Barrow warns detractors to leave his gov’t or else…..

By Omar Bah President Adama Barrow has renewed his calls for ministers and government officials serving in his administration who do not share his development agenda to resign before he fires them, adding that there are people whose objective is to create a situation in which they can find their way to the presidency. “I am the bus driver and if you do not want to ride with me, then disembark from the bus because you are either in or out,” he told a delegation of his supporters from Kombo South at State House Sunday. He continued: “If anyone wants to become President go through the front door because you cannot use the backdoor to ascend to the presidency. I used the front door when I sought to be elected president.” The president further told his visitors that the people who are criticising do not represent the vast majority of Gambians. “Those talking are insignificant people. Those who understand government and know how it operates do not talk. They are silent and they will not talk at all,” he said. The Gambian leader further asserted that he will never betray the Gambian people, adding that at the end of his presidency he will stay in the country. “I heard some people saying that my presidency will end and I will face a commission, but I can vow that after my presidency if the government did not owe me I will not owe the government. I have said that we fought to rescue the country and if you are a hunter who went to fight and kill the lion you will not give it to a vulture…It is only a foolish hunter who will kill a lion and give it to a vulture. That will not happen here,” he stressed. Barrow called on Gambians to join him and develop the country, adding that “If anyone thinks you will sabotage and undermine the government to eventually remove President Barrow, you must be fooling yourself because it was the people who made me president. But my second term will be determined by the work I do. “We are not politicking yet, we are doing our work and after that we will start politicking…That is the time we will be able to say we have done this and that here. As we speak even the Barrow Youth for National Development is bigger than some political parties in this country and can pull more support,” Barrow said. He said some people sought the presidency for 22 or 30 years and are still vying. “I come out within three months and contested three elections and won all. I won the UDP, Coalition and the presidential elections and became the president of everyone in this country. Whether you like it or not, I am your president and you are my family,” the president said. He accused some government officials of hypocrisy, alleging that some will go to people and tell them not to take money from him because he is bribing them. NAMs He said although he was accused of trying to induce parliamentarians with D10,000 now but little is said of the fact that he gave the same NAMs money in the past National Assembly elections and these included not only UDP NAMs, but NCP, PDOIS, NRP, PPP, GMC, GPDP and the Independent Isatou Touray’s candidates. “All of them received money from me but that was not bribery. The smallest amount I gave to some of them is D150,000, D200,000 and D300,000. I paid all their polling agents for them and I also funded the councillor and chairmanship elections,” he said.]]>