Contrary to the fake news being spread by some media outlets on President Barrow’s recent statement on ‘Narr’, the Deputy Spokesman of the National People’s Party (NPP), Seedy SK. Njie has debunked such allegations as false and misleading.
Responding to the statement in a letter which he shared with this medium, the deputy spokesman of the party who is also the deputy speaker, Seedy SK. Njie explained: “He [President Barrow] simply stated in Mandinka and I quo, “I saw a particular Political Party also construct a Bureau (Kwinella) but that bureau looks like a Narr store and however long, the space will be turned into a Narr store. By looking at this bureau (NPP Banjul bureau), it’s clear that this does not look like a Narrstore”. Unquote. Anybody with a good foundation in context and Mandinka would know this does not in any way interpret Mr. Talib Bensouda becoming leader of UDP.”
According to the deputy spokesman of the party, the decent and tolerant President Adama Barrow has never said such and will never utter such a statement but rather the president wishes to assure all and sundry that the Gambia will remain a haven for all people despite their differences.
He explained: “To this end, any journalist, or opinionated individuals should not struggle to state the facts as they are. This is a completely innocent political statement that has no racial coloration. For a long time, we have seen people parading themselves as journalists, and social media experts but highly opinionated giving completely different interpretations to the President’s comments to stoke confusion in the minds of the citizens. Journalists and social media users have a duty to responsibility and it’s a hard and fast journalistic law that reporters must not partake in any reporting that will spark racial tension. We hope they learn from this and interpret the President’s statements as they are. The report is transparently false and we urge all citizens to disregard it.”
The NPP, he went on, is founded on strong pedestals of true democracy and as such, all citizens and residents of the Gambia are assured of the government’s renewed commitment to the rule of law, good governance, and democratic practice as well as protection of people’s liberty and free press.
Hon. Njie concluded with great assurance that the president will never engage in xenophobia.
