By Mustapha Jarju
Lawyer Ousainu Darboe, leader of Opposition leader of united Democratic Party, Lawyer Ousainou Darboe, has fired back at critics over his age, 73-year-old, saying he is still fit to rule The Gambia.
Responding to critics at a rally in Banjul, Darboe said: “at age 73 I think I will be able to take care of sons and grandsons, adding that the present of health condition ‘is just a temporal issue, it’s not a permanent feature of my health situation and in any case, I think, I will be using my brain more than my feet in performing the function of the office of the president.”
It is true that he is old but he thanked God for that but quickly added that he is mentally aware than lot of young people and ‘’I have never seen anyone saying Ousainu Darboe is clueless, I have never seen anyone saying Ousainu Darboe is suffering from amnesia. I am mentally alert than a lot of 35-year-old pupil. They talk about my age because they have nothing to say,” he added.
“We are old, yes, but the Mandinka say an old person is not God but has been alongside God for long-time,” he said, adding “being old means the person had knowledge on what happened in the past, what happened presently and can predict what would happen in the future.”
Meanwhile, he said: “we will look at the recommendations of the Truth and Reconciliation Committee and I have always fought relentlessly against impunity [and] the excesses of that regime, I have fought against it and I have always wanted justice, I am not going to be vindictive and I am not going to be revengeful but there will be justice without revenge.”