A former minister of the deposed Jawara government has taken a swipe on President Yahya Jammeh for recklessly spending and dishing out millions of Dalasis when majority of Gambians are reeling with abject poverty.
Omar Jallow blamed the Gambia government for planning to spend millions of Dalasis on reckless celebrations and festivities.
“This money could have been used for the interest of Gambians,” he said in his weekly web broadcast pasted here, wondering why the government wants to organize a 10-day celebration of an internationally condemned coup which saw the illegal overthrow of a legitimate government.
He asked why President Jammeh would donate half a million Dollars to Sierra Leone to fight Ebola when our hospitals lack drugs and children not going to school for lack of school fees. He said the Gambia’s fight against Ebola should have started with strengthening joint surveillance with Senegal for detection and protection.
Mr. Jallow also queried President Jammeh’s gift of 12 new vehicle to Guinea Bissau. He said it does not make sense for President Jammeh to do that when the Gambia is appealing for international assistance. “Before we engage in any festivities or dash out money, we have to first solve our problems,” he said, advising the Jammeh regime to use our resources in a judicious, responsible and mature manner.
OJ said the it is unfortunate “that we have a government that is so insensitive or cannot understand the difficulties of Gambian people.” He wanted the government to focus on the economic catastrophe caused by the Ebola outbreak and lack of rains.
“Because of the Ebola outbreak in the neighboring countries threats, cross border trade is more or less reduced to a standstill, seriously affecting many people who benefit from cross border and other activities and services. The tourism sector, which has become one of the major economic activities in the country, is seriously affected by Ebola.”
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1. “Omar Jallow blamed the Gambia government for planning to spend millions of Dalasis … celebrations and festivities.”
OJ has a good point there. Gambians are facing hardship and the scarce funds should be used to assist the people rather than be spend on festivities.
2. “… why half a million Dollars to Sierra Leone to fight Ebola”.
Not a good point at all! Sierra Leoneans are our brothers and sisters and we should do all we can to assist them in their hour of need.
3. Why “… gift of 12 new vehicle to Guinea Bissau … Before we engage in any festivities or dash out money, we have to first solve our problems,”
Again not a good point. However poor we are, there is always someone worse off than us. I remember when I was growing up in my SOS-style children’s home in Kenya, the Director made us give up our 3-eggs a week (for six weeks) to send the money to Mother Theresa’s Orphanage in Calcutta, India. That was an amazing lesson for us kids. Help those who are worse off than you. If Bissau Police have no vehicles to police their country, it is not such a bad idea for Jammeh to help them with vehicles. I don’t really want to bat for Jammeh on this, but the fact is that Jammeh has provided Gambian Police with many many 4X4 vehicles – when they had none under OJ’s Government. Again I apologise that I have to state that fact!
You are missing the point. In good governing systems with checks and balances the executive is never in charge of the purse. In which country have you seen a leader throwing food to children and dishing cash.