By Mama A. Touray
Human Rights Activist Madi Jobarteh, on Tuesday at the state burial of the late solo sandeng blasted President Adama Barrow for not attending the state funeral of solo sandeng, which he described as gross negligence of duty and responsibility.
Jobarteh in an interview with the media said: “He does not even need a vehicle, he could have walked to this funeral what it indicates is the president’s gross negligence of duty, he has failed solo, the Gambian people for not come to this funeral and the national assembly and the Gambian people should hold him accountable for failing to appear at state funeral.
He continued that “I am disappointed because he (Barrow) is the head of state and this is a state funeral. In any nation on earth, a state funeral is led by the head of state so in that context am very disappointed.”
He went on to say there is no excuse why the president should not be here because “he is in the county, he is not being announced sick, there is no security situation, no disaster to claim that the president cannot walk to this place which is a working distance from the state house to the arch.”
Jobarteh, on the hand accused President Barrow as the biggest betrayer of the cause that solo stood of. “It is good that he did not even come here to pollute the sanctity and dignity of solo.”
He therefore urged the president to apologize, adding that “He needs to be held accountable for refusing to honor a national hero, a personality that was the result of the end of dictatorship in this country, which is gross negligence of duty, act of responsibility on his part as a president.
“It is a moral duty for Gambians to be at this funeral which they failed to, especially those that were elected and appointed in government they have moral and legal obligation to attend this funeral. The president also has legal and moral obligation which he has violated,” he said.