The ongoing internal investigation into transferred of 33 million Dalasis into First Lady Fatoumata Bah-Barrow’s foundation (FaBB) account is a manufactured crisis by people who are advising the First Lady. The First Lady of The Gambia and her team should have known at the beginning that having a foundation is a bad political strategy which will give taint and corrupt legacy to President Adama Barrow, despite whatever good purpose the foundation may have at this time in our national development efforts.
The Gambia has gone through 22 years of military dictatorship during which there were many phony foundations set up for economic mismanagement and exploitation of Gambian people. The Jammeh Foundation for Peace was one prominent example which was used as an economic exploitation mechanism by former President Yaya Jammeh, his family and cronies. Millions of dollars intended for the Jammeh Foundatio to improve healthcare delivery system in the country were diverted into personal accounts of Dictator Jammeh and his wife. The Current commission of inquiry probing into the financial activities of former President Jammeh and his cronies has clearly shown that Jammeh foundation was not speared from rampant corruption and exploitation. If this is the evident we are to go by, why would the First Lady Fatoumata Bah-Barrow and people who advise her even set up a foundation on her name if they truly want to have a good legacy for President Barrow?
The FABB Foundation has been registered as a non-profit organization in The Gambia purposely to engage in philanthropic and humanitarian efforts to complement national development. While philanthropic effort is a good idea but the board members of foundation must remember that the First Lady is not an ordinary citizen because her husband is the President of The Gambia. Any activity that the First Lady embarks on during her husband’s presidency will be scrutinized for corruption and mismanagement of our meager resources. Being a First Lady is a privilege due to the trust and confidence bestowed on the President of The Gambia by voters.
In many advanced democracies, foundations associated with wealthy private citizens, local communities, former Presidents or First Ladies are set up as charitable organizations that are either privately owned and funded or public funded through government and community efforts. When foundations are established by a First Lady or former President, it is usually founded during post presidency. Example in the United States, the Clinton Foundation was founded when President Bill Clinton left office to avoid political corruption and influence. Clinton foundation was specially well recognized since its inception due to its advocacy and philanthropic efforts “to create economic opportunity, improve public health, and inspire civic engagement” in improving lives in the United States and around the world.
The fundamental question every single citizen is asking is: where is the fund of FABB coming from? Is it private or public funded? If the FABB is private funded, who is providing the funding and for what purpose? What relationship did this private donor(s) have with President Barrow? These are all legitimate questions which have both legal and political implications.
Politically, we have seen opponents of President Barrow using the transfer of the supposed 33 million Dalasis into FABB account as a political tool to suggest corruption and financial mismanagement by the office of First Lady. The office of First Lady has created this unnecessary and ill-advised charity organization which has affected the reputation and character of both the First Lady and her husband in the court of public opinion while the investigation is ongoing. In the near future, there could be a commission of inquiry to look into financial activities of both President Barrow and the First Lady when Mr Barrow leaves office just like the current administration is probing into financial activities of Dictator Jammeh and his cronies. The First Lady and her team should have learned from this recent commission and avoid repetition of the same old financial scheme of hoodwinking Gambian people. President Barrow should work hard to leave decent, corruption-free and dignified legacy that will serve as an example for future leaders and democratization of the country.
The office of First Lady should disband FABB as soon as possible and advocate for a specific policy goal which will serve the common interest of Gambian people. In many civilized democracies, First Ladies usually choose a particular platform which has direct impact on the lives of ordinary citizens. This was what Michelle Obama did when she focused specifically on combating childhood obesity in the United States during her husband’s presidency. Michelle launched series of programs such as “Let’s Move” initiative designed to encourage physical activities, she cultivated vegetables garden at White house, promoted public education on healthy eating and advocated for accessibility of heathy foods in local communities. All these programs were designed to improve healthy food consumption in order to reduce childhood obesity in the United States. Similarly, former First Lady Hilary Clinton took healthcare as her signature platform during President Bill Clinton’s presidency. Mrs Clinton campaigned for universal healthcare system and advocated through congress for affordable healthcare delivery for all Americans. Today, Americans are grateful to both Mrs Obama and Clinton’s efforts to improve the lives of ordinary citizens, resulting to the translation of their high public approval rating and popularity.
