President Adama Barrow’s Deputy Youth Adviser
By Buba Gagigo
President Adama Barrow’s Deputy Youth Adviser, Saihou Mballow has assured the victims and Gambians that the Government ‘will do the right’ in its white paper on the TRRC report.
“… I must tell them, we are going to make sure that we give justice whatever, to bring whatever is right to this country, to bring this country to its feet, democracy works. We don’t want any Gambian to run away from this country now. For white paper, I’m calling on Gambians to feel free and be patient. We will do the right thing,” he concluded.
Mr. Mballow, made the remarks on Saturday as a government representative and one of the guests on the ‘Brunch’, a current affairs television show on Kerr Fatou.
Other guests on the show were a gender activist, Mariama Joberteh, and Muhammad Sandeng, son of the late Ebrima Solo Sandeng.
Responding to Saihou Mballow, Mariama Joberteh, said justice must be served before reconciliation.
“What happens in other countries does not mean it is right for the Gambia. We have to contextualize certain things. Yes, we all want reconciliation, we want a peaceful county, (and) we want a country where our children will be comfortable. We don’t want people going on exile. We want to be proud of Gambia, but for reconciliation to happen there must be satisfaction from the victims’ side. You cannot come, call somebody at the TRRC for example, and say we are granting them or recommending them amnesty, you don’t even consult the victims. Their loved ones died; and saying you are forgiven someone on their behalf. Who are you to do that?” she asked
Muhammad Sandeng whose Father Solo Sandeng was killed during the Jammeh regime also added: “Mr. Mballow. what do you mean by the right thing? Because if I take you to be a government representative here … and the government is telling me yes we are going to do the right thing. You have been in the government since 2017 as an adviser. I am not telling you or anybody that you must disassociate yourself or take your right of association.
“When you go into coalition with people who really think the mechanism you put in place is fraudulent and lies, that maybe, rest with you because your government wants political gains. But what I’m trying to drive at is that your government has a responsibility to set the records straight and you cannot forcefully do that. That’s the first thing Mr Mballow most recognized and that is lacking in his submission. To try to say we are going to do the right thing, but you have not acknowledged what the right things are in the first place,” he quizzed.
Saihou Mballow is the deputy youth adviser of President Adama Barrow, while both Muhammad Sandeng and Mariama Joberteh are working with the victim Center.
Meanwhile, the government is set to release the TRRC white paper on the 25th may 2022.