By Makutu Manneh
Ousainu Darboe, leader of the United Democratic Party (UDP), has sharply criticized the government for raising salaries of senior officials while leaving groundnut farmers to contend with stagnant prices, arguing that the country’s agricultural backbone is being neglected.
Speaking at a political meeting in Niumi Jinack, Mr. Darboe said that over the past three years, the prices paid to farmers for groundnuts have remained fixed at D38,000 per ton, even as the salaries of the president, vice president, cabinet ministers, and permanent secretaries have steadily risen.
“The livelihoods of farmers have not changed,” he told supporters, contending that the government’s budgetary priorities do little to address rural hardship. He urged residents to consider a UDP administration, promising what he described as a more prudent use of public funds.
Mr. Darboe pledged that, if elected, his party would redirect spending from what he called the “extravagant” annual Meet the People Tour. He claimed the tour received D53 million this year and said a UDP government would cut that allocation to D10 million, using the savings to purchase fertilizer for farmers at no cost.
“The president just returned from a tour that cost more than 60 million,” he said. “Under a UDP government, the tour will happen, but the spending will not be as excessive as that of the Barrow administration.”
He added that D52 million has already been earmarked for the 2026 edition of the nationwide tour. By comparison, he said, allocations for similar tours under former President Yahya Jammeh “never surpassed D6 million,” questioning why the figure had risen so dramatically under President Adama Barrow.
Mr. Darboe argued that removing Mr. Barrow and his allies from government was necessary for the country to “be freed,” accusing the administration of repeatedly failing to honor its promises.
Addressing local development needs, he assured Jinack residents that a UDP government would improve water access—including desalinating water for farming purposes—saying such measures were “achievable commitments” that his party is prepared to deliver.