”If we do not say how things look like, we are bound to say how they are not.” In normal circumstances we are defending the untruth.
The best thing any citizen of a nation can be proud of is to be entrusted with the opportunity to serve his/her country. Omar Jallow alias OJ has been given exactly that opportunity twice for more than 25 good long years as the country’s Agriculture Minister. To be entrusted with a job is something good but to perform excellent is completely another thing. When OJ was appointed minister by H.E. President Adama Barrow he did not explain to the nation why he hired OJ. The President is mandated by law not to explain why he hires and fires a minister. Hence he didn’t do anything against the constitution.
No sooner had the news of President Adama Barrow’s cabinet reshuffle came out than we heard from his critics from the Diaspora Sulu Saajimalu (DSS) and Gambia Sulu Saajimalu (GSS). It never came as a surprise to those of us who really know and follow the mental status of the DSS and GSS people otherwise wolves in a sheep’s clothing.
OJ, Omar Jallow former Agriculture Minister was the first GSS to cry foul accusing President Barrow of not doing the right thing because it did favour him. OJ thought all along that he was untouchable just like in the days of Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara. OJ has never delivered to the Gambian people as their minister of Agriculture in the First Republic and not under President Adama Barrow either. Showing OJ the exit door should not have come as a surprise to anyone and certainly not to OJ himself. In his first interview with a news outlet that calls it self Freedom Newspaper, OJ said he is surprised that the President relieved him of his duty. It seems OJ is the only one who doesn’t see what everybody sees under his watch. From the disappointment of the Gambian poor farmers to the fertilizer scandal all under OJ’s watch. He said he is surprised the President lost confidence in him. The question is, what has OJ done for Gambian farmers and the farming sector if any? The Gambian farmer and the farming soil of The Gambia are among the poorest, hence this large scale importation of fertilizer which ends up being stolen and sold illegally out side of the country. Our farmers cannot compete in the international market because our produce are of a very poor quality and that is some of the reasons why the farmers’ produce are not exported or bought. Government doesn’t buy them because they cannot export the produce.
Remember, we are talking of a sector that composes of 75 percent of the country’s GDP. The man responsible for that sector for the past twenthy something years is OJ. If OJ is surprised that he is no more our Agriculture Minister we are not and we know why. No more business as usual is the message to all civil servants of today’s nwe Gambia. Either you deliver or the exit door.
The former Vice President Fatoumatta Tambajang Jallow whom OJ will defend and is against her redeployment to the foreign service. Birds with same feather fly together. Madam Tambajang’s closet is not as clean as we thought. Just as OJ, she too is a controversial figure and can be in the same camp with the DSS and GSS people. Here is our former Vice President who saw nothing morally wrong in entertaining people who once were against her appointment as VP. She was attacked by the same DSS for appealing to all diasporean Gambians to come home for nation building. The former Vice President met with many controversial organisations whose motives contravene hers and the government she represents. In doing so on her own initiative she is indirectly undermining the very government she swore to serve and protect. A Vice President of a nation should be loyal to the President and push the President’s agenda not his/her own agenda. The government must be seen to speak in one voice. This is not the case with President Adama Barrow’s administration prior to his reshuffling of the cabinet. There has been rumors of unethical employments by the former Vice President were the vacancies were not tendered which if true is equal to nepotism. Again there will be no business as usual in the new Gambia. Elitism is gone and gone for ever. In the New Gambia we want to promote equal opportunity for all and not who you are or who you know in the system.
The DSS and GSS folks will always play circus as American clowns performing an act in front of an audience. You all well remember they (DSS) hinted in 2016-2017 that Halifa will be best fit for the post of Vice President. The same people (DSS) now ridicule and reduce the second highest portforlio in the country as a ceremonial post. When did the portfolio of the Vice President became ceremonial? Is it when Hon. Ousainou Darboe became the new Vice President? The hatred for Mr. Ousainou Darboe from the DSS and GSS quarters has no bounderies and it goes to the length of insulting and disrepecting our country’s secound highest sit of power. Now that the age limit is out of way for the Presidency and Vice President posts these bad people are after Hon. Ousainou Darboe on the premises that he was convicted hence his appoinment is unconstitutional. What these heters and unpatriotic people fail to understand is that Mr. Darboe was a political and conscience prisoner and not a criminal convict. If Nelson Mandela can come out of prison and lead his country as a President do can Mr. Ousainou Darboe. They want to portray Mr. Darboe as something he is not and they will fail in their efforts. How could these mindless people rule the country when they display such a disgusting attitude towards the secound highest office of the country? I am outraged and who would not be. The Gambia is not for them.
The ministries that underperformed are the ministry of Information which was suppose to be the mouthpiece of the Barrow government. This ministry under DA Jaw was in complete hibernation until waken by the President last Friday June 30, 2018.
The health minister also was pushed aside due to obvious reasons clear to all not the least the conflict with the country’s doctors. A price which innocent patients were forced to pay dearly.
Yes, people might be surprised by the overdue action of the President, but remember the future and success of the nation supersedes all individual ambitions.
Thank you and God Bless you and the Gambia.
Alhagi Touray
Stockholm-Sweden
Ends