(JollofNews) – President Adama Barrow of the Gambia has defended his public meeting with former ministers of President Yahya Jammeh’s APRC regime.
The president has come under a lot criticism by some Gambians in the diaspora who have questioned the timing of his meeting with a group of people who had served in a regime they accused of committing serious rights abuses against its citizens.
But the president has defended the meeting with former vice-president Isatou Njie-Saidy, ex-Foreign Minister Neneh Macdouall-Gaye, ex-Information, Communication and Technology Minister Sheriff Bojang, APRC spokesman Seedy Njie and others at the Kairaba Hotel, which he said was aimed at facilitating a formal handover of ministerial responsibilities from the old to the new administration.
He said there was no formal handing over of power between the APRC government and his due to weeks of political standoff following former President Jammeh’s refusal to accept the outcome of the election results.
Mr Barrow added:”Our 1997 Gambian Constitution requires a defeated President to exit office after an election. That is why the outgoing president was expected to properly hand-over power to my government. This is to make sure there is institutional continuity of knowledge and experience. This requires two sides to work on a transitional programme. The political stalemate after the December 2016 election made it impossible to have a proper handing over. No formal hand-over was undertaken between the government of ex-President Jammeh and my current Government.”
He added that in the last days of Mr Jammeh’s regime, many ministers had resigned their post and left the country, thereby leaving a vacuum in their ministries, which is seriously affecting the functions of his administration.
He lamented that aside from adversely affecting ordinary Gambians, the failed transition from Jammeh to him had damaged the image of the country and caused widespread public fear and panic.
While appealing to Gambians to unite and contribute to the unity and togetherness of the country irrespective of their political, ethnic, and religious affiliation, Mr Barrow said his government is committed to the democratic principles and principles of continuity of governance and the need to build durable and independent institutions of the state.
The ways Adama Barrow and his government is definitely going if care is not taken seriously. There will be a civil war in the Gambia.
Barrow thinks he is very conformable in the Gambia no
He surrounding himself with the most wicket and dengerous people from the old regime.
If you talk they said don’t mind him.
Ousenue Darboe is a very simple man and we can not take or entertain that kind of thing in the Gambia any more.
Let me remind Barrow and his government Gambia yesterday and Gambian today are very different please.
We are in a different Gambia now.
The way you and your government is definitely going are wrong and very soft.
We all will contribute to democracy but democracy until you loose everything.
That kind of simplicity should have no places in the Gambia anymore.
Gone re those days of tribalism one sud b mindful of d language or opinion u share.under four months government can’t du al we desires bt as time goes by alot can be achieved insallah.so y not wish d new government wel Dan to be negative.pls shut ur big mouths an we all hope for d best
I can see the frustration of the people, I think different about the move of the government. I think they are doing very well by restraining the punishment they want or need to inflict in order to get to the bottom of issues me and you will not able to understand until you and me are actually in the governance desk. What have to be done are very detailed and many. The way of handing over was “tumultuous” , now God made it easy for no bullet sparked, the former government people are there still. They have to meet in good spirit . There are a lot of change of signatures, explaining not only the content but the spirit of some documents, location of some top secret national matters. We like it or not some confidentialities of government are never for the public . If we will take their interactions with the former government minister and permanent secretaries as a fault instead a way for smooth correction of handing over, then sorry to say so we are becoming a little not reasonable to the President.
Dialogue is very important in the democracy special one government with just 43% of the votes,, sometimes you can’t ignore everything, I think the president has been successful in meeting the opposition because they have their votes, the question is how many votes does the opposition have? APRC plus GDC can gather more votes than the government itself, therefore, the head of the state will need those votes to get some laws ahead because with only 43% does not have enough majority, there are aprc and also Mamma no one speaks And he has his votes. And besides are they deputies or not?
Thats true peace, the will of the people should be respect in any democracy society, who ever win elections by simple majority according to the law of the land will be declared a winner, no disputes about it. If you think something foul played, yes you can contest the result at the court of law,within the time frame and dates.
