By Kebba Ansu Manneh
President Adama Barrow, leader of National People’s Party (NPP) has disclosed that he could have denied the burial of late Aja Asombi Bojang from taking place in The Gambia if he was to retaliate against ex-president Yahya Jammeh,
But he said he did not do that because his philosophy is totally different from that of the former President who denied the burial of his fellow citizens from taking place in the country.
President Barrow, in his ongoing campaign, said this at Faji Kunda on Saturday, 27th November, 2021, where he said the former President Yahya Jammeh cried helplessly to seek for his approval for his mother to be buried in The Gambia.
His comment comes barely less than a week, when former President Yahya Jammeh discredited and vilified President Adama Barrow and the Senegalese government, alleging that the current administration of President Barrow has given Senegalese securities leverage to act anyhow in the country that they weren’t mad to do during his reign in power.
In his words, President Barrow said “I could have denied the burial of his mother to take place here because during his time the late Buba Baldeh was denied burial here. His corpse was brought up to the border and was denied entry prompting his family to return him to Senegal and buried him at Madina Gunass.”
He added: “Foday Makalo also passed away in Senegal but he (Jammeh) denied his burial to take place in the Gambia. Kukoi Samba Sanyang also passed away in Senegal he also denied his burial in the country.”
President Barrow disclosed that his character wouldn’t have allow him to denied the burial of late Aja Asombi Bojang or to retaliate to Jammeh’s comments, adding that he has no ill-feelings against former President Yahya Jammeh which is the main reason why he never want to respond to his rhetoric.
“I don’t like to talk about the issues of the former President at my meetings but today i want to clarify one issue that i want all of you to know. I want to assure you that I and Jammeh are not enemies, it was election that brought us together and for me that election is over, passed and gone”, President Barrow clarified.
He added: “We have given him all the respect he deserves as an ex-president who ruled this country for 22 years we have given him that respect. That is the same respect I accords former President Jawara but I want to believe that just like when he was ruling (ex-president Jammeh), he wanted the peace, security and stability of the country,” President Barrow highlighted.
He advised the former President Yahya Jammeh to always preach peace and stability of the country and desist from anything that is contrary; arguing that Yahya Jammeh is not the only former President in the world and so he should always yearns for peace, security and stability of the country.
President Barrow reminded former President Yahya Jammeh of the day he was helplessly crying and seeking for his help through his host President Obiang of Equatorial Guinea, revealing that it was a day Jammeh admitted that he (President Barrow) is the only one who can assist him by allowing his mother’s burial to take place in The Gambia.
He revealed that President Obiang could not talked to him directly but resorted to involving the President of Nigeria, Ivory Coast and the Ghanaian President, adding that these Presidents agreed to form and dispatch a delegation to seek for his approval to allowed the burial of late Asombi Bojang to take place in The Gambia.
According to him, the aforementioned three Heads of States eventually involved the President of Senegal Macky Sall who eventually appealed to him, adding that his response to Macky Sall was that even if Jammeh appealed for his mother’s returns alive he would have offered her a compound to stay if that is necessary.
