Essa Faal Criticizes President Barrow’s Remarks on Economic Hardship, Calling It a ‘Mockery’ to Struggling Gambians
ESsa Mbye Faal, Party Leader APP – Sobeyaa
By Buba Gagigo
Leader of the Sobeya-APP Party, Essa Mbye Faal, has strongly criticized President Adama Barrow’s recent remarks on economic hardship, describing them as either deceptive or a mockery to struggling Gambians.
During an interview on QTV, President Barrow responded to concerns about the country’s worsening economic situation, stating that even he and his delegation sometimes experience financial constraints, including traveling without per diems when funds are depleted. He added that they have, at times, endured eating basic meals such as bread and butter or sardines while serving the nation.
Essa Faal, however, dismissed the president’s claims, arguing that they fail to reflect the dire economic realities ordinary Gambians face daily. In a TikTok video response, Faal said:“All this government continues to do to our people is build an unjust society and inflict pain on the citizenry due to severe economic hardship. I am shocked to hear the President talking about funding constraints for his overseas travels. Imagine a President who is allocated a monthly salary of five hundred thousand and daily fish money of one hundred and fifty thousand, talking about suffering like ordinary citizens in certain instances. Then, how have our people been coping for all these while? This is either a deception or a mockery to the struggling families,” Faal alleged.
Faal further alleged that President Barrow benefits from extensive financial allocations, including D100 million for travel and D50 million for the ‘Meet the People Tour.’ He contended that such statements from the president undermine the harsh reality for many Gambians, for whom even basic meals are becoming unaffordable.
“With the current hardship in the country, bread and butter or bread and sardines is becoming a rare luxury for families in the country who continue to suffer the economic hardship in the hands of this government due to rampant and outrageous corruption marred with incompetence and injustices. With all the allocations to the Presidency, if the President is claiming he too suffered like us sometimes, it is a mockery to the struggling families who cannot attain three square meals a day. A President who does not pay taxes nor pay medical bills virtually leaves a free expense life. If he is complaining of financial constraints, then how about civil servants with less than ten thousand salaries coping under this situation?” Faal asked.
Faal also highlighted the struggles of unemployed youth, farmers lacking adequate resources, and families forced to reduce daily meals due to rising costs.
“What did the President have to tell the 41% of unemployed youth who resorted to going the backway in search of greener pastures, the farmers who farms without adequate fertilizer? For many of the fourth named, people are leaving without the three square meals a day. As families have started resorting to cooking one meal a day instead of the usual three daily meals due to economic hardship. For some of those families, bread and butter or with sardines is a luxury for them because they cannot afford it. Ordinary Gambians cannot afford meat or fish as before, with many only enjoying meat during festive periods like Tobaski,” he charged.
Faal attributed the country’s worsening economic situation to what he described as the government’s misplaced priorities, rampant corruption, and lack of competence. He urged Gambians to push for change in the 2026 elections to ensure better governance and economic relief.
Meanwhile, President Barrow has reaffirmed his intention to seek re-election in 2026 under the National People’s Party (NPP) ticket. Despite ongoing debates about the legality of a third term bid, the President and his supporters insist he remains within constitutional limits to contest.