By Makutu Manneh
Seedy Njie, spokesperson for the ruling National People’s Party (NPP) and Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, has rejected opposition claims that corruption and the rising cost of living will be decisive factors driving voters away from President Adama Barrow in the next presidential election.
Speaking in an interview with QTV, Njie dismissed the criticism as unrepresentative of public opinion.
“No, some of those comments are just coming from a fraction of highly opinionated individuals, who may not represent the facts,” he said.
Njie also rejected allegations that the Barrow administration has failed to tackle corruption, describing such assertions as inaccurate and unfair to both the government and the Gambian people.
He argued that the administration’s record on public infrastructure demonstrates prudent financial management, citing what he described as the country’s first major road projects financed entirely through domestic resources.
“For the first time in the history of The Gambia, a government is constructing roads using 100 percent local funding,” Njie said, adding that the entire Banjul road network was financed without external loans or grants.
“The entire Banjul is 100 percent locally funded, not a loan or grant.”
Responding to concerns over the quality of some road projects, Njie said the criticisms were unfounded. He maintained that President Barrow’s government has exercised fiscal discipline and adhered to all applicable financial laws, regulations, and procurement procedures in the management of public funds.
According to Njie, one of the administration’s earliest reforms was the consolidation of government accounts to strengthen financial oversight, accountability, and due process. He also pointed to the establishment of the Anti-Corruption Commission as evidence of the government’s commitment to promoting transparency and combating graft.
Drawing comparisons with previous administrations, Njie said neither the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) during its three decades in power nor the Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC) during its 22-year rule completed a single kilometer of road financed entirely from domestic revenue.
He said the Barrow administration has since constructed approximately 100 kilometers of roads using local funding, including the rehabilitation of Banjul’s road network alongside new drainage and sewage infrastructure.
Njie argued that these achievements underscore what he described as the Barrow administration’s stronger development record compared with previous governments.
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