Africa-Press – Gambia. Fatoumatta Touma Njie, the National Assembly Member for Banjul South, has issued a stark warning about the country’s future under the current administration. Speaking in an interview with West Radio, Hon. Njie expressed deep concern over the direction The Gambia is heading, stating that if President Adama Barrow secures a third term in the 2026 presidential elections, “The Gambia will not only sink but disappear.”
“I think that come 2026 if Barrow should win this election again, Gambia will not sink, but it will disappear and we don’t want the Gambia to disappear. We want a country where the next generation will inherit dignity,” She stated.
While acknowledging that the level of human rights violations has diminished compared to the regime of former President Yahya Jammeh, Hon. Njie contended that corruption under the Barrow administration is far more widespread.
“Human rights abuses are not as bad as it was during Jammeh’s time but the level of corruption, I think is way more than it used to be during Jammeh’s time. During Jammeh’s time, it was a one-man show, only Jammeh took, but right now, it is like the power of grabbing everybody is grabbing left, right, and center,” she remarked.
The Banjul South legislator also addressed the controversy surrounding the presidential acquisition of prime state-owned land in Fajara, which she argued sets a dangerous precedent.
“Every time I drive past Fajara, I feel embarrassed by the fact that the head of state can just take that amount of land that was owned by the government and being reallocated.
Government can do anything that they want to do, because they can take the land and say that it is been reclaimed and reallocated to His Excellency the President but then again, precedence has been set,” she said.
Responding to President Barrow’s recent comments about his desire for the National People’s Party (NPP) to remain in power for decades, Njie said longevity in government should not be an issue if power is exercised with integrity and humility.
“If you lead with gratitude, if you lead with dignity if you lead the people to ensure that the people’s dignity is guarded, I don’t mind your party ruling us forever,” she stated.
However, she argued that under Barrow, that dignity has eroded, citing the widespread inability of citizens to afford basic necessities.
“Our dignity is safeguarded when we can afford our three meals a day, our dignity is guarded when we don’t have to beg. People are begging to eat because if we are struggling to make ends meet, when we can’t say that we are comfortable, let alone people who depend on us. Let us be real with what is happening in this country,” she said.
Hon. Njie concluded with a sobering reflection on the state of the nation, warning that material poverty is secondary to a loss of self-worth: “Most of us have lost our dignity and that is the highest level of poverty. You can lose your wealth, you can lose everything but once you lose your dignity, you have lost it all.”
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