By: Haddy Touray
The Campaign Manager of the ruling National People’s Party (NPP), Lamin Cham, has asserted that the former UDP chairman for Lower Niumi Tijan Drammeh made a wise decision in jumping onto the NPP bandwagon because UDP will never recompense people’s efforts and sacrifices for the party.
It would be recalled that Mr. Drammeh quit the UDP some time ago and declared his allegiance to the NPP.
“If you could remember, Tijan was the UDP chairman for Lower Niumi. However, after observations and soul-searching, he realized that he was not supposed to belong to where he belonged [UDP] because he came to the realization that President Barrow and the NPP are responding to the needs of the citizens and he has seen the attributes and leadership qualities of the President, which the citizens want. These are the reasons he defected from the UDP to the NPP,” Cham asserted as he recently addressed a political meeting in Ndungu Kebbeh, Lower Niumi.
According to NPP’s chief strategist, Tijan has done the right thing to wave UDP a good-bye.
“You [Tijan] have done what you should have done and what you did is the right thing because the collective that you quit will never recompense people for the good things they’ve done for the party. If at all UDP pays back people for the good things they did for the party, then they would have reciprocated the wonderful contributions that President Barrow made to the party, they would have recompensed Dou Sano, they would have compensated Dembo By Force and myself Lamin Cham because since the founding of the UDP in 1996, there is no type of difficulty that we have not endured for Ousainou Darboe. We endured hunger, dirt and we were even locked in [police] cells for his sake just to enthrone him on a seat exalted by Allah but whosoever is not destined for such a high station cannot attain it. No matter what human beings do cannot make him attain such an exalted station. This is all the more reason we cannot take Ousainou to such an elevated position because God did not ordain him for such. We couldn’t make him a ruler because he is not destined by Allah to rule. Leadership is Allah’s gift and it’s Allah who decides who rules,” said Cham. He continued:”Despite all the hardship that we endured for Ousainou, it’s the same Ousainou who dragged me, Dou Sano and Dembo By Force to court in an attempt to force us out of our positions. But Allah will not sit by and watch someone, for whose sake you sacrificed a lot, to destroy you. Just a few days ago, he lost the lawsuit that he instituted against us. Allah is always on the side of the truth. We cannot work for him wholeheartedly and then he succeeds in his plot against us. Allah will never allow that. That will never happen. So Tijan, you did what you should do and endeavor to bring to the NPP those that you’ve convinced to join the UDP. Ousainou had been unsuccessfullytrying his luck for 20 years but Adama Barrow came in and within three months, he became president. The reason for Adama’s meteoric rise to power is due to the fact that Allah knew Gambia’s peace hinges on him and that’s a statement of fact. Every Gambian is witness to his peaceful disposition.”
The NPP’s campaign manager told the Ndungu Kebbeh meeting that the level of infrastructural development that President Barrow attained in his eight-year rule was never attained from the colonial era to the Jammeh rule.
“The President has promised to ensure universal electricity access, which will allow settlements of even three compounds to have access to reliable and affordable power supply. He also said his intention is to ensure that every settlement is connected to a good road network as well as to provide every community with a school and to build area hospitals. Adama radiates peace to everybody. He never wants to torment anyone in this country. You can utter gibberish about him and he would never respond to you. These are the excellent attributes of Adama, Allah knew quite well that he is the peace for the Gambia. Fellow Gambians, let’s submit ourselves to Allah’s will. He[Allah] would not give someone a load he/she cannot carry. Let’s embrace Adama because he is the ordained one,” added Cham.
He charged that the UDP will never rule The Gambia.
“UDP tried severally to become a ruling party but they couldn’t. Ousainou tried for five consecutive times to become President but Allah did not permit it. He is just not a ruler. Anyone not anointed by God to rule shall never rule. And, I am sure NPP will remain in power for a long time to come,” he underlined.
“So, Gambians, anyone who wish development for your community, area and region, come and join President Barrow. President Barrow has told Gambians that he is not the boss but the Gambians are his boss because its them who voted for him and gave him the mandate to serve their needs. He said he dislikes what you don’t like and vice versa. Such utterances from a leader are praise-worthy. We have seen the previous administration which did not allow people to speak freely, jailed, killed and exiled people. President Barrow has brought an end to all these excesses. So, the people of Ndungu Kebbeh and Lower Niumi, come and join President Barrow because he is the Gambia’s peace.”
