Ousman Bah, a youth leader of the Gambia Moral Congress has responded to remarks made by presidential adviser for youth Musa Jeng, who on Tuesday called on their party leader Mai Fatty to be quiet or face exposure.
The full statement reads:
“I have come across a news article in The Standard newspaper edition of Tuesday June 26, 2018 titled, ‘Presidential Adviser Warns Mai To Shut Up Or Else…..’, attributed to President Adama Barrow’s adviser on youth affairs Musa Jeng where he (Musa Jeng) went on a verbal onslaught against Hon Mai Ahmad Fatty, the leader of the Gambia Moral Congress.
Ordinarily, one would not have bothered to react except for the fact that some falsehood should not be allowed to pass just like that. A response is not injudicious since what Mr Jeng said – unfortunately – are tissues of lies presented in a way that may look factual to an unsuspecting public.
First, Musa Jeng condemned Hon Mai Fatty for giving his opinion on the coalition’s three years deal. Musa Jeng must understand that Hon Fatty was in no way criticizing President Adama Barrow when he (Mai Fatty) said he is committed to the three-year coalition agreement and so should President Barrow. Hon Fatty is not against President Barrow to go for five years. But GMC and Fatty’s position is that it’s not proper for the President to publicly declare that he is going for five years without conferring with the coalition leaders first. In fact Mai Fatty is not the first coalition stakeholder to give his opinion on this issue. Vice President Fatoumatta Jallow Tambajang is the first coalition spearhead who said the coalition deal says Barrow should serve for three years. This position is held by others like Omar Jallow and Halifa Sallah.
Musa Jeng, in the interview, said that GMC during the formation of the Coalition, GMC could not even provide the required five delegates requested from the political parties. He said GMC hadonly one woman representing them and it was him and Kebba Singhateh, the first secretary at the Gambian Embassy in Russia, who were helping the woman to get GMC onboard. What baloney! How can a party that furnished the coalition convention with 70 delegates struggle to deliver just five as averred by Musa Jeng.
Meanwhile, Musa Jeng accused Hon Mai Fatty of forcing Yahya Jammeh associates like Muhammed Bazzi on President Barrow for financial gains. It will beat this political harlot to learn that Hon. Fatty never forced Muhammed Bazzi on President Barrow. Bazzi, it’s known, met with Barrow on the night of December 7, 2016 and the person who brought him to Barrow’s house in Yarambamba was Musa Drammeh, Barrow’s current senior adviser on investment. So this statement is not only funny but a clear assault on everything that is truth. It’s a spectacular piece of fiction from a fertile mind with agenda for grave mischief. Hon Fatty never introduced Bazzi to President Barrow. A relationship was already established and Hon Fatty surprisingly met Bazzi in Barrow’s house in Yarambamba.
Still, Musa Jeng made an incendiary charge that during his time as the interior minister Hon. Fatty “misused his powers by ordering security to mount salutes for him as if he is the president…He also used to walk on a red carpet…” That Hon. Fatty abused authority when he was interior minister as alleged by Musa Jeng will never pass the barometer of truth. Hon. Fatty never ordered any security to mount salutes for him. In fact, Gambian security men and women will find this statement laughable.
Additionally, Musa Jeng said government would hold him to account for building a new house while serving as interior minister. Allegations of corruption are serious and should not be made without proof. Hon Fatty did not build any new house while in office. The onus lies with Musa Jeng to provide proof of Hon. Fatty building a new house using state funds. In an event he’s not able to show proof; these statements would then be sheer concoctions coming from an uninformed yet curmudgeonly political nobody.
Yet we are worried about President Barrow. People like Musa Jeng cannot advise themselves, talk less of a president. I’m of a mind to say Musa Jeng doesn’t even know his mandate. How can a presidential adviser on youth matters speak on something that’s for political advisers? It shows this man is out-of-touch with the rudiments of his office. In the interview, he went as far as impliedly telling President Barrow that his government was founded on dishonesty and fraud by stating that he (Musa Jeng) and others used fraudulent means to get delegates for President Barrow.
There is no doubt that Hon. Fatty did a great job as Interior Minister. In fact it’s being said that he’s the best interior minister The Gambia has ever had. Hon. Fatty’s credibility remains fantastic and excellent. For Musa Jeng’s information, Hon. Fatty represents the new hope of a new progressive political era.
In politics, it’s normal for people to differ – sometimes fundamentally – on issues. What is not normal is the use of politics as a means of wrecking relationships. Hon Mai Fatty respects President Barrow and values the relationship between him and the president.”