The First Lady of The Gambia needs to pick up a particular platform and advocate through the National Assembly to advance policies or laws that would improve lives of ordinary citizens. This will bring transparency and accountability in whatever activities she is embarking on. It will also serve as a good legacy for her office as well as an exemplary for future First Ladies. This is what our country needs. At the end, Our reputation and character are the only legacy that matter to people when we leave highest office or this world.
Maxs
Ends
Thank you Maxs. I endorse your concern on the FaBB and the people around the President’s wife are really not helping her or her husband the President. This foundation is a huge mistake and it should seize. An other platform for the President’s wife will be preferable.
Those who are behind this foundation did so to secure the continuation of their jobs after the exit of former gold digger Zainab Jammeh.To my opinion we as a poor nation did not need the Office of the First Lady. The President’s wife can help the nation in many fundermental ways without creating a personal office for her.
Alhagi Touray, Barrow has already betrayed us. APRC people managed to claw back control of government and the state through the backdoor. So, let’s move on.
Thanks
Everyone who wishes The Gambia and President Barrow well is obligated to question the source of those funds. It borders accountability, transparency, good governance, national security and moral behavior. Only the self-centered, yes-sir cronies of the President will brush aside everything done in his name even if it is clear that it will tarnish his image and reputation. Lets remember that if someone offers to gently wipe out a dirt that is sticking on your nose, that person might just be interested in your own well being.
Do you know that President Barrow also gave a vehicle to PDOIS that was donated to him?? PDOIS happily accepted the gift without raising any question about the source. President Barrow also paid the electoral deposit for all PDOIS candidates including Halifa Sallah, in the last parliamentary elections. They never asked any questions about the source of the money. So, STOP THE DOUBLE STANDARD and get real. There is no legal or moral issue with anonymous donation as long as it goes to the intended beneficiaries. Barrow’s blunder is about turning our coalition into an APRC syndicate. Rather than creating a fuss out of nothing, this is what should be your concern.
Here we ago again……as if I am speaking for PDIOS or any other political party! If you ask me, I will rather keep President Barrow at the State House than any other Politician in today’s Gambia. However, that will not stop me from being objective. If you think that I am a PDOIS sympathiser, try again!!!
“There is no legal or moral issue with anonymous donation as long as it goes to the intended beneficiaries”!
Lafia Touray la Manju. So, if PDOIS becomes a beneficiary of Barrow’s anonymous and dubiously sourced donation makes such donations legally and morally correct … I’ve read your Chinese in another comment of yours and I know it didn’t get any better.
Barrow’s obligation in both cases is to deliver the goods to the intended beneficiaries, an obligation he has fulfilled. He is not obliged to disclose source. In fact, in this particular case, he is obliged not to disclose since that was what the donor instructed.
The issue is; Barrow also extended an anonymous donation of a vehicle to PDOIS and paid for the deposit of all their candidates including Halifa Sallah from donated money. Like the National Assembly vehicles, the donor was anonymous. So it is really bigoted and disingenuous of PDOIS to make issues about the anonymity of the second donor/donation but not about the first one which also involved a vehicle and lots of cash. If the rejection is based on their principles or moral values, what happened to those principles and moral values the first time around? They surely didn’t raise any question about the source of the first donation. In fact, they accepted the donations and actually went on to appropriate them to execute their party politics. That’s bigotry!!!
Ethics:
Our moral values are largely informed and influenced by religion, and I know for a fact that both the two main religions in The Gambia allow anonymous donations.