I think President Barrow has been caught up in his own naivety. He has not thought this move through and the reasons he gave for meeting the former ministers are lame to put it nicely. His government has been in place now for few weeks and in that period the current ministers have been doing their jobs well without handover from their predecessors. You do not need the ministers for an effective transfer of power. It is the civil service you need for that and since the permanent secretaries are still in their posts they can brief their respective ministers on what’s going on in their ministries. The signatures of president Jammeh and his entire cabinet became invalid both locally and internationally on the 19th January 2017 after President Barrow was sworn because Gambians and the international community publicly recognised his legitimacy as the president of the Republic of the Gambia on that date. That is the reason why our development partners start to engage with his government and release funds that were frozen. There cannot be any secret documents that this former ministers know about that their PS would not have known about. And even if there is a genuine need for the former ministers to handover, the president should just give directives to his cabinet ministers to invite their predecessors to discuss matters of the respective ministries away from the spotlight. President Barrow and his advices have wrongly gauged the anger Gambians feel towards some members of the previous government. They have failed to take into consideration what the public’s reaction and perception will be when they see these ministers on TV preaching oneness to us as if all the atrocities we suffered was our own fault. Lets hope that they have learnt from this and that we would not see a repeat of such poor judgement. Please president Barrow do not give a front row seat to anyone who does not have an official function in the affairs of the state for your inauguration. It would be wise for president Barrow to understand that although Gambians want peace, it does not mean that we have to sing Kumbaya with people who aid and abet the commission of crime against Gambians.
Sanyang: It never fails to amaze me how an individual who may seem to be intermittently rational and decent, never fails to Dissappont. Their Stiff and unbending heart if they have one, tend to fail them when matters of Heart is taken as a matter of the Head. In Matters of State, the One Party or Opponent that Deserves an Overture or Offers of an Olive Branch or in our Part of the World, Kolanut is the Once thought of as your enemy. You make Peace with your enemy, not your friend (S). As much as I have been Critical of Adama Barrow and his Clique and their Enablers of FAIRWEATHER CONSTITUTIONALIST, I must admit that he has earned my respect on this occasion. He is right and hopefully, met with the former President Yaya Jammeh’s government Ministers. He should have or rather the Coalition Alliance Party Should have done this early immediately following the announcement of the Election when as reported by the Coalition Alliance Party Spokesman Mr. Sallah, that they were going to meet with the Government’s and Coalition Alliance Party’s Transition Team, but Certain “Hardliners” within the Coalition Alliance decided to Cancel and refused to continue to have any Communication with former President Yaya Jammeh’s Transition Team. In Politics, like in Diplomacy, it is Fatalistic for the Opposing Team to Cut off Communications without any established Channels of Communications having been established and agreed on. This fatal mistake created due to an abundance and huge doze of arrogance and Unrestrained threats of what former President Yaya Jammeh would Face, almost plunged the Gambia into a Sizzgy and Potential Civil War it can’t afford. There is justified outrage in many quarters about the alleged Human rights violations and repression of the Second Republics. If, for nothing else, is Not wise to keep your perceived enemies closer. That way, you can keep an eye on him or her. This latter free advise is what Sanyang, Maxs, Natty Dread and their Enablers on the Extream Angry Fringe would engage in, if they develop the Art of Patience, Humility and the ability to Simmer Down. The meeting with the APRC Ministers was over due. They Represent a Significant percentage of the Gambian Population and Electorate. Marginalizing them would be unwise both Politically and Sociologically. After all, they are your and our family members, friends, and neighbors. You can’t Wish them away or make them dissappear from the Gambia. The Gambia’s Political and Social inter course and Continued enjoyment of Peace, Tranquility and Security, depends on the Division and Faultlines Not been Pulled Apart. Those who must govern, must be willing to Sacrifice and make Honorable Steps to Heal and Bound the Wounds of our Collective Failings. GAMBIA is more than the Sum Total of One Individual, Ethnic Group or Region. One GAMBIA, One People, One Destiny.
Aprc will not survive. The margin of vote you are alluding to will dispitate soon. The vote share was squarely based on coercion and cartelism. Void of the state institutions, I bet the only vote or area they may still have some followers would be Foni.
I’m not upset about their invitation due to their political relevancy, rather I felt it doesn’t do justice to scores of people brutalised by the Jammeh tyranny and many of those sitting at the front were active enablers of that brutality. They are criminals nothing else!
Sidi, you are twisted in the head.
