Haji Suwaneh, National Youth President of UDP
By Buba Gagigo
Haji Suwaneh, the National Youth Leader of the United Democratic Party (UDP), has criticized President Adama Barrow’s administration for what he perceives as a lack of ethical leadership.
Expressing his concerns, Suwaneh emphasized the apparent deficiency in moral values within the current administration. He pointed to President Barrow and his ministers’ actions, citing them as opportunistic and indicative of a lack of vision. According to Suwaneh, this deficit in moral decency is hindering the progress of the nation.
“After I keenly listened to Adama Barrow and his opportunistic ministers of Agriculture and Information respectively, I realised that the reason why our country is lacking behind is certainly because the current leadership lacks moral decency and bankrupt in vision,” the UDP youth president said.
Calling on the citizens of The Gambia to take politics seriously, Suwaneh stressed the importance of electing leaders with integrity and strong moral principles. He highlighted the need for ethical governance, emphasizing that leaders who prioritize the common good over personal interests are crucial for meaningful and sustainable development.
“We all heard a survey with regard to the issue of third-term which stated that the country could go into instability if, the president wants to push for a third-term mandate. But again, Barrow shows his true color that he cares less about the peace and tranquility of this country. Therefore, he wasted no time but to test that survey with all the casualties third-term issue has caused in our neighboring country Senegal. Barrow recklessly went ahead with the pronouncement of his bid for a third term
“Ethical governance is the cornerstone of any well-developed nation. Therefore, as citizens, we must reconsider how we elect leaders. It is only leaders with good morals who adhere to moral principles are more likely to make decisions that would prioritize our common good over personal interests. They will always lead by example, be accountable to their citizens, promote transparency in their actions, and work very hard in mitigating corruption to the lowest levels possible,” he said.
The UDP youth president condemned what he termed a “premature” announcement of a third-term bid by President Barrow, alleging it as driven by greed and a disregard for the promises made during Barrow’s ascension to power. He criticized the manipulation of the constitution for personal gain and called on Gambians to resist any attempt at self-perpetuating rule.
“For his long-term stay in power, not any other reason but greed. Why should Gambian people accept this deliberate provocative pronouncement as normal for someone who promised citizens that no president after former president Jammeh will rule the Gambia for more than 10 years and that the 1997 constitution was butchered over fifty times to suit a dictator? Should Gambian people allow Barrow to hide behind the same constitution and break another major promise that brought him to power? If we let him get away with this, it means we are setting a bad precedence in our fragile democracy.
“Yes, fellow Gambians, we have all heard it from the president that he will contest for a third term in 2026. Dr Ismael Ceesay, the Minister of Information and most NPP party members support that undemocratic decision of the president for their selfish interest. Isn’t this moral deficiency to say that he is empowered by the 1997 Constitution as if we voted to maintain the 1997 constitution in 2016. The ball is in our own court to allow another self-perpetuating rule in our country again,” he said.