Your Excellency,
As you prepare to deliver your State of the Nation Address at the National Assembly this week, I write to you this missive; in my capacity as the People’s representative who will not be there physically but his spirit will infuse that chamber to your consternation.
Your doctored speech, which is going to be an amalgam of incoherent pieces submitted to your office by different departments of your government, with various ulterior motives will certainly not address the critical matters that concern the people of this country.
Therefore I send your way a few pointers on the real matters of concern to the real people of this country.
Mr. President, deportation of Gambians has started from Europe, thanks to your consent. I put to you that the remittances of Gambians abroad is what is sustaining our people and the economy that your thievery is dependent upon. So please do not hire the finger that is feeding you.
Honourable Sedia Jatta did approach the Europeans for a pragmatic solution to the problem of these potential deportees and the German authorities showed him signs of willingness to cooperate but your government dropped the ball on this and the fault is now entirely yours.
To add injury to insult, your spy agency, SIS, has published grossly misleading information virtually labelling Gambian youths as terrorist because of their greed and insatiable desire for donor support by fair or foul means. This will not help the situation of Gambia youths both at home and abroad.
In a Facebook post titled “REJOINDER TO THE SIS REPORT OF RADICALIZED YOUTH TO ACCEPT TERRORISM” former army commander Sam Sarr stated “I just finished reading with utter horror a publication in the Foroyaa Newspaper today, 7 of September 2022 written by one Mustapha Jallow with the heading “SIS Official Says Bunch Of Youth Being Radicalized To Accept Terrorism”. The writer claims to be directly quoting such a disclosure from Mr. Momodou Lamin Jallow, Director of Counter Terrorism and Legal Affairs at The Gambia State Intelligence Service (SIS). The director accordingly made the statement during a two-day session on the subject of anti-money laundering and financing counter terrorism, held at a local hotel in Bijilo on Friday, 2nd, of September 2022.”
Is this not a page from the old playbook of the NIA meant to solicit funds from individuals and institutions using fake intelligence to the detriment of the common good?
While your government is plotting to sabotage the progress of our youths, your ministers are looting the very resources meant to empower these youths; to wit, the scandalous per diem racketeering by your own minister in charge of youths.
A top member of your cabinet is building mansion at Brufut heights, allegedly financed by an Indian Businessman with questionable business practices. Are you going to sound a warning note and take action to stop this blatant banditry in your government?
What about the dirty deals in the petroleum sector and the sacrilegious cabinet decision to exempt the state-owned GNPC from GPPA procurement regulation?
Please accept the assurances of my highest consideration.
God bless The Gambia.
Momodou SABALLY
Former Secretary General and Minister of Presidential Affairs
The most important route that should be constructed is neglected
Dear editor,
The route linking Brikama to Mandinaring via Bafuloto and Makumbaya needs to be constructed to ease the transportation menace in this country.
Do you know that you can drive from Brikama to Mandinari with no time? It’s possible but there is no sign of it becoming a reality because the drummer’s foot is on the drumstick.You all know what that means.
The ministry of works and infrastructure should look beyond their nose and make thorough assessment to bring about easy movement of people, goods and services within and beyond the Gambia. Standing at the GMPC fuel and gas depot at Mandinari, one can have a closer look or view of the seaport at Banjul.
I suggest the construction of a seaport linking Mandinari to Banjul and Barra respectively. I don’t need Doctorate degree to know this is possible to every sober minded person too.
This project will create job opportunities for many youths and equally burst trade integrity within country and beyond.
The National Road Authority needs to wake up from their unending sleep to address the transportation hurdles and hardships we are faced with on daily bases.
The Banjul-Brikama highway will be decongested when this route linking Brikama to Mandinari is constructed. Imagine one has to pay two fares to and from Mandinari to Brikama because the shortest route isn’t pliable or constructed perhaps they are not even aware of a road linking the two.
The road infrastructure in this country is very poor and deplorable. Due to the current nature of our routes we are prone to paying excessive fares to shorter destinations when the fares can be lower than that with good road networks in place. The gravels in use for the ongoing OIC projects are all extracted from Makumbaya and Bafuloto sadly.
Makumbaya and the surrounding villages are neglected in my opinion.
Kemo Dibbasey
