By Makutu Manneh
Yankuba Darboe, Chairman of the Brikama Area Council (BAC), has publicly criticized President Adama Barrow for what he describes as a failure to fulfill campaign promises made to the Gambian people.
Speaking to the United Democratic Party (UDP) press following the conclusion of the first leg of the party’s nationwide tour, Chairman Darboe cited several pledges that he says remain unfulfilled.
“President Barrow told people he would give them free national health insurance; what happened to that process? It was something he sold to people in the last election,” he stated.
Chairman Darboe also referenced other commitments, including reducing the price of a bag of rice to D600–D700, providing free wireless access in Brikama, and building a bridge at the Barra-Banjul crossing. “So many promises he made, but everything has been skyrocketing. He has registered so many failures,” he added.
Darboe emphasized the role of the opposition in holding the government accountable. “As an opposition, we can only present what we would do if in government. The people must then hold those in power accountable for their promises,” he said.
He added that citizens should not compare opposition pledges with those of the incumbent. “The man is in government, for goodness’ sake; he needs to deliver; he should do the work. He should be able to tell people what he has been able to register within the past five or eight years. What can he show for that?” adding, “So sometimes they need to use their heads and think because as an opposition we can only tell you what we will be able to do differently,” he said.
Chairman Darboe further criticized the president for allegedly linking the release of public resources to political actions, stating, “The man is in charge of people’s money, and he is telling them, ‘I am not going to give you your money unless and until you remove X, Y, and Z.’ Who does that? It is not your money; it is the people’s money. Let him deliver the promises he made when he was campaigning.”
He emphasized that if the president cannot deliver, he should not blame that for telling the people they can do better.
Chairman Darboe added that if the people want them to prove their promises, then they should vote for their candidate, Ousainu Darboe. He added he would be the one to champion the cause of more developments across the country, especially in wards.