President Adama Barrow
By Makutu Manneh
President Adama Barrow on Monday sharply criticized Busumbala’s National Assembly Member, the Brikama Area Council chairman, and local councillors, accusing them of failing to deliver basic development for their communities.
Speaking during a stop in Busumbala on his annual “Meet the People Tour,” Mr. Barrow told residents that their decision to elect opposition candidates had deprived the area of meaningful progress.
“Listening to your concerns, there is not a single one that the opposition can address for you,” the president said, arguing that voters in the Kombo region had made a “mistake” by electing opposition representatives to Parliament and local government positions. “They cannot give you water, electricity, roads or hospitals—yet these are exactly the things you are asking for.”
Mr. Barrow insisted that when communities choose leaders who cannot work with the central government, the consequences fall on the electorate. He accused the Brikama Area Council of failing to carry out some of the most basic municipal responsibilities.
“The developments they are meant to deliver, they cannot do,” Mr. Barrow said. “They are supposed to construct roads and markets within your communities, but they have not. Even the simplest task—waste management—they cannot handle.”
The president questioned what tangible benefits the opposition-controlled institutions had brought to the region, describing their leaders as individuals “who will not prosper and do not want others to prosper.” He argued that genuine development would require cooperation between local authorities and the national government.
Mr. Barrow also criticized Busumbala’s National Assembly Member for not attending the meeting and not communicating the community’s needs to his administration. “This is a NAM who will not prosper and does not want others to prosper,” he said. “He cannot do anything for you and does not want anyone else to do it for you.”
The president urged residents to reflect on the political choices that have shaped their current situation. “These are the situations you must be mindful of,” he added.