Ex-Finance Minister says UDP will not hire ‘semi-illiterate’ advisers

Amadou Sanneh, former Finance and Economic Affairs Minister under President Adama Barrow has assured Gambians that the United Democratic Party [UDP] government will not employ semi-illiterates as advisers upon victory in the December 4 presidential poll.

Amadou Sanneh was speaking at a UDP rally held in Njaba Kunda on Saturday; while critiquing his former boss [President Barrow] for appointing unqualified people as advisers people he [Sanneh] described as ‘semi-illiterates and a runaway Marabout.’

“I understand one of the advisers stopped at grade 6, whilst the other one was a Marabout in Europe,” he alleged without specific mention of names in Eyeafrica TV footage.

Sanneh used the occasion as an opportunity to call on the people of Central Badibou District to go for registration to get their voter’s cards and vote out Barrow in the December polls.

On the recent launch of the 50 tractors by the Barrow government, the ex-minister disputed the cost of the said farm implements announced by the government, saying it ‘was over estimated’.

“If you go to the internet and search the actual price of those tractors, the price will be lesser compared to the initial price announced by them,” Sanneh said.

Meanwhile, Lawyer Ousinaou Darboe, leader of the United Democratic Party, said “we will stop importation of rice in this country   because we will give ourselves target that this is the number of tonnes of rice that is needed to be cultivated. That’s how we are going to do gradually for 10 years so that we will stop importation of rice in this country completely,” he added.

According to him, in his notion rice will be affordable for Gambians, adding it is only the Gambians who can make this ambition realise by ensuring they vote for United Democratic Party in the upcoming December election.

He added: “UDP is the party that has the interest of the country; UDP is the party that’s ready to face anything for the sake of this country.”

Meanwhile, he frowned at the absence of many media outlets at UDP’s all-Badibu meeting over the weekend.

Mr Darboe said: “I want to thank EyeAfrica for their presence. All the media houses were written to informing them we’re holding a meeting. Even if UDP did not write to any media house informing them we’re holding a meeting, any UDP meeting is national news.

“Media houses should go out for news. In fact, any meeting of any political party is national news. Media houses should not wait to be invited. But GRTS which is state media do not come to our meeting when we invite them.”