Political Science lecturer and analyst, Essa Njie has called the Gambia Moral Congress leader an “inconsistent politician”.
Mai Fatty said in an interview with Kerr Fatou that he would have preferred to join President Barrow to the opposition during the 2021 presidential election.
Analysing these remarks in an interview with The Standard Monday, Essa Njie described Mai Fatty’s remarks as ‘dishonest from a politician who until the presidential election was one of the fierce critics of the Barrow government.’
“It is so disheartening, but we must admit that some of our political leaders are very inconsistent. We must as Gambians hold our political leaders to account, both by their actions and words. Mai Fatty is one political leader who has been making a lot of inconsistent comments since his sacking in November 2017. For Mai to come and argue that he would have rather supported Barrow in 2021 presidential election than opposition parties, I think is very dishonest on his side.
“I will like to take Gambians back to an interview that Mai granted to The Standard newspaper on the 20th December 2020 reproduced by Africa News, where he argued that the Barrow Government must be voted out because it is incompetent and for lack of transparency. Mai in fact accused the Barrow Government of dividing the country, polarising the country more. He said that tribalism is much more present today than the days of dictatorship,” Njie said.
He continued that Mai in the same interview argued that the Barrow government “is dividing” Gambians and “is even worse at some point, than during the days of dictatorship in some of major challenges that the country is facing”.
The political commentator also referred Gambians to the same interview that Mai granted on 20th December 2020 in which he (Mai Fatty) said Barrow Government cannot go beyond 2021.
“For Mai to come and tell us that he would have preferred to join Barrow’s Government, I think he should remind himself of the interview he granted on 20th of December 2020, when he argued that this Government cannot go beyond 2021. He argued that ‘we will end this negative circle in 2021’. Who is Mai to come and tell us now that in 2021, he would have preferred to join Barrow than the opposition?
“These statements of Mai Fatty are inconsistent and contradictory statements. This shows the type of political leader he is and it reveals to Gambians. Here is a man who should never be taken seriously, because of his lack of consistency as a political leader. And he should never be given the opportunity to run the affairs of this country. This, I think Mai should just do himself a favour and stop talking and stop writing”, he continued.
On Mai’s expression of his liking for the Barrow Government’s infrastructural development, Essa in the same vain referred the GMC leader to the same interview he granted to the Bakau-based newspaper in December 2020 in which he questioned the value of the infrastructure development when the economy is putting a lot of people into poverty.
“Mai said clearly that ‘what value has infrastructure when the economy is putting a lot of people into poverty?’. He vehemently opposed infrastructure. Now, he is again telling us that he would have preferred to join Barrow because he likes the policies and specifically the infrastructural development. Let Gambians judge for themselves. Is this a man who is really serious?” the political pundit said.
Njie declined to comment on claims that the politician is “financially broke and is seeking a job” from President Barrow, saying, “I think that is bit personal”.
