By Momodou Darboe
The presidential adviser on religious affairs has explained that despite people raking half-a-million of Gambian dalasi from President Adama Barrow, he had never benefitted from any monetary gift of up to D10,000 from the magnanimous president.
The Bakau strongman, Dembo By Force Bojang, said President Barrow had given monetary assistance to people, sometimes up to D500,000 to renovate their houses and that in the face of all this, the president had never extended any monetary help to him that had ever exceeded D10,000.
“I never begged [President] Adama money. Instead, I introduced people to him, to whom, he would give up to D500,000 for them to repair their houses, by Allah. I helped people but I never begged him money,” Bojang told the Barrow Media Group.
According to Dembo By Force, President Barrow’s ‘magnanimity’ could be traced back to the days of the dictatorship when he was an executive member of the UDP, describing him as one of those who made sure some UDP members, including himself were not financially-starved.
“UDP never gave me a dalasi for 22 years. We were without salaries for 22 years. Nobody ever gave me a bag of rice and it was Adama who used to send Amadou Sanneh to me (financial aid). I have sold three plots of land my children should’ve inherited all because of the UDP,” Bojang revealed.
Dembo By Force lamented that the UDP had betrayed him for not endorsing the presidency of Barrow.
“UDP has betrayed me because when we elected Barrow, they refused to endorse him. If we are able to wrestle down Jammeh and people able to breathe now, I think that is enough relief for everyone and it should not be abused,” the Bakau strongman said.
He asserted that UDP is not a private entity and refuted assertions that President Barrow had come up with his own party to contest the next presidential election.
“It’s the good people who formed the NPP and not Adama and we will name the flag-bearer, leader and secretary general at the appropriate time,” Bojang pointed out.
Meanwhile with little over a year to go before the 2021 polls, stakes are getting higher amid the Covid-19 disruptions.
