By Omar Bah
The opposition GDC leader, Mamma Kandeh has claimed that President Adama Barrow’s emergency trip to Nigeria last week was to ask for military support from President Muhammadu Buhari.
“I understand he went to Nigeria to ask for military support because the Ecomig mandate has ended. Those who were funding the troops said they cannot continue funding it,” Kandeh told supporters in Latrikunda Sabiji.
The Ecomig intervention was launched to resolve a constitutional crisis caused by the 2016 disputed presidential election. The intervention partly funded by the European Union began in January 2017.
The former European Union Ambassador in The Gambia, Attila Lajos told The Standard in October that the EU has since March stopped funding the West African troops.
“Ecomig is going soon. This is why he went to Nigeria to ask President Buhari to send him troops to replace the Ecomig forces. Where are the Gambian soldiers? Do we have war in this country? What is the problem?” Kandeh added.
Corruption
The GDC leader said the Barrow government is even more corrupt than Yahya Jammeh’s regime.
“This government’s corruption level in 4 years has surpassed Jammeh’s 22 years. The corruption is there for all to see. We should wake up – the world is moving while this small Gambia is going backward all due to corruption.”
Kandeh added that now Gambians should decide whether they want to continue suffering with Barrow or vote for another person who will uplift their lives.
“The 2021 presidential election is going to be about voting for progress or retrogression. I will leave that to the Gambian people to decide,” he said.
He said Barrow is buying vehicles and distributing money among his supporters while Gambian hospitals are struggling to have drugs.
The GDC leader said the Barrow administration’s corruption started when they decided to sell Jammeh’s properties without following due process.
He said if the Barrow administration wanted to be transparent, they should have handed over Jammeh’s properties to the AMRC.
“But what goes around comes around – they took Jammeh’s properties and sold them anyhow they liked without following due process – even vehicles that Jammeh had given out to people were taken. But today, Barrow is everyday giving out vehicles to his supporters. So is it not funny that it is wrong for Jammeh to give out vehicles but correct for Barrow to do so? To those who are receiving these vehicles, please remember that one day you will return them,” he warned.
Kandeh urged Gambians not to buy into Barrow’s rhetoric.
“Barrow is just telling you whatever he likes. If you vote for him, he will betray you and do whatever he likes.”
On reports of the Jimara National Assembly member leaving the GDC, Kandeh said this is not possible. “If that is possible for Alhagie Sowe to quit GDC, then it will be possible for me to leave the party. I mean Alhagie sowe and myself will be the last persons to leave GDC,” he said.
“All those who are in GDC and have two minds about the party, one day you will go. We pray that all those who have two minds about us to leave soon because that is better for us,” he said.
The GDC leader also welcomed hundreds of new supporters who came to show join the party at the rally.
