NPP candidate and head of state Adama Barrow has said that while he has received a lot of flak and accused of being a betrayer, in fact it was Ousainu Darboe and the UDP that betrayed him.
Speaking at the NPP women’s rally at Tallinding last night, President Barrow said when he addressed the rally at the same venue on 8th November 2016 after his nomination, he promised that if elected, he will release Darboe from prison, make him ‘minister of heaven and earth’ and even vice president.
“I did all of that. I fulfilled my promise and my election vow. I gave him [Darboe] all the powers in the country. But what did he do? Who is the betrayer then?” the president asked.
He said the massive crowd he pulled yesterday manifestly indicated that he has won the crowd competition and that Gambians led by himself will “definitively retire” Mr Darboe and make sure he has ample time to be a regular mosque goer.
“My father is old now, his network does not function properly,” he teased, while noting, “Gambians have red-carded Ousainu Darboe.”
Achievements
President Barrow touted his “remarkable achievements” over the past five years and said that is why Gambians should give him a fresh mandate.
He explained: “When I took over, The Gambia had only one month of reserves [import cover] of US$35 million, now we have about seven months of reserves amounting to more than US$400 million.
“Before I took over, the economy was growing at a sluggish 1 to 2 percent per annum, now it is 6 percent even with the impact of Covid-19. When I took over, the debt to GDP ratio was 120 percent, now it is reduced to 66 percent. Treasury bills were at an all time high of 33 percent and we brought them to 4 percent. The lending rates of the commercial banks were about 30 percent but now we have halved them to between 15 to 17 percent. GRA collection stood at about D500 million a month and it is now D1.2 billion and by 2023 it will improve to D1.8 billion. These are stellar achievements,” he said.
President Barrow said unlike Ousainu Darboe, he as a businessman, understands the dynamics and intricacies of finance and economics.
He said he is building an even grander coalition and that today [Friday], Sunday and days after, he will be meeting other party leaders who have expressed interest in endorsing him.
The NPP women’s rally was addressed by many speakers including leaders of parties supporting him.