Law:
As for the law, well clearly nothing about anonymous donation is illegal in The Gambia and if you disagree with this, then you should cite the relevant law for clarity purpose and stop worrying yourself about my Chinese. That’ s a none issue.
As you may realise from my previous postings, I don’t like Barrow at all because he a dangerous betrayer who is in effect running a second round APRC government, and I find that to be distasteful and abhorrent. So, don’t take me to be providing cover for him. I’m not a fan of President Barrow.
Alhagie, we want President Barrow to succeed and I think people who are close to him and First Lady need to do good job. They need to think about long term goals and strategies to help the president set a great foundation in order to have good legacy for the country. The president Barrow should surround himself with people who have good understanding how government work not just on how Jammeh operated but also they should bring new concepts, ideas and strategies to improve lives of ordinary citizens. This first five years is key to his success. They should try to avoid chaos, unnecessary distractions and corrupt practice. FaBB is huge distraction and it should be banned or dismantled.
Those engaged in tribal and sectarian politics are just as BAD, if not WORSE, than FaBB. Politics should be centered on ideology and policy.
I hope by this you have included politicians who arouse anti-mandinka sentiment in the country to attract support and recruitment to their ever failing parties. They are really bad for our country and are potential sources of evil.
Hey Gambian,
If there is tribal and sectarian politics that is the work of APRC only. It was APRC leader Dictator Jammeh who introduced tribalism, sectarianism and tribal preferential treatment in The Gambia after he was installed into presidency by Mandinkas majority supporters or voters who are the kingmakers of The Gambia. Mandinkas majority never voted on tribal line because if they did Jammeh would have never sat on statehouse chair. So your suggestion of tribal and sectarian politics should be directed to APRC and its members but not to UDP or any other Party. Recent tribal vitriol by mr Saine is another indication of tribalism and sectarian politics by APRC members.
On the issue of FaBB , nobody mentioned tribal and sectarian politics because it has nothing to do with tribe . It was mistake to have FaBB that is my position. I believe that tribal politics is bad for the country.
One thing I always emphasize is that Mandinkas majority will always determine the direction of our country. It is a blessing to have such a tolerance people as majority of population. The Gambia’s peace and stability is directly link to tolerance of all tribes but more importantly to Mandinkas majority.
Every single political party in The Gambia have got the Yaya Jammehs in their ranks. The APRC may be the worse, but they are everywhere.
I and many decried the launching of a twin foundation by President and first lady respectively.
It is a concern that I shared with many well meaning people who want to see this govt succeed. Creating a parallel organisations beside the gov’t while the head of that gov’t is the patron saint of such a foundation is a terrible miscalculation.
The foundation is a vehicle for corruption and embezzlement. It serves cronies and pundits who have no proper job but to live on the back of hardworking citizens. The president is expected to forsee such forces and avoid the trap by concentrating energies on the relevant govt agencies tasked with delivering the services such foundations are reportedly set up to do.
A current serving President or wife should not setup a foundation while in office. The simple argument against it is that the foundation paralyzes the lawful agencies of gov’t because a foundation, with blessing of the executive head, inevitably gets the attentions and compete with the lawful agencies for relevancy and prominence. At the peril of the poor masses.
We cannot afford to allow that to continue. It is our obligation to raise our voices and walk back President Barrow.
A broad section of the Gambian people and by far well-meaning Gambians have decried the twin launching of the aformentioned foundations by the president and first lady respectively.
A foundation setup by a current president can only be a vehicle for corruption and embezzlement. Racketeering and cronyism hijacks such endeavours because people involved in them are only interested in furthering particular interests. And that at the detriment of the hardworking poor masses.
A foundation setup by a current president competes with lawfully constituted gov’t agencies for resources, primacy and prominence. In this race, the foundation denies the lawful gov’t agencies the required breath to conduct their activities in effective manners and structurally. The by product is paralysis, ineffectiveness and neglect. The losers are the poor.
