By: Dawda Baldeh
Gambia’s Information Minister Dr. Ismaila Ceesay has defended President Barrow’s controversial remarks against Ousainou Darboe, the leader of the main opposition United Democratic Party, made on Saturday in Brikama.
Dr. Ceesay addressed the issue during an interview on QTV’s This Morning Show, where he described the President’s comments, which have received widespread condemnation from Gambians both at home and abroad, as “political remarks.”
He told the show host that the positive aspects of the event should not be overshadowed by the President’s political comments.
According to Dr. Ceesay, the events in Brikama demonstrated that the President still has significant political support there, and he emphasized that the President made some very positive statements that should have been the focus.
The Information Minister claimed that people had taken the statement out of context and misquoted him.
“No threats were made in the first place,” Dr. Ceesay stated, adding, “No wish for anybody’s death was expressed at that event. The President is a very harmless man and he never wished Ousainou Darboe to die. He would never do that.”
Justifying his defense of the controversial remarks, Ceesay stressed that there is mutual respect between Darboe and Barrow, which he referred to as political remarks.
“I think people are taking this out of context and elevating it to a level where it shouldn’t be,” he added.
Dr. Ceesay argued that people should consider the bigger picture, which is the relationship between the two.
When asked about the possibility of an apology from the President for his controversial comments, Dr. Ceesay responded, “Apologize for what? It’s a political statement, and obviously, when the President speaks, it has a significant impact.”
He continued, “We’ve seen this happen many times. But in my view, people are exaggerating the situation. They are taking it out of context. There is a very good relationship between the two, and they may have political disagreements on public platforms, but behind the scenes, they maintain a good relationship.”
Dr. Ceesay emphasized that the President’s remarks should not be a major issue, stressing that democracy allows people to interpret things as they wish.
Regarding addressing pressing issues, Dr. Ceesay said that a political platform is not the place for the President to tackle urgent matters. “He deals with those issues on a daily basis, Monday to Sunday,” he explained, adding, “When he is on a political platform, he speaks about politics.”
