A heated political exchange unfolded in Brufut’s Ghana Town on Wednesday after the National Youth President of the National People’s Party (NPP), Momodou Sabally launched a scathing critique of opposition politician Essa Mbaye Faal, accusing him of undermining youth-led economic opportunities and fueling irregular migration.
Speaking to a packed gathering, Sabally zeroed in on what he described as Faal’s disapproval of beach bars run by young Gambians. He argued that restricting such ventures directly feeds into the country’s “backway” crisis, where thousands of young people risk dangerous journeys to Europe.
“If Essa Faal comes here and tells you that the youth should not have beach bars, then who is forcing the youth to take the backway?” Sabally asked, drawing cheers from the crowd.
The former NPP deputy campaign manager went further, branding Faal a “vulture” and insisting that as a non-native of Brufut, the opposition leader had no moral authority to interfere in local livelihoods.
His remarks highlighted a broader undercurrent in Gambian politics: the tug-of-war between community autonomy and national policy debates.
In defending The Gambia’s social fabric, Sabally portrayed the country as a “paradise on earth,” contrasting it with the social challenges he claimed to have witnessed in Western capitals. “You can go around the country without seeing homeless people, especially in Banjul,” he said, drawing comparisons to visible homelessness in cities like Washington D.C. and Toronto.
Sabally also argued that The Gambia offers freedoms and opportunities unavailable in wealthier nations. “In the United States, to be living around the coast, drinking a cool drink, you have to be a millionaire,” he told supporters, suggesting that Gambian youth should embrace local possibilities rather than seek uncertain futures abroad.
The remarks have added fuel to a growing political confrontation ahead of the next electoral cycle, where issues of youth empowerment, migration, and economic survival are expected to dominate campaign debates.
