By Omar Bah
For the first time since he reshuffled his cabinet, President Adama Barrow has spoken tough about how difficult decisions have to be made to keep the national ship on course.
The President was speaking while presiding over the swearing-in of the new vice president Dr Isatou Touray who replaced Ousainu Darboe, whom he fired along with his colleagues recently.
The President further stated that as leaders they ought to be realistic and firm in ensuring that justice is done in the interest of the nation.
“It is this principle that has given rise to the cabinet reshuffle resulting in the new appointments that have just been confirmed,” he said as he swears four other ministers and permanent secretaries.
“It is a betrayal of trust to belong to a group, yet openly or secretly oppose its ideals, objectives, values, agenda and what it stands for. In other words, one cannot operate in cabinet, or within a government system, and seek to undermine it in order to pursue any other interest,” Barrow added.
Though the President did not directly name any person, his comments were generally received as a reaction to the sacking of his political godfather Ousainu Darboe and colleagues.
“Therefore, good and patriotic citizenship is measured by one’s loyalty to the people, State and to the leadership of the day.
“In The Gambia, our shared values are not limited to loving, caring and sharing only. They include honesty, sincerity and developing a sense of belonging to a community composed of diverse groups. Those of us in government should live by these values, and refrain from seeking to divide the nation along partisan lines,” he added.
