By: Nyima Sillah
The Chairman of the Victim Centre, Demba Ali Jawo, has urged President Adama Barrow not to assent to the Former President Bill.
He argued that assenting to the bill is tantamount todisregarding the “genuine” concerns of Gambians in general and the victims of former President YahyaJammeh, in particular.
“As regards the possibility of extending such facilities to former President Yahya Jammeh, that is certainly unacceptable to many Gambians, especially considering his alleged looting of the Gambian treasury as well as his appalling treatment of Gambians during his time in office,” D.A Jawo told The Voice shortly after the National Assembly passed the President Bill yesterday.
The Victims Centre’s chair contended that there is “absolutely” no justification in paying such huge amounts of money to former President Jammeh while his “numerous” victims are still suffering from the atrocities committed against them by his regime and at the time they await justice and financial compensation.
“Therefore, as Chairman of the Gambia Center for the Victims of Human Rights Violations, I would urge President Adama Barrow not to assent to such a bill as that would tantamount to disregarding the genuine concerns of Gambians in general and the victims of former President Jammeh, in particular,” Mr. Jawostated.
According to Mr. Jawo, he’s equally concerned about the economic implications of the bill as most Gambians, especially in the context of the prevailing economic situation.
“I agree that heads of State should be provided with appropriate remunerations after leaving office which, I believe, would encourage them not to seek to stay in power indefinitely as it is often the case in many parts of Africa but I feel that facilities allocated should be commensurate with the economic realities of the country,” Chairman Jawo asserted.
He pointed out that what’s seen in the bill is far beyond the economic reality of the country, especially when ordinary Gambians are suffering from economic hardships with most of them finding it hard to afford athreesquare meal a day.
“In view of that, it would be quite insensitive for anyone to think about providing former presidents with such expensive perks when they would no doubt have accumulated huge wealth while they were in office,” he contended.