Barrow Promises Justice for Jammeh’s Victims

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President Barrow addressing the Press at State House in Banjul

By: Mafugi Ceesay, Alkamba Times Correspondent

The Gambian leader President Adama Barrow has promised to deliver justice and reparation for the victims of the former Gambian dictator Yahya Jammeh.

The new president elect who won a resounding mandate for a second term also promised to unite the already divided ethnicity in the tiny west African state, saying “the country is divided than ever.”

Addressing the press at StateHouse President Barrow reiterated that he will continue his infrastructure developments, adding “there can’t be development without infrastructure”.

Election

Barrow who prefer journalists calling him President-Elect said his government created a conducive environment for political opponents and citizens to freely elect the best and the language is very clear.

“I don’t believe there is a loser or winner in this election, the Gambia has won.”

He said his government have achieved more than what it promised Gambians because there were 800 kilometres of roads for 50 years, and he constructed 150 kilometres every year.

“And there were no bridges, I built and renovated many schools. Electricity goes on and of more than 17 times but that’s a thing of the past. The language of Gambians is clear and they have recognised what we have done”.

Barrow said his government is negotiating with partners to build the Banjul-Barra bridge and he is confident that it will happen.

He stressed that The Gambia is a small nation that it will not be intimidated by any big country.

Senegal-Gambia

The President also promised that the cost of a flight will be cheaper than a vehicle travelling to Senegal, saying he and Macky Sall are working on that.

TRRC

The President also promised to deliver justice as per the recommendations of the Truth Commission recommendation.

“The TRRC is very important to my government and there will be collective decisions but there will be Justice and reparations.

Constitution

“There will be a new Constitution before the end of my second term in office that will provide a term limit and guarantee absolute majority”.

“My government is creating spaces for industrialised agriculture”, the president elect told journalists.

Ecomig

“Ecomig will be here until they deliver security reforms. We are not paying for it. They spent 12 years in Liberia”. President elect Barrow said, tackling a major question over the future of the sub regional peace support mission.

Youth

On youth-related matters, President elect Barrow said his government is funding the Ministry of Youth and Sports to intensfy youth training in different skills.

Barrow also promised to work with rejected Presidential Aspirants that endorsed him.

“I will love to work with the aspirants that endorsed my candidature since they are Gambians but it was not my agreement to provide jobs for them.” He said.

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Mr. Sainey M.K. Marenah is a Prominent Gambian journalist, founding editor The Alkamba Times and formerly head of communications at the Constitutional Review Commission (CRC) and Communications and PR Consultant for The Gambia Pilot Program, under Gamworks. Mr. Marenah served as the Social media Strategist and Editor at Gambia Radio and Television Services. He is also the Banjul Correspondent for Voice of America Radio. Sainey is a human rights and developmental journalist who has carved a strong niche particularly in new media environments in the Gambian media industry. Mr. Marenah began his career as a junior reporter with the Point Newspaper in the Gambia in 2008 and rose through the ranks to become Chief correspondent before moving to The Standard Newspaper also in Banjul as Editorial Assistant and head of News. He is a household name in the Gambia’s media industry having covered some of the most important stories in the former and current government. These include the high profile treason cases including the Trial of Former military chiefs in Banjul in 2009 to 2012. Following his arrest and imprisonment by the former regime of President, Yahya Jammeh in 2014, Marenah moved to Dakar Senegal where he continues to practice Journalism freelancing for various local and international Media organization’s including the BBC, Al-Jazeera, VOA, and ZDF TV in Germany among others. He is the co-Founder of the Banjul Based Media Center for Research and Development; an institution specialized in research and development undertakings. As a journalist and Communication Expert, focused on supporting the Gambia's transitional process, Mr Marenah continues to play a pivotal role in shaping a viable media and communications platform that engages necessary tools and action to increase civic participation and awareness of the needs of transitional governance to strengthen the current move towards democratization. Mr. Marenah has traveled extensively as a professional journalist in both Europe, Africa and United States and attended several local and international media trainings.

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