THE HOPES OF GAMBIANS HAVE BEEN OPENLY BETRAYED BY THE BARROW’S ADMINISTRATION
By Professor Mballow, Social and Political analyst
The Government of The Gambia under the leadership of president Adama Barrow has failed all Gambians. They have betrayed all citizens through their lack of transparency and accountability in their activities as a Government.
Therefore, their Administration will never be remembered as a guardian of justice and a player of transparency and accountability but as a betrayer of people’s trust.
The rampant corruption, outrageous looting of national wealth, embezzling of public funds and the total failure of the institutions have left the citizens in a state of despair.
The shadow that follow Adama Barrow’s Government over the handling of former president Jammeh’s assets cannot be ignored.
Under his Government’s watch, the sale of disposal of Jammeh’s properties was carried out under a fog of secrecy with questionable transparency and a numerous red flag.
There are serious accusations of selective auctions, underpriced asset Sales, and unclear channels of revenue collection. Properties that belong to the people of the Gambia were sold off at knock down prices, but to whom and at what price? Who benefited? Why were Gambians not given a full and public account of how the recovered wealth was returned to the national coffer, if it was ever returned?
Questions have also been continuously asked by Gambians surrounding the translation irregularities in key legal documents.
Reports persist of documents that were misrepresented, mistranslated or selectively interpreted to serve predetermined conclusions.
Legal proceedings that should have been above reproach were instead clouded by suspicion with legal clarity sacrificed for expediency.
These issues have put the Gambia in a funny situation today.
They strike at the heart of justice.
They suggest manipulation.
They suggest partiality.
They suggest orchestration.
I ask president Adama Barrow and Abubacarr Ba Tambadou to face the Gambians and tell them the truth regarding the sales of Jammeh’s assets.
Today, the government cannot export a broken justice to the world and call it progress.
Here are some of the questions that President Adama Barrow and his Government should answer.
- Will you come clean or walk on a path that will doom your credibility and legacy?
- Why do you as a president authorized some of the sales of seized assets of ex-president Jammeh before the Janneh communication concluded its findings?
This act of yours has raised serious legal and ethical concern.
- Are you as a president hiding your close associates who bought or took president Jammeh’s assets?
- Will you as a president reveal the truth surrounding the sales of president Jammeh’s assets? Gambians deserve better from you and your Government because you promised to serve them.
- Do you want to tell Gambians that you know nothing about how the assets were sold?
- Do you want to claim that you are surprise of a report which was preciously given to you after its completion?
- Who are the key actors in the sales of president Jammeh’s assets?
- Can you tell us about Abubacarr Tambadou, your former Minister of Justice in whose watch many of the transactions reportedly took place?
- What happened to the mountain of wealth unearthed by the Janneh Commission belonging to former president Jammeh?
- In March, 29, 2019, at State House, your former Minister of Justice, Abubacarr Ba Tambadou delivered the final report of the Janneh Commission to you, what happened to that report?
- Will you cast light on every Dalasi or property recovered without ambiguity, the origin of the funds, the total recoup, the manner of the expenditure, what remain intact, and the money that has been secured from the sale?
- How can you claim vigilance and ignorance at the same time about the sold assets of ex-president Jammeh and its transactions?
- Are you aware that Gambians are tired of your toothless Commissions, recycle promises, and the recurring spectacle of leadership dodging accountability?
- The Gambians are demanding transparency and accountability surrounding ex-president Jammeh’s sold assets. When are you going to provide them with their demands?
- Will you and your Government stop the window dressing and provide answers to our questions?
- Why was Augustus Prom replaced who was originally contracted to manage the assets’ sales of ex-president Jammeh and suddenly brought in Alpha Kapital?
- How will your cabinet decisions and committee oversight explain to the Gambians about the millions of dollars that had vanished into a bureaucratic hole?
- Why did you sanction some of the sales before the Janneh Commission finished its work?
- Are you aware that the lack of transparency and accountability in your Government is sinkng this nation and the repercussions will be serious after your tenure?
- Are you authorizing an independent public audit, name and investigate all officials involved, and then overhaul your communication strategy?
- When are you going to bring the transparency and accountability being demanded by Gambians regarding the activities of your Government, knowing fully well that your legacy is at stake?
- Are you aware that the scandal surrounding ex-president Jammeh’s sold assets has gone beyond partisan politics and now a challenge to the integrity of your institutions and the soul of our democratic experiment?
As nation, we are shifted from a political hope to a political despair.