By Tabora Bojang
Lawyer and politician Essa Faal has said anyone who stole money from the state under this government will “vomit it” and the money will be used for the benefit of the people, if he becomes president in 2026.
Addressing his Sobeyaa party congress in Farafenni on Saturday, Faal said: “I want to promise Gambians today that if they voted and entrusted us to manage the affairs of this country [in the 2026 presidential election] anyone who stole a butut from this government will vomit it. We will go after those who stole money and laundered it abroad. We will go after those who stole money and saved them in banks in other people’s names. We will follow up the oil prospects nobody is talking about. We will investigate the natural resources they are secretly extracting and exporting.”
Faal blamed the Barrow administration for “misappropriating” the country’s resources and unwisely spending it in a way that is only “benefiting themselves” and keeping the masses in “poverty, suffering and destitution”.
“I was addressing a press conference and a Senegalese journalist told me he realised all sectors in this country are having problems, and I said if this guy can be here for only two days and be able to come to this reality, then that means our problems are so enormous and the man [Barrow] entrusted with it cannot carry the load. He does not understand the job and his computer easily gets hot. Gambians need to come together, rescue this country and give it to people who have the knowledge and can deliver,” Faal said.
He vowed to eradicate corruption when elected, reform the education system, create jobs and employment opportunities for youths and women of The Gambia who he lamented are “bearing the brunt of the daily struggles and suffering”.
“Our government will wipe the tears of Gambian women. We will give them funds, build their capacity and provide them skills and help them grow their businesses. In five years we will address the problems of ‘the back way’ and create avenues for young people to gain sustainable jobs and stay in this country” he said.
Faal charged that the government had failed to capitalise on the country’s marine and land resources to ensure food sufficiency while wasting millions of dollars to import food due to “misprioritisation and abuse of state resources”.
“School fees are expensive, cost of living is high, rent is high, electricity is erratic and our hospitals are in a poor state. That is why government officials fly overseas for medical treatment but they tell Gambians that Bundung Hospital is better than [a] New York [hospital] yet they don’t go to Bundung. They are doing so to deceive Gambians. Let us come out and show our dissatisfaction and vote out this government in 2026.
The former TRRC lead counsel also criticised government’s excessive spending on OIC vehicles, the migration deals with Spain and Saudi Arabia, the president’s meet the people tour and the theft of fertilisers for farmers.
Congress
The congress, which took a form of consensus voting, overseen by the Independent Electoral Commission, witnessed the formation of a new alliance between Sobeyaa and APP founded by Dr Gumbo Ali Touray. Faal said the alliance will become a third political force in The Gambia and consists of other parties and pressure groups that were on the verge of formations such as Gambia Reform & Change Party, National Alliance for Change and National Development Alliance. He said the alliance is open to forge partnerships with other parties and pressure groups to effect a desired change by removing the incumbent.
Positions
The following are the new executive members of the Sobeyaa party: secretary general and flag bearer Essa Faal, administrative secretary Dr Daffeh, deputy administrative secretary Cherno Touray, 1st vice president Isatou Jawara, 2ndvice president Yaisa Jallow, deputy secretary general political affairs Binta Touray, deputy secretary general for operations Ebou Gaye, campaign manager Momodou Lamin Sanyang, national organising secretary Professor Mballow, deputy national organising secretary Maila Touray, spokesperson Ousainou Bobb, deputy spokesperson Mustapha Danso, national women mobiliser Marie Baldeh, deputy national women mobiliser Fatou Suwareh, national youth mobiliser Omar Barrow, deputy national youth mobiliser Lamin Nyassi, treasurer Mariam Faal, deputy treasurer Mass Jobe, auditor Kejau Touray, diaspora coordinator Europe Habib Faal, diaspora coordinator UK Aji Sira Sarr, diaspora coordinator US Musa Jallow.