The platform accorded is really obnoxious. These people including Njie-saidy do not deserve such treatment. The new government must uphold the mandate given to them at the polls. I.e. to bring to book all those who participated in enabling dictatorship in the country. Giving front line rows to these enablers of crimes, is a grave unjust to people who were killed, incarcerated, exiled. Unjust to noble sons and daughters, whose actions have made the defeat of tyranny possible. Do not lose sight of that. SOLO SANDENG, CHIEF MANNER, SOLO KRUMAH, DEYDA HYDERA to name but a few , have laid down their lives so that we defeat this tyranny. So the Barrow government is well advised if they desist from courting these enablers and concentrate on the job at hand. That is instituting an enquiry immediately into all the crimes committed by Jammeh. SIMPLE!
Sanyang: It never fails to amaze me how an individual who may seem to be intermittently rational and decent, never fails to Dissappont. Their Stiff and unbending heart if they have one, tend to fail them when matters of Heart is taken as a matter of the Head. In Matters of State, the One Party or Opponent that Deserves an Overture or Offers of an Olive Branch or in our Part of the World, Kolanut is the One thought of as your enemy. You make Peace with your enemy, not your friend (s). As much as I have been Critical of Adama Barrow and his Clique and their Enablers of FAIRWEATHER CONSTITUTIONALIST, I must admit that he has earned my respect on this occasion. He is right and hopefully, met with the former President Yaya Jammeh’s government Ministers for the Interest of the Gambian People at Heart. He should have or rather the Coalition Alliance Party Should have done this early, immediately following the announcement of the Election when as reported by the Coalition Alliance Party Spokesman Mr. Sallah, that they were going to meet with the Government’s and Coalition Alliance Party’s Transition Team, but Certain “Hardliners” within the Coalition Alliance decided to Cancel and refused to continue to have any Communication with former President Yaya Jammeh’s Transition Team. In Politics, like in Diplomacy, it is Fatalistic for the Opposing Team to Cut off Communications without any established Channels of Communications having been established and agreed on. This fatal mistake was created by the Coalition Alliance Hardliners due to an abundance and huge doze of arrogance and Unrestrained threats from the Coalition Alliance LEADERSHIP of what former President Yaya Jammeh would Face, almost plunged the Gambia into a Sizzgy and Potential Civil War it can’t afford. There is justified outrage in many quarters about the alleged Human rights violations and repression of the Second Republics. If, for nothing else, is Not wise to keep your perceived enemies at a Distance. Keep them Close. That way, you can keep an eye on them. This latter free advise is what Sanyang, Maxs, Natty Dread and their Enablers on the Extream Angry Fringe would engage in, if they don’t develop the Art of Patience, Humility and the ability to Simmer Down. The meeting with the APRC Ministers was over due. They Represent a Significant percentage of the Gambian Population and Electorate. Marginalizing them would be unwise both Politically and Sociologically. After all, they are your and our family members, friends, and neighbors. You can’t Wish them away or make them dissappear from the Gambia. The Gambia’s Political and Social inter course and Continued enjoyment of Peace, Tranquility and Security, depends on the Division and Faultlines Not been Pulled Apart. Those who must govern, must be willing to Sacrifice and make Honorable Steps to Heal and Bound the Wounds of our Collective Failings. GAMBIA is more than the Sum Total of One Individual, Ethnic Group or Region. One GAMBIA, One People, One Destiny.
Buba, you made several good points.
“institutional continuity of knowledge and experience.” This is pure BS! These ministers only have the knowledge and experience to Rape and Pillage a country! Does the the new administration need that knowledge and experience? I think not! Besides, Yahya changed ministers more often than he changed his underwear. Most of them didn’t have a clue about the good things that were happening under them. Get a transition from the the people that know what is happening-the civil servants.
All of these ministers should have been in Mile 2 weeks ago! Sadly, the Barrow administration is slowly dragging their feet on this one.
After going through the various comments (for and against) and the justifications provided by Barrow’s administration to meet Yahya Jammeh’s thugs (i.e. Jammeh era Ministers), I remain to be convinced that Barrow should have met the thugs. I am on record that visits by every Tom, Dick and Harry must be controlled.
Most of the visits typically display characteristics of sycophants and their cunning behaviours. What the thugs have done is known to every genuine Gambian particularly for the fact that we have just came out from those experiences. I am also on record by saying that not all those visiting Barrow may have good intentions. Some can be detected but some may not be detected, let that be known. Time will tell!
Morro Touray