers (ENOA). “Today, these reference schools are dying,” he said.
Read the original article(French) on Dakar Matin
