Written by Pa Nderry M’Bai
President Adama Barrow has went off Ousainou Darboe, a man, he described as his political Godfather, saying that Darboe is going to die as an opposition leader and a Lawyer. Barrow, who was addressing a huge political rally in Sukuta, also said come December 4th, 2021, he is going to retire Mr. Darboe from active politics.
“ I know that my father Ousainou Darboe is aging. He can barely remember things; he is often incoherent. Some of the ridiculous things that he says sounded like someone, who had fallen from a horse cart. I am here to remind him again about the retirement that I promised him, that I am going to retire him from politics on December 4th. His retirement is unstoppable. The decision to send him on retirement has been finalized here in Sukuta. Come rain, come shine, I am going to retire him on December 4th,” President Barrow told his supporters.
Barrow who spoke in the local Mandinka dialect, has accused Darboe of being Gambia’s most ungrateful politician. The President was speaking on Saturday during a political rally in Sukuta.
“There was this old man, who came to my office, he told me that there are two things that no one can take it from your dad Ousainou Darboe: that is being a lawyer and serving as an opposition. No one can take the two from him. He will die as an opposition and a lawyer; he will take it to the grave. When the old man told this, I reflected on it. I found that he was right. It is true, no one can take law career and opposition leadership from him. He has opposed President Jawara, he has opposed Yahya Jammeh, and he has also opposed President Barrow,” Barrow remarked, while being cheered by his excited supporters.
The Gambian leader further noted that Darboe’s ungratefulness is evident on his apparent refusal appreciate the portfolios availed to him by his leadership. He says Darboe is a self-centered leader, who backstabs people who helped him in life.
“I do not think he will ever enjoy in the rest of his life the treatment that was accorded to him by my leadership. I do not think there would be anyone, who would accord him such a respect and treatment for rest of his life, which supersedes the treatment that I accorded him. He has been struggling for over twenty years as an opposition leader. I joined him in that opposition activism, but he has never given me twenty-five bututs I have been using my own money to support and finance the UDP. Each time he needs money, I will come to his rescue without anyone knowing about it. I have been in that fight with him until 2016, only for him to be arrested. When he was arrested, we were the ones, who stood by him on a daily basis. We used to mobile cars, we used to mobile people, to show up in court, to show up in prison, we stood by him until he was tried, convicted, and imprisoned. We continued with the fight. I later became a Presidential candidate, and I won the election. I freed him from prison. I did not stop at freeing him from prison, I appointed him Minister of Foreign Affairs. I elevated him to the position of Vice President. Who on earth would do that for Ousainou Darboe,” Barrow bashed Darboe.
“Someone who has done all these things for you… Who on earth has done such a thing for Ousainou Darboe? Even his born sons haven’t done this for him. It was me, President Barrow, who has done this for Darboe. Ungratefulness is a sign of shamelessness. Even though he is unappreciative of my gestures, God, the almighty Allah is going to reward me, for my deeds. Ousainou Darboe cannot pay me. Let him be put on notice that real politics have started in this country. He thought me politics, but know I have mastered the craft, I have outperformed him. We will teach him a lesson in this country that he will never forget until to his dead, his grave. On December 4th, on the 5th, my father would retire on that day. You the people of Sukuta, are going to retire him, you the people of Kombo are going to retire him, you The Gambian people are going to retire him. I know that you guys are ready to send him on retirement,” Barrow added.
President Barrow has also debunked Darboe’s claims that he (Darboe) was the one, who lobbied the Basse roads and bridges project. He said Darboe’s claims were nothing but the figment of his own imagination.
“He went to Basse and started making up unfounded stories, saying things that are not true. Sadly, he doesn’t even know how the Basse road project came about. For the past twenty years, he had been in the opposition. Has he ever been appointed a Minister? Not even a Councilor, he has never been a Councilor. He has never been a VDC Chairman. Why is it that for the past twenty years, you didn’t go to China and lobby for such projects? You could have told them that The Gambia was in need of roads, you could have begged them to help you to construct roads for the country. When President Adama Barrow became a President, he appointed you Foreign Minister, and now you are falsely claiming that you were the one, who brought the roads in Basse. Why is that on the day of the inauguration of the roads, you weren’t present to claim that you pioneered that project. Darboe is confused politician,” Barrow remarked.
He added that the records are available to confirm that he was the one, who lobbied for the Basse road project. He says he was the one, who negotiated the project with the Chinese President.
“This was a Presidential project. It was not a Minister’s project. I was invited for a state visit in China. It was during that visit, I met he Chinese President, where he offered the road project to us. There are pictures and paperwork to confirm what I am saying. We signed the contract, which followed the construction of the roads. My father is old now, he can hardly remember things. Notwithstanding, despite his old age, we want to remind him about how the road project was secured. If he is old, we are still young with fresh and sound mind. We are youths. You are old, you should be confined to one place, head to the mosque and worship God. Come December 4th, we will retire you. This project is President Barrow’s project. You cannot take credit for those projects, whether you like it or not, these were President Barrow’s projects,” Barrow remarked.
Barrow has also condemned Darboe’s tribal bashing against the Sarahule tribe. He said Darboe’s statement was not only irresponsible, but uncalled for.
According to President Barrrow, Darboe’s tour in the Upper River Region wasn’t a success, as some communities refused to receive him. He said some communities also refused to welcome him in their mosques join them for prayers.
Angered by the poor reception that was accorded to him, he said Darboe resorted to accusing the Sarahules of transforming the NPP party as a Sarahule political party.
“He threatened the Sarahules in Basse. He told them that they alone couldn’t have elected Barrow as Gambia’s President. I want to inform the Sarahules that had been that it was Ousainou Darboe alone, I wouldn’t be elected President because when he in prison, he wrote to Dembo By force and told him that he doesn’t want Adama Barrow to be selected as flag bearer,” said Barrow.