By Buba Gagigo
President Adama Barrow has publicly dismissed allegations made by former President Yahya Jammeh, who recently accused the Barrow administration of colluding with Senegal to illegally sell Gambia’s oil resources.
Speaking on Saturday during a meeting with Tabital Fulaagu, a Fula cultural association, President Barrow categorically denied the claims, describing them as unfounded and implausible.
“They say The Gambia has oil and that I joined other governments to steal it,” Mr. Barrow told the crowd. “Even in a dream, such a thing makes no sense. If we had oil, with the vision I have for this country, The Gambia would be like Dubai by now.”
The president dismissed the allegations as political tactics aimed at misleading the public. “Sometimes, when people have nothing left to say, these are the kinds of things they invent,” he added.
In a recent audio message, Mr. Jammeh claimed that Senegal has no oil reserves, arguing that if it did, France would have already exploited them. He further alleged that The Gambia holds some of the world’s largest oil deposits—comparable to those of Saudi Arabia and Venezuela—and claimed that his administration had invested approximately $4 million in oil exploration in partnership with a Canadian company.
President Barrow, however, appeared unfazed by the accusations, suggesting instead that his focus remains on national development. “If their prayers are answered and we find oil, they will never return to power,” he said. “I will work so hard that they will be afraid to show their faces.”