Presidential advisor Dou Sano has said that the country’s intellectuals gave a wide berth to the United Democratic Party during the rule of former president Yahya Jammeh.
“Let’s not try to deceive each other. Today those people in the UDP, yesterday when you invite them to UDP they say to you, ‘you’re mad, you want my wife to be a widow?’” Mr Sano who is also the national coordinator of President Barrow Youths for National Development told The Fatu Network in an exclusive interview.
Gambian intellectuals have in the recent past come under fire over their role in the 22 years rule of Yahya Jammeh. President Adama Barrow, for example, has slammed the likes of Dr Ismaila Ceesay for being nowhere when the country needed them the most.
And Mr Sano doubling down on his principal’s comments said: “These are the people in UDP today and most of them were intellectuals. Where were they when it was tough? Why didn’t they join the UDP? Why didn’t they come and guide UDP?”
Barrow Youth Movement
Mr Sano said President Barrow Youths for National Development was an idea conceived by ‘some’ youths in a bid to support the President.
“But these youths first went to the secretary general of UDP Ousainou Darboe but they couldn’t see him. They then proceeded and met me. They explained the purpose of their visit. When they explained that they want to unite the entire youth population of the country to stand by the President and contribute to national development, I told them that idea was good,” he said.
“That was how I accepted them and we went to the president to them him that this is an association called youths for national development and they are here to express readiness to support you and to unite the youths. That was when we named it President Barrow Youths for National Development.”