It is our obligation to raise our voice and walk back President Barrow. The foundations are serious miscalculations and they render every effort to curb corruption in the Gambia meaninglessness. Perception counts and the perception out there is that the president and first lady are engaged in dubious activities with unknown lobbyists taking the country hostage.
We must not look away for we want this govt to succeed and to succeed for the general wellbeing of the masses.
A broad section of the Gambian people and by far well-meaning Gambians have decried the twin launching of the aformentioned foundations by the president and first lady respectively.
A foundation setup by a current president can only be a vehicle for corruption and embezzlement. Racketeering and cronyism hijacks such endeavours because people involved in them are only interested in furthering particular interests. And that at the detriment of the hardworking poor masses.
A foundation setup by a current president competes with lawfully constituted gov’t agencies for resources, primacy and prominence. In this race, the foundation denies the lawful gov’t agencies the required breath to conduct their activities in effective manners and structurally. The by product is paralysis, ineffectiveness and neglect. The losers are the poor.
It is our obligation to raise our voice and walk back President Barrow. The foundations are serious miscalculations and they render every effort to curb corruption in the Gambia meaninglessness. Perception counts and the perception out there is that the president and first lady are engaged in dubious activities with unknown lobbyists taking the country hostage.
We must not look away for we want this govt to succeed and to succeed for the general wellbeing of the masses.
Lafia Touray LA Manju “There is no legal or moral issue with anonymous donation as long as it goes to the intended beneficiaries” Absurd!!!
PDOIS’ such dubiously and anonymously sourced donations are not legally and morally correct because PDOIS are among beneficiaries …..
I have seen your Chinese writings in a another comment meant to be a condolence and from that I can tell your Chinese is only getting better.
Lafia Touray la Manju, an anonymous donation to the president of a democratic government is legally and morally incorrect and unjust! Come on, it’s two years now since we graduated from a 22 year degree program and still looks like you don’t want to grow. Why are you moving wobbly like a PDOIS load is straining you neck? Anonymity is not a standard to go by when it comes to where a president gets money from regardless of who benefits from such moneys. Such a view of yours is contagiously misleading and corrupt.
For clarity purpose, you still haven’t provided the relevant law that prohibits anonymous donation despite my request. So, clearly you don’t know what you are talking about.
And by the way, the donations were not to the president but to the state through the president. That’s why they were delivered to the National Assembly Services. The Vehicle given to PDOIS are for coalition 2016 but anonymously donated through the president.
I’m done!!
Man, I don’t have to be a lawyer or a master of the constitution to be able to figure out what is constitutionally correct or wrong. I would suggest that the constitution be trashed if any single section or line in it stipulates a necessity to blind off information on public financial issues from a public who necessarily don’t have to be all lawyers and constitutional experts.
Who cares if it is Barrow himself the donor and wish to be the anonymous? This donor is definitely not anonymous because someone knows him as the ‘anonymous guy’; that someone being the president and the National Assembly themselves who are suppose to be the public’s source of information. That being the case, how can we guarantee that the donor is not buying influence? Man, let’s do away with attitudes that outrightly entrench corrupt practices and using shields like: do you don’t know the law and religion. Written law can’t be ahead of human conscience because that is where every law comes from. When something is wrong, it is damn wrong.
Isn’t this how the populations are taken for fools in the Gambia?; Do you know the law and trash like that…
Man, don’t be done yet. Tell us how the law justifies anonymity of people donating money to a sitting president. In fact, those donations could have being graciously given to schools and hospitals in the form of equipment. “The donations were not to the president but to the state through the president. That’s why they were delivered to the national assembly services”? So that is to say the public needs to be kept in the dark about the donor’s identity. But why? Based on Islamic, Christian, Ahmadiya reasons? Man, the Superman/woman Donor and both the recipients’ attitudes are constitutionally intangible. Gambians are not suppose to worship or praise sing any donor. Gambia only could have been grateful and thankful to a rightful donor and that is all.