By Yusupha Jobe
One of the senior officials of the Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction party, Doudou Jah, secretary and also deputy spokesperson of the APRC in an interview on Thursday with The Voice has frowned at the government of President Barrow for playing inactive role to prevent the country from recording cases of coronavirus pandemic.
“As far I’m concern and equally as a citizen I will say the Gambia government has not acted quickly on the pandemic when it started spreading elsewhere in the world. This is because the government and his cabinet members were not ready to close our borders,” he said
He noted that they only did so when a case of the pandemic was already registered and reported. He reiterated that government should have closed all the entry points to the country before any imported case of the virus enters the country.
Jah asked rhetorically that “is the country actually having cases of the virus and are people affected with the coronavirus pandemic” as there is no adequate reports from the Ministry of Health. “Seen is believing let them show us proofs not only figures,” he stressed.
He added that “the only picture I saw circulating on social media was a lady from the UK who was reported to be the first patient of the virus. Let the government make people believe in the existence of the virus by showing to people the reality of the pandemic.”
He continued that he wants the Ministry of Health to show the public like it is been done in the other country saying “despite it is unprofessional to show such patient, but it will also be good if the Ministry of Health can show some of the patients at a distance like other countries are doing for people to believe in the reality of the pandemic.
Jah further said this will help the government to dismiss rumors that they are only looking for money from outside donors and that is reason they are increasing cases of the virus.
The APRC Spokesperson pointed out that people are not observing President’s proclamation on the State of Public Emergency especially the social distancing to prevent the spreading of the virus.
He further lamented on the proclamation which he said it is the duty of the government to enforce the proclamation.
“But it is disheartening seeing people in mass gatherings as there was no measure put in place by the government. People are saying government should not use force but you have to save people’s health from the pandemic,” he said.