By Omar Bah
The Chairperson of the Coalition media team in West Coast Region, Essa Dampha has refuted allegations that the new government ministers are living a flamboyant life just like those of Jammeh.
Mr Dampha was responding to Omar Beyai, a former APRC vanguard who recently told The Standard that the Coalition government could in fact be worse unless they desist from Jammeh’s extravagant life style.
“I totally want to disagree with Omar Beyai and I also want to assure him that there is no comparison between the six month Coalition government and that of Jammeh’s 22-year rule,” he said.
He added that even though Gambians are now free to excise their right to divergent opinions they should not misuse this with empty statements such as comparing good people with Yahya Jammeh, which he said is an insult to the general population of the Gambia. “Beyai is complaining about ministers driving expensive cars, but he forgot the fact that some of these cars have been in use for the past four years or so and it would make sense to use them instead of buying new ones,” Dampha said.
He said Mr Beyai does not seem to follow events in the county otherwise he would doubt claims that Jammeh has embezzled the nation’s wealth in many forms. “I stand to be corrected but I believe the government through the Minister of Finance has made everything abundantly clear that Jammeh has emptied our coffers,” Dampha said.
On electoral reforms, Mr Dampha said the government is on institutional reforms and cannot do everything at once. “I believe electoral reform is part of their mandate.”
