By Tabora Bojang
President Adama Barrow has called on the people of Foni to bury the past and support the development of the country.
The president made these remarks at his maiden meeting in Foni, held in Kampassa village as part of his ongoing nationwide tour.
Barrow said he is elated with the warm welcome accorded to him and his entourage, saying it is a manifestation that the people of Foni are ready to work with the government.
“I am not the first president of this country; it is a fact that the people of Foni have supported former presidents Sir Dawda Jawara and Yahya Jammeh until they left office. Now that it is my time, I want you to come on board and support my cause for national development,” Barrow told a keen listening crowd at Kampassa.
The President said his government has nothing against the people of Foni, promising that they will enjoy everything provided to Gambians in other parts of the country because they are all part of his family.
He called on them to ignore the few people bent on flaming misunderstanding between the people of Foni and his administration.
Barrow said the tour is meant to discuss with Gambians to understand their plights and concerns as well as relay government’s policies and programmes to the people.
The minister of lands and regional government, Musa Drammeh said the government is aware that there are no problems in Foni but it is only a matter of misunderstanding on political ideas.
He called on the chief and the alkalo to work in support of the government’s agenda and mobilise support for the president in his political ambitions.
The Minister of Tourism and Culture, Hamat Bah said it is outrageous that there are people in the Fonis who are working day and night to convince people not to pledge solidarity with President Barrow when in fact those same people have supported Yahya Jammeh without any problems.
Hamat criticised former army General Lang Tombong Tamba for his absence at the meeting, saying as a retired general who hails from Sintet close to Kampassa, he was expected to attend the meeting.
“The people should accept the decree of Allah and accept the truth. Adama Barrow is the chosen leader of this country and we should support him at all cost,” Hamat said.
Contacted for comments, Lang Tombong Tamba said he could not have attended the meeting because he had no idea about the president’s meeting in Kampassa.
