Ousainou Darboe , the United Democratic Party leader and main opposition figure to Adama Barrow’s led government believes that President Barrow is adopting the 22 year leadership style of ex-president Yahya Jammeh. Darboe was speaking to “This week in politics” host Essau Williams on “Hot FM”.
“Of course, we see that president Barrow is really reading too much from the books of Yahya Jammeh and I think probably he has learned everything by heart now. He doesn’t have to make reference from any particular page. He has everything in his head. He is doing things the same way Jammeh was doing“, the UDP leader said
One of such Jammeh playbook Ousainou Darboe believes Barrow has mastered is the manner and ways in which the President appoints and fires officials of his government without following due process. “Looking at what had happened with the governor of the central bank, they ought to know that you cannot, under the central bank act, do what you’re doing. As the gentleman, Barrow could have engaged him that he has wanted him to be relieved from his position and he would have agreed. But then just to impose it on him and see reactions? That is very embarrassing“, Ousainou Darboe said.
According to Darboe, Barrow would have been the best president the country has ever had if it wasn’t for the advisers he appoints and who the UDP leader claims, “Have little or no understanding of governance“.
“Well, I think Adama Barrow could do well and I think he would’ve been one of the best president of this country if he just didn’t have advisers around him who do not know anything and who really have no idea about governance. President Barrow did say he’s a businessman, government is not something that he is “au fait” with but he has people who would help but then the people who would help are not really helping. People who really have no idea about governance, people who only can copy from what Jammeh was doing. You still have executive .orders been issued. Those are things that are reminiscent of Jammeh era. He has to get to people who are honest and sincere and who think of The Gambia more than anything” Darbo told Essau Williams
According to the leader of the UDP his party’s government would’ve been a government that would insist on reforms and putting agriculture and economy as its top priority.
“A UDP government would have insisted to having a public service that is completely apolitical, a public service that is prepared to serve any political class that is in charge of the country. We would want to have the civil service to be like what it is before the coup d’etat, like what it’s in Ghana and in the UK, that’s what we would have wanted to have so that no public officer would be looking behind and believe that something would happen to him or her for giving the proper advice. Of course when the proper advice is given, the person receiving the advice has an option to accept the advice and abide by it or reject it. But then the public servants would have done their job. They would not have giving advice because of certain consideration that are not in the tune of advancing the interest of the country“.
Ousainou Darboe served as Vice president and Foreign Affairs Minister in the current government until his sacking with other top UDP members in May last year.
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