Bala Garba Jahumpa, popularly known as Action Man, has described May 20, 2023, Mayoral and Chairmen election as a referendum on President Adama Barrow.
The outspoken Politian who served in various ministers as a minister under ex-President Yahya Jammeh said the ruling National People’s Party in the 2022 parliamentary election, failed to win a single seat in the capital city of Banjul and in the mayoral and chairmanship elections, NPP has lost again. “What is the cause of all these losses? It is as if Gambians are conducting a referendum on your presidency?” he asked.
Speaking on a hike in price and cost of living, he said the hardship people are facing in the country is one of the reasons why they did not vote for the president’s National People’s Party (NPP).
“The people are facing hardship in the country. They are not happy with the current situation. The electricity is not steady, NAWEC has increased their tariff, and there is a lack of water. This makes it difficult for everyone, especially women.
We will not praise you. We will only tell you the truth. What angers people the most is the high cost of living. Rice, cooking oil, onions, and fish are all expensive. People are doing whatever they want in the name of democracy,” he said.
Jahumpa stressed that people surrounding the Gambian leader are not telling him the truth. People are saying that the people around you are not being truthful to you. They are also talking about the high level of corruption in the country. It has been alleged that people were printing fake tickets that were different from the ones issued by the Gambia Port Authority.
The police were asked to investigate, but nothing came out of it. I believe that the same problem exists at Gambia Revenue Authority as well.
“The Central Bank scandal and the Fisheries scandal were both major controversies in the Gambia, but no one was ever held accountable for their actions. The Gambia National Petroleum Corporation scandal was a different case. In that case, the manager of the corporation was accused of selling trucks full of fuel on the black market.
He was suspended from his job, charged with a crime, and taken to court. He went to court two or three times, and he was found not guilty. Some people believe that he was released because he had powerful friends in the government.” he said.