Prominent Gambian feminist and political activist, Fatou Jaw Manneh has claimed that President Adama Barrow has no authority and that he is not in control.
The former journalist and well-known diaspora activist also added that President Barrow’s party has been hijacked under his nose, adding that the notion of votes at any cost might lead to a political grave.
Ms Manneh made these strong comments in her resignation letter to the president, informing him of her decision to quit as honorary adviser over the decision to form alliance with former president Jammeh’s APRC.
She was appointed a few months ago as honorary adviser on strategic communications, development and emerging social issues.
In her letter shared on her Facebook page, Fatou Jaw said: “I wish to inform you about my resignation from the position of Honorary Adviser on Strategic Communications, Development, and Emerging Social Issues with immediate effect.
The last few months have been both educational and challenging for me. I am dedicated and always devoted to contribute and bring insights to meaningful change in our country, the Gambia but I have not been able to access, utilise and exercise demonstrably the roles and functions I was meant to serve in your government. I have values, principles, ethics, and morals, which I cherish exceptionally and protect over time.
Your decision to ally with the APRC has many implications for governance and integrity associated with my roles and functions. I can’t entirely agree with the conceptual framework of the alliance, and it is my firm belief that this particular alliance undermines the integrity of your government and jeopardises everything I stood for as a journalist, activist, politician, community worker, learner, and educator.
Personally, I am not against some form of amnesty at a later date to Jammeh and his cohorts of abusers, in the name of peace and reconciliation, but this blanket amnesty on these terms are unimaginable and an insult to Gambians.
From an ethical perspective allying with APRC is a total miscalculation of our spirit of NEVER AGAIN and a direct insult to the victims of Jammeh’s 22 years rule of terror.
I was excited at the opportunity accorded to me and willing to help to usher in democracy for the new Gambia. I would instead support you on that trajectory and lose elections than you win elections with a formal alliance with a dictator on these fraudulent terms that not only undermine our quest for democracy but shows an outright abuse of power and your weak leadership. It also clearly demonstrates you have no authority and you are not in control. This deal does not only show the lack of will-to-power as a leader, but that your party has been hijacked under your nose, the march to democracy undermined, and votes at any cost might lead to a political grave.
Thus, I wish to thank you for allowing me to contribute to national development. My little knowledge, experience, and project development can be best served somewhere else in the country.”
