By: Muhammed Lamin Drammeh
The National Youth President of the opposition Gambia Democratic Congress (GDC), MC Cham Jr, has President Adama Barrow has now turned the country’s foreign service into a “dumping ground” for his political allies to reward their loyalty.
He made these claims while speaking to The Fatu Network on the appointment of over ten Gambians into the country’s diplomatic service.
Cham, who has been a vocal critic of Barrow’s government said the situation in the country is sad and that President Barrow cannot resist the pressure.
“It is so sad that now our foreign service is a dumping ground for the supporters of the President. Barrow has turned our foreign services into a dumping ground for any politician and I think is high time we minimise the numbers,” he asserted.
The GDC youth leader further alleged that the appointment of the former United Democratic Party’s (UDP) sacked Parliamentarians into the Gambia’s foreign service are as a result of the pressure on the government from President Barrow.
“This is pressure from the government particularly from the President that these people have risked their lives by contesting in the election to support his agenda. Now the pressure is too much on Barrow, so he has no choice but to offer them these foreign services positions.”
Three of the sacked UDP National Assembly Members who cross-carpeted to President Barrow’s National People’s Party (NPP) and failed to gain re-election to the parliament in the April elections have been sent to the foreign services.
Saikouba Jarjue, the former NAM for the Busumbala Constituency, has been assigned the first secretary at the Gambian Mission in Mauritania. Saikou Marong, who was the NAM for Latrikunda and Alhagie Jawara of Lower Baddibu are appointed as Counsellor in Morroco and First Secretary at the Gambia Embassy in Saudi Arabia respectively.
Other appointments include the Alliance Patriotic Reorientation and Construction’s (APRC) Rambo Jatta and politician Sheikh Tijan Hydara of Gambia Alliance for National Unity.
According to MC Cham, the foreign service is now a dumping ground for any politician.
He argued that foreign service appointments cannot be any person but people with the right tools and diplomatic credentials to create something meaningful for Gambia and Gambians, instead of just being referred to as Gambians.
