By Amadou Jadama
The leader of the opposition APRC Fabakary Tombong Jatta, has called on the international community notably the UN, AU and Ecowas to put more pressure on the government of President Adama Barrow to respect the MoU signed by them to facilitate the departure of former president Jammeh.
Speaking at a press conference in Tallinding on Wednesday, Jatta elaborated: “If you could remember, President Jammeh left the shores of this country based on an agreement.
Negotiation was made by Ecowas, AU and UN. The moment President Jammeh left this country, that document was thrown into the dust bin, yet it was because of that agreement Jammeh agreed to leave.”
“We challenge the UN, AU and Ecowas to put more pressure on this government to ensure that the document is adhered to, strictly.
Otherwise, they will lose credibility within the region and indeed the entire world, and they [UN, AU, Ecowas] will no longer be able to negotiate between parties because no one will trust them”, he said.
Baa Tambadou
On the diplomatic passport scandal, the APRC leader said when Attorney General Tambadou found himself enmeshed, he tried to pass on the blame to President Barrow, saying he merely applied for the documents and his application was approved by the president.
“Baa is a professional lawyer… If there are regulations, Baa who sees himself as champion of decency and morality should not have done that.
It is these people who are destroying Barrow’s government. It is the same Baa Tambadou who while addressing soldiers, thanked them for making the [many] attempted coups against Yahya Jammeh’s government.”
Alagie Barrow
In a broadside against the TRRC lead investigator, Mr Jatta said Alagie Barrow was part of armed men who attacked State House on 30th December 2014, escaped and went on to continue living in “exile” in America.
“When he was returning here, [Barrow’s] government ministers welcomed him with a red carpet. A coupist? And he is now employed as the lead researcher at TRRC!”
“We want to make it clear that we are a principled and organised party.
[For example] if anyone attempts anything illegal against the Barrow government, if you escape, when we come back to power, if you come back, we will prosecute you. We believe in the rule of law, democracy and fair play”.
Ebrima Sankareh
“President Barrow has to be careful of the government spokesperson Ebrima Sankareh. We are aware that in his recent radio interview, he said a lot of things against Jammeh’s government. Saying that he had not seen any development brought about by Jammeh.
I want to remind him, that the establishment of the UTG, Kombo coastal road network, water and electricity, the National Assembly building, the Barra to Passamas highway, the Mandinaba to Basse highway, the Kerewan Bridge… even his office and tables he [uses] were built by Jammeh and the APRC.
“When he was living here in 1994, there were only 12 senior secondary schools in this country and none of those schools was built by the PPP government. By the time President Jammeh left this country, we have over 120 in the country”, he noted.
The APRC leader further posited that before 1994, there were only two hospitals in the country – Bansang and Royal Victoria built by the colonialists. He added that PPP government had not built even a single hospital in this country.
“We provided free education from primary to secondary and Ebrima Sankareh’s children and relatives were among [those who benefited]. Just to make a point about the evil nature of this government, when they took over, the tractors that were given to farmers by Jammeh were seized and parked at police stations and in the compounds of seyfolu.
How would you expect farmers to produce more?”
Jatta claimed the government cannot deliver justice to Gambians, and “are not here for the Gambians but for themselves and their families”.
He asked about the much-talked about 1.7 billion dollars promised to carry out the NDP works.
“This government cannot bring about any development in this country. They have no money,” he queried.
He renewed his call for the Barrow government to investigate the killing of Haruna Jatta, shot to dead by the Ecomig soldiers in Kanilai.
