President Barrow yield citizenship debate

President Adama Barrow on Tuesday added his voice to the chorus of debate over the question of Gambian citizenship and what it means to be a citizen.

The Constitutional Review Commission (CRC), as part of its inclusive drive of involving all Gambians in the conversation on what should be or should not be included in the new constitution that is being drafted, lately sparked off a raging debate over issues like the question of citizenship with the CRC’s nationwide consultation currently underway.

“There has been a lot of talk about citizenship, rights and entitlements. This is lawful, but, citizenship is not only about fighting for rights and a share of the national cake,” President Barrow argued in his New Year address to the nation.

“More importantly, citizenship is about belonging to a nation and contributing to the creation, development and expansion of the national cake. In real terms, the national cake is the national wealth, with everything that goes with it.

“The youths, in particular, have a future here, and we invite and urge them to stay put and work with us,” he emphasized.