Africa-Press – Gambia. In an exclusive interview , Essa Mbye Faal, leader of the APP-Sobeyaa political party, has strongly criticized President Adama Barrow’s administration, claiming it is underperforming due to the appointment of unqualified individuals to unsuitable ministerial positions.
Faal argued that the government’s failure to deliver on its promises stems from a misalignment between ministers’ professional backgrounds and the portfolios they are assigned.
“You take a journalist and make the person minister of infrastructure; take a doctor or nurse and make the person minister of agriculture; take a teacher in history and make the person minister of trade. Things will not work,” he said.
He cited the reassignment of Sering Modou Njie from the Ministry of Defence to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as a glaring example of this issue. “So by moving him from defense to foreign affairs, he is increasing the lack of the right people in the right places in his cabinet,” Faal asserted.
While clarifying that his criticism is not aimed at the credentials of the individuals themselves, Faal emphasized that misplacement within government roles leads to inefficiency and underperformance. “These people are very educated Gambians and intelligent and proudly mean well for the Gambia,” he said. “But you can’t do what you are not good at.”
Faal emphasized the need to open up opportunities for qualified Gambians to serve in key government positions, stressing that appointments should be based on competence and relevant expertise.
He added that President Barrow appears to equate being educated with being qualified, remarking, “That’s why he said he has a “Mbahal Cabinet.”
Essa Faal urged Gambians to vote out President Barrow’s government, accusing its members of pursuing selfish interests rather than prioritizing the welfare of the people.
He emphasized that many of the government’s current initiatives appear focused primarily on securing victory in the next election, rather than addressing the country’s pressing needs—an approach he believes warrants their removal from office.
Highlighting concerns over national security and the growing desperation among Gambian youth due to lack of opportunities, Faal painted a grim picture of the country’s situation.
He also pointed to the deteriorating living conditions and the steep decline of the Dalasi, attributing these challenges to a government he described as fundamentally flawed— “This is because we have a terrible government of misfit of square pegs in round holes.”
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