Africa-Press – Gambia. The former deputy leader of the National Reconciliation Party and erstwhile ambassador to Guinea Bissau has told, he regretted replacing Yahya Jammeh with President Adama Barrow.
Musa Sonko, now a UDP stalwart, was among the architects of Coalition 2016 that torpedoed Jammeh out of power.
He told The Standard on Wednesday: “Many of my colleagues in Coalition 2016 are disappointed today. We were the architects of the coalition and took great risks knowing fully well how vindictive the APRC government was. But we wanted to salvage our country, install a better government that would be transparent and accountable and build a new Gambia. But our purpose was defeated.
“I very much regretted what has happened and that is why I have been quiet. To remove President Jammeh and bring in President Barrow is just like removing the Gambians from heaven and putting them in hell. Barrow’s government is hell compared to Jammeh’s government.
“Adama Barrow is worse than Yahya Jammeh. Adama Barrow is a silent killer. Yahya Jammeh says publicly what he will do; Barrow does not. He keeps quiet. And people are dying. In fact the country itself is dying. Our economy is dead, there is no security and corruption is rampant. All these things were not happening during Jammeh’s regime. So Yahya Jammeh is better than President Barrow.
“Nobody had the knowledge of tomorrow. But if I had known that President Barrow was going to be like what he is, I would never have supported him. Ousainu Darboe and the UDP have been against the formation of this type of coalition for many years. President Barrow’s behaviours has now vindicated the UDP and Darboe’s stance.”
Asked whether he is so embittered because of his removal from a plum diplomatic job, Mr Sonko said: “What I say is the reality. It is the lived experiences of hundreds of thousands of Gambians every day. The corruption is unprecedented. I will put my own case as an example. When I was appointed as an ambassador to Guinea Bissau, I discovered a massive corruptions at my embassy involving millions of dalasis. I reported the matter to the permanent secretary then to President Barrow through the Secretary General’s Office with evidences and they promised to investigate the matter. I reported this scandal on Friday and I was recalled on Monday ordered to hand over and since that day I was never called back.
“President Barrow doesn’t want transparency and accountability, and that is why they withdrew me. After my recall, I was still in the NRP and myself, Hamat Bah, Samba Jallow, Sainey Jawara and Mr Mbowe went to State House to meet President Barrow to discuss our party’s congress. During that meeting, he offered me a position of deputy governor of North Bank. I told him, Mr Barrow thank you for your position, I am going to concentrate on my politics. I know fully well that this government is not going to last and I don’t want to associate myself with them anymore, and that is how I left NRP to save my integrity,” Sonko claimed.
For More News And Analysis About Gambia Follow Africa-Press
