The National Assembly Member for Serekunda West, Madi Ceesay, has refuted claims that opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) NAMS have forgiven Ambassador Fatoumatta Jahumpa Ceesay.
Mrs Jahumpa-Ceesay who is The Gambia’s ambassador to South Africa, a former Speaker of the National Assembly and a chieftain of the former ruling APRC party made unsavoury remarks in a private audio which was leaked causing widespread consternation among the rank and file of the UDP and others.
Consequently, Ambassador Jahumpa-Ceesay issued a public apology expressing remorse and condemning the leaking of a private conversation between two acquaintances to the public.
Last week, a member of the parliamentary caucus of the main opposition United Democratic Party, Yaya Menteng Sanyang, confirmed to The Standard that its members have “forgiven” Fatoumata Jahumpa-Ceesay and have decided not to take any further action against her.
But in a statement shared with The Standard, Hon Ceesay who is Mr Sanyang’s senior in the party’s parliamentary caucus, said: “The UDP caucus is disappointed with the content of your earlier article which portrayed that the UDP NAMs have forgiven the undiplomatic language of Ambassador Fatoumatta Jahumpha Ceesay a few weeks ago. The published does not represent the views of the UDP NAMs because members have not met over it and are yet to take a firm position. Therefore, UDP NAMs have not forgiven Ambassador Ceesay to date until otherwise decided later.”
Editor’s note:
Upon receipt of the information which included an audio file that the UDP NAMs had discussed and decided to forgive Mrs Jahumpa-Ceesay, The Standard reached out to a senior member of the UDP parliamentary caucus Yaya Menteng Sanneh who confirmed to this paper that indeed the UDP members of parliament have decided to “let bygones be bygones” and have “forgiven” her. It was on the basis of this confirmation that we published the story.
