Lare Sisay To Government: Do Not Weaponise State Institutions Against Critics

-

 

By Sheriff Saidykhan


Lare Sisay, retired Senior Manager at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and a leading voice of the main opposition United Democratic Party (UDP), has criticised President Adama Barrow for his continues weaponisation of the state institutions against the opposition voices in the country. 


He made these remarks on Tuesday 13, June 2023 at the West Coast Radio popular Coffee Time show with Peters Gomez. 


In his own words: “The recent example is a UDP MP who filed a case in Bundung against a lady who was insulting , using a tribal carte to pit Mandinka and Jolas against one another. He went to the police station and filed the case. 


The station commander got a called from upstairs, and according to him, the station officer called him in his office  and said I can't do anything about this because upstairs called to say let her go. So this is a weaponisation of the police.


And of course the issue of arresting opponents. Momodou Sabally was arrested  and kept without preferring any charged against him. And others are also facing the same consequences,” he argued. 


He said  President Barrow is consolidating his grip on power, without showing any sign of stepping down. 


“Nobody can do anything about it, because the legal framework allowed him. It is one of the reasons why he killed the draft constitution. 


Things are coming out about what we were speculating  seven years ago. Now it is clearly to everybody  that Barrow want to self-perpetuate, and that is why he is operating on the 1997 constitution,” he said.


On The State Of The Nation Address


The former veteran civil servant said Barrow's recent State of the Nation speech did not address the current challenges facing the nation, adding that he (Adama Barrow) does not have any visionary plans to solve the problems. 


“What the President is writting and informing Gambians, is that our economy is influence by several exogenous and endogenous economic factors and headwinds.


 What he did not tell us is how his government will deal with the headwinds with a specific vision , and a specific set of policies and proposals. He ( Adama Barrow) should have a vision. If he tell us we are in a world where we need to respond to certain external factors. 


When you identified those external factors. You need to tell us how you intend to deal with those external factors; by way of policy, by way of a vision. The policy is anchored on a vision. The Problem with this President is that, he does not have a vision,” he lambasted.


He added: “I think is a shamed! In 2016 when the coalition was put together, and Barrow being elected President, he inherited a unified country, in spirit, in purpose and in objective. 

The objective was to uproot  the ruthless dictatorship. He inherited a United country, and now he is destroying that unity using tribalism and other mechanisms of state power to stay in power,” he concluded.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular OP posts

‘Industrial Scale’ Foreign Disinformation Campaigns Fuel Anger, Confusion

-
Image
Dai Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, and Chinese President Xi Jinping wave during the welcoming ceremony of an economic summit. Disinformation campaigns seeking to manipulate African information systems have increased nearly fourfold since 2022. That is according to the Africa Center for Strategic Studies (ACSS), which linked disinformation campaigns to increased violence, support for coups, expanded anti-Western rhetoric and the spread of confusion about health care. These campaigns also work to erode confidence in traditional media sources. Nearly 60% of disinformation campaigns in Africa are linked to countries outside the continent. The efforts, aided by emerging technology, are mostly driven by Russia, although China, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates also push false narratives as they seek to spread their influence. Such contrived narratives are flourishing as Africa now has more than 400 million active social media users and 600 million internet users. ...
Read more

UDP Congratulates PASTEF for landslide victory

-
Image
On behalf of the Secretary General- Party Leader and the National Executive Committee of the United Democratic Party, we congratulate  PASTEF on the massive legislative mandate given by the Senegalese voters.  It is a resounding endorsement of the PASTEF platform and testament to the desire of the Senegalese people to chart a new path forward.  This movement has inspired hope in young people, not only in Senegal, but across the region and The Gambia, much of whose young people express admiration for what they see in Senegal.  We draw inspiration from their persistent determination and perseverance against the forces of state capture as much as has been true for Gambians in our struggle against tyranny and self-perpetuating rule.  Through its struggle in preserving the integrity of the Senegalese constitution, PASTEF has assured the supremacy of the Senegalese constitution and in the process ushered in a democratic leadership that is patriotic, measured and inspi...
Read more

Journalists trained on conflict sensitive reporting of TRRC Implementation reports

-
Image
  The Gambia Press Union (GPU) in partnership with the International Idea through the support from the European Union (EU) on Tuesday concluded a two day comprehensive training for Press Editors' and Journalists on conflict sensitive media coverage of the Implementation of The Government's White Paper on the TRRC Recommendations. The event held at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Centre in Kerr Serign, brought together media editors' and journalists to acquire requisite knowledge on the implementation reports of the TRRC Recommendations.  Jainaba Faye, Head Of Country Office, International Idea highlighted the significance of the training, whils urging journalists to treat victims with dignity, respect and compassion when reporting on conflict sensitive reporting. “It is important to note that every story you report has a human face behind it.  This is especially true when it comes to victims of crime or human rights abuses.  Victim and conflict ...
Read more