By Makutu Manneh
President Adama Barrow has described opposition parties as his “apprentices,” asserting that he has become their “master” as he touted his government’s record of development projects across The Gambia.
Speaking at his residence in Mankamang Kunda during a meeting with residents from Sandu, Basse Manneh Kunda, and other communities in the Central River Region, President Barrow compared his political journey to that of an apprentice who has now become a skilled master.
“When all these developments were happening, I was a new president. Any work you start, you become an apprentice first, but today I am the master. All the opposition groups are my apprentices; today their master is President Barrow,” he said to loud applause from the crowd.
Using an analogy, the president asked the gathering whether they would replace a competent driver with an inexperienced one simply because the latter wanted the job. “Will you take the vehicle from that driver and give it to a new one without experience or qualifications? Who would do that?” he asked.
President Barrow expressed confidence that his National People’s Party (NPP) will have an easier campaign, emphasizing that his administration’s achievements speak for themselves. He contrasted his record with opposition parties, whom he accused of making empty promises.
“Saying I will do it for you and saying I have done it for you are two different things,” the president noted.
He reaffirmed his commitment to extending electricity to more rural communities, urging residents to trust him to fulfill that pledge. Barrow also reminded the audience that development takes time, noting that even with sufficient resources, progress cannot be achieved overnight.
“Even some of our family compounds have been around for 200 years, and work is still being done there,” he said, adding that his administration has achieved what previous governments could not. “People must have faith that every promise we’ve made will be fulfilled,” he said.
The president cited the introduction of bus services to areas such as Sandu, Wuli, Basse, Tumana, and Kantora as an example of tangible progress, despite criticism. He claimed that within a year, his government delivered 138 buses—a milestone he said took former President Jawara 30 years to accomplish, as Jawara added only ten buses per year.
“To develop a country is a continuous process,” President Barrow emphasized. “Let us unite and stand by this party and government. If someone gives you breakfast and lunch, when it’s time for Maghrib prayer, just pray—dinner will come.”