By Binta Jaiteh
The leader of National Unity Party Abdoulie Ebrima Jammeh has said his party doesn’t have any issues with APRC going into an alliance with NPP.
Speaking to reporters at Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara Conference Centre, he said: “This is democracy. As far as I’m concerned, NPP is a legal party in The Gambia, it’s registered. APRC is a legal party in The Gambia. Like someone asked a question ‘are you willing to go into an alliance’? We are willing to go into an alliance. So, I don’t have any problems with that and I know a lot of good people in NPP and in APRC party. So, I don’t have any issues with that.”
He said what people may be generally concerned about is content of their agreement. And reason for the concerned, he said, is “because there is a segment of our society called ‘the victims’. Will the content of that agreement infringe on the rights of those victims? That’s something else. But we don’t know, I’m not privy to that and I don’t want to speculate on that. But as a party, APRC is legitimate party, registered in the country. NPP is a registered one, too. As they formed coalition, as a party I don’t think we have any issues with that. No country will be able to attain meaningful development without the safety and security of the lives and properties of its people,” he explained.
He therefore claimed that NUP Government will depoliticize the security forces and transform it into an independent body whose loyalty is to the state and not any president or political leader. “We will embark on rigorous security sector reforms aimed at making the forces more professional and less repressive,” he said.
Abdoulie Ebrima Jammeh claimed further “Our government will also set up an Anti-Corruption Commission within its first six months in office and we wish to be on record that we will totally back the Commission without fail, in order for it to operate, deprived of fear, favor or ill-will. Those found wanting will face the full force of the law.”
He reiterated that “Corruption is a malaise that threatens the peace, stability and prosperity of The Gambia. An NUP Government will seriously prioritize the fight against corruption and will institute stringent measures to curb this menace. We will ensure that electronic tender processing is established as a matter of urgency,” he said.
Abdoulie Ebrima Jammeh is a former teacher at Gambia High School (Now Gambia Senior Secondary School). He was once the Director General of The Gambia Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA); and he served as Head of the Banjul Accord Group Secretariat, an ICAO Sub-Regional Grouping of ECOWAS CAA in 2012–2021.
In 2003 – 2012, he was the Deputy Director General of The Gambia Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA); he also doubled as Project Manager for Banjul International Airport Improvement Project from 2009 to 2012, among others.
