By Amadou Jadama
Foday Gassama, the United Democratic Party regional youth coordinator for West Coast Region has made a strong rebuttal to comments made by Pa Samba Jow of the Democratic Union of Gambian Activists, who last week accused President Barrow of sacrificing the Coalition agenda for his interest to stay in power.
Speaking to The Standard, Gassama said Jow missed the point and his comments cannot go unchallenged because it is laden with misinformation.
According to Gassama, Barrow sacrificed his safety by taking on the tyrant at the height of his madness.
“President Barrow took that challenge exposing himself and family to possible harm from Jammeh during those volatile days and everyone knows he has been targeted for harm several times during the campaign. So it would not be fair for Pa Samba Jow to speak bad of such a person who carried the risky burden of standing up to the self appointed God Jammeh,” he said.
The UDP regional coordinator also addressed the issue of the 60 mosques Barrow promised to build, which was criticized by Jow. He said the President has made it clear that that money is not coming from the Government but a philanthropist who wanted to support his development plans.
“To say also that President Barrow was only interested in becoming president and not solving the problems of the Gambian people is misleading and an insult to Gambians. I want to remind Jow that even the very fact that he was interviewed by a local Gambian radio where he freely attacked the President was enough progress in terms of restoration of democracy and freedom of speech achieved under President Barrow.
” He said the Barrow government immediately returned the rights and freedom seized by Jammeh including the right to come back home which he Pa Samba himself is now enjoying after years in exile.
“I think Pa Samba should congratulate Barrow, rather than criticise him,” Gassama said.
On the issue of Seedy Njie and other APRC associates coming close to Barrow, Gassama said Seedy Njie has a constitutional right to shift his allegiance to President Barrow or any other party.
