Dr. Ousman Gajigo
Eventually, Adama Barrow broke his silence over Seedy Njie’s despicable words and behavior. But it would probably have been better to remain quiet and let people speculate about his state of mind than to make a statement that dispels all doubt about his leadership qualities. It is now absolutely clear that Adama Barrow is not a national leader in the true sense of the word.
For those who may have missed the original story, the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly (NA), Seedy Njie, was recorded boasting about denying career advancements to civil servants purely on the basis of their ethnicity and purported political party affiliations. This is not only immoral but illegal. It is worth remembering that Seedy Njie occupies this important position at the NA solely because President Adama Barrow nominated him. Naturally, the public waited for Barrow’s reaction.
When he finally broke his silence, President Barrow said that whatever wrong Seedy Njie had committed would be addressed in private. He also urged fellow party officials to refrain from publicly criticizing Seedy Njie’s conduct. This was an abject failure of leadership, and it demonstrates how unfit Adama Barrow is to continue to serve as president.
The episode also reveals something important about how Barrow sees himself. He sees himself primarily as a party leader rather than a national leader despite occupying the presidency. In his mind, Seedy Njie is a loyal ally and therefore highly valuable. It is also clear that Barrow finds nothing wrong – morally or legally – with what Njie did.
Understanding that Barrow sees himself first and foremost as a partisan rather than a national leader explains many of his decisions. All his policy choices are filtered through the lens of what benefits his party and consolidates his grip on power, rather than what serves the long-term development of the nation. This is evident in his current campaign strategy, which is built around roads and electricity connections. Under normal circumstances, such infrastructure projects would be commendable. However, it is evidently clear that Adama Barrow has been deploying these initiatives as campaign tools rather than pursuing coherent, long-term national infrastructure development.
A leader who sees himself primarily as a partisan has no respect for institutions. This too is evident in Barrow’s case. The civil service should never be an arena where partisan considerations influence hiring or promotion. It should be a stable, institutionalized structure in which personnel decisions are determined by merit rather than party affiliation. By endorsing Seedy Njie’s conduct, Barrow has signaled that partisanship and nepotism – rather than competence – will define his administration’s approach to the civil service.
A leader who elevates partisanship over national priorities inevitably breeds corruption, which is currently rampant under Barrow’s administration. Personnel appointments, the awarding of contracts, and the implementation of development projects are all conducted primarily on partisan grounds rather than according to the country’s actual development needs. Even when a project is implemented in an area where it is genuinely needed, contracts are awarded to friends and associates. Consider, as evidence, the numerous contracts awarded to Abubakarr Jawara of GACH and many other political patrons of the president.
A partisan leader is uncomfortable with any independent body capable of monitoring or checking his excesses. One of Barrow’s early acts was to appoint Seedy Njie to the powerful role of Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly – an institution meant to serve as one of the primary checks on the executive. In retrospect, this appointment was not merely the act of an incompetent leader but a calculated move to weaken that institution. It should also be recalled that Barrow illegally removed the Auditor General, who had the audacity to investigate substantial corruption, fraud, and waste within his administration.
A true national leader would have seized the opportunity to make an example of someone like Seedy Njie – denouncing such conduct for its harmful effects on national cohesion and holding it up as a cautionary tale. Instead, as I have argued before, Seedy Njie is an extension of Adama Barrow, acting with his full blessing and on his behalf. Seedy Njie carries himself as though he wields presidential authority because, in effect, Barrow endorses his every action. The real problem, therefore, is not Seedy Njie – it is President Adama Barrow himself.
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