By: Kebba Ansu Manneh
Alagie Kijera, a Gambian Civil Rights Activist living in Holland, has advised senior National People’s Party (NPP) officials to exercise discretion and common sense when responding to Gambians and politicians. He emphasized that these executives should stay informed about the citizens’ current circumstances and acknowledge President Adama Barrow’s administration’s shortcomings.
The reaction comes in the wake of escalating attacks by Minister Demba Sabally and Sulayman Camara, both executive members of the NPP, on the Lord Mayor of Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC), Talib Ahmed Bensouda.
Mayor Talib Ahmed Bensuda has recently urged Gambian President Adama Barrow to abandon his plans to run for a third term and to seek a successor to lead the NPP in the forthcoming 2026 election cycle.
Mayor Bensouda’s perspective was met with disapproval from both the Minister of Agriculture and Deputy Party Leader of NPP, Demba Sabally, and Sulayman Camara, the ruling party’s Media and Communication Officer, who vehemently opposed the KMC anchorman’s viewpoint.
“I think instead of Demba Sabally coming all out to heap attacks on the people’s mayor; he should be busy talking about the plants of his ministry to change the dynamics of the present state of the farming communities. It’s no secret to anyone living in the country that the past trading season was a total mess for the Gambian farmers. So it’s mind-boggling seeing Demba Sabally coming out to defend the undefendable failures of the regime of President Adama Barrow,” Alagie Kijera observed.
He added: “If not for Demba Sabally’s incompetence, by now, he should have been busy making arrangements for the farmers on how and when they will be able to receive fertilizers and seeds as the rainy season approaches. Minister Sabally should also abreast himself with the realities on the ground and advise the President accordingly on the way forward for the country and its citizens who are currently disappointed with his idea of contesting in the next election.”
According to him, unlike the so-called advisers and blind supporters of President Adama Barrow, Mayor Bensuda has been very generous in advising the President to abide by the wish of the Gambian people, noting that after seven years in power, Gambians have seen the limit of President Adama Barrow and the best advice from his supporters and party executives could have been to ask him to leave the political space and allow the development of the country.
He observed that Sulayman Camara, NPP Media, and Communication officer, should have none better than the Mayor of KMC, who is by far performing much better than the President, who has performed below average on all national development agendas. He added that anyone working with the media should have been in a better position to advise the President that Gambians are against any plan allowing him to contest for a third term.
However, Kijera continued to state that the NPP Media and Communication officer is out of touch with the country’s realities. His ranting is only meant to seek more favors from President Barrow rather than stand firm on the issues affecting the poor and vulnerable Gambians. He added that it is unethical and unfair for media officers to defend the President’s wrong statements to the detriment of the poor and vulnerable people whose welfare remains to be addressed by the current dispensation.
“It’s very unfair and unethical for Sulayman Camara as a media to defend the wrong statements of the President, who has disappointed the majority of Gambians by changing his statements flip-floppingly. President Adama Barrow says he fully supports the draft constitution’s idea of a two-term limit. Now, if Barrow comes out to advocate for a third time, it would have been better for Sulayman Camara to advise him against that than falsely attacking Lord Mayor Bensuda,” the renowned Civil Rights Activist highlighted.
He added: ” I believe both the advisers and supporters of President Adama Barrow should be honest with themselves and advise the President to do what is needed, that is, to look for a successor rather than attacking genuine and hardworking Gambians like Mayor Bensuda. Gambians have given a chance to President Adama Barrow for two terms, and the results garnered have been less appealing. The best is to relax and give a chance to more productive Gambians than vying for a third term.”
