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The Secretary General of the Peoples Democratic Organization for Independence and Socialism (PDOIS) and National Assembly Member for Serrekunda, Honorable Halifa Sallah has said that the purported press release from the Office of the President on his alleged stirring statements in London was not signed by any authority.
“I have conducted my investigations, the press release is not signed by the Secretary General at the Office of the President and bears no date,” Honorable Halifa Sallah said.
The PDOIS Secretary General who just returned from a two week European trip made these revelations during a press conference attended by dozens of journalist with hundreds of party militants at the party’s bureau at Churchill Town, Serrekunda.
“The name of Amie Bojang Sissoho was written at the end of the press release as a contact person and not signatory,” he added.
Honorable Sallah referred to the Director of Press at the Office of the President, Ms Amie Bojang Sissoho as a Public Servant who should not be engaged in any form of nepotism or favoritism by virtue of section 122 of the 1997 Constitution that spell out the role and duty of public servants.
Sallah spoke about his intention to engage the state broadcaster GRTS on the dubious activity of Sarjo Barrow, an employee of the institution. He also intend to engage the Attorney General on the matter. He added that the final resort would be the Office of the Ombudsman.
“I will contact the Director General of GRTS to retract the press release,” he asserted.
Sallah said the utterances made by Sarjo Barrow on the 57 pickup trucks given to National Assembly Members were misleading with regards to reasons PDOIS members didn’t accept the vehicles saying he made two contradictory reports on the same subject. He added that he first reported that they rejected the benevolent gifts from the President but later said it was from an anonymous philanthropist.
He said no one has the right to tarnish the image of any National Assembly Member who has not violated the law. He quoted section 112 of the 1997 Constitution.
The veteran politician explained that anything that comes from the Office of the President to the National Assembly should be written in a document explaining the reason, terms and conditions among others.
He added that the 57 pickup trucks were handed to the National Assembly without any written document. He emphasized the section of the constitution that guides the conduct of MPs in and outside of the National Assembly.
“I believed all sensible Gambians will know why I have not taken confrontational approach with the presidency,” Sallah said.
The PDOIS Secretary General said there is no Gambian who can tarnish his integrity because his integrity is intact and it is invincible.
“I have not said it out of pomposity or arrogance,” Halifa Sallah interjected.
“What I said in London is irrefutable and nobody can refute it,” he added.
Sallah said he stood by what he said in London as 52 years of the same system cannot change in 3 or 5 years transition period. The new government, he said can only attained regime change within the transitional period. He defined regime change to constitutional reform, transitional justice and other reforms.
Meanwhile, the press conference was grace by party militants singing songs of freedom.
