In response to the ‘once upon a time not govt hired spokesperson’ now confirmed by virtue of his articles for the government. Mr, Ebrima Sankareh I am very disappointed, rather not surprised at your U-turn against the values of democracy and ethics of your profession. I want to put it to you that there was never an allegation or any attempt to instill fear and division in the country, there is nothing of such that could impose in the hearts and minds of people, any attempt to divide the people is from your government and office for simply backing the barrow youth movement. No one twisted the words of the President, we all quoted as he speaks and when he speaks it represents a policy. If you disagree, then why don’t he say the person who gave him the pickups just as you explained in your latest article.  

Ebrima G Sankareh, gov. Spokesperson (Left) 

The President said ‘I will build five mosques and boreholes every month through my youth movement and the money is already here, work could not have start because of the rain’ what is twisted in this statement? Even if this wasn’t true as you claimed, should he be saying that on a tour of this kind, doesn’t  his religious adviser advise him accordingly? The radical transformation you mentioned will never take place until the institutions needed are in place and transparency is enforced to fight corruption and deception - I mean system change. At this point in time, the Gambia constitution is being compromised by your boss by altering it without due process, and not following Section 222 (15) in respect of this tour. In your 4th paragraph, you mentioned youth volunteer groups had made themselves available to make this happen and it’s not the President policy. Mr Spokesperson which kind of education do you think most Gambia have? Which youth group or movement are you talking about apart the one and only barrow youth movement which have all their logo on all the tour billboards with messages that are miles away from this government’s attainment. The tour is for the country and not for his movement. The same kind of tour that took place before the National elections to campaign for UDP, which he claimed was ‘saying thank you to the people’. This tour is nothing but to advertise his movement. People can add the dots. Since when did the barrow youth movement can afford to build 60 mosques and boreholes?, what is their financial dealing with the state and President, why would they interfere with state programmes?  When the President speaks in such situations, it’s a policy. You can try to play the mind-set game with Gambians on the ground but not the people outside the box who are 10 steps ahead of you. We expected the President to summarise his so called NDP to the people during the tour, but he did not, he wasted time and money promising and promoting his party/youth movement. You could have come up with a better excuse for the president than to back him and an attempt to deceive people. All what the Gambian youth need is training, jobs and education and not to be used to sell a political agenda. If youths can’t provide for themselves how and why would they raise funds to build mosques nationwide?, is that what your government have reduced the Gambian youth to, instead of giving them you are enslaving them.

Pa  Cham 

Editor's note

Views expressed herein are those of the author and does not represent the views of Gunjur News Online.