By Buba Gagigo
Hon. Fatoumata Touma Njie, the Independent National Assembly Member for Banjul South, has strongly criticized the current leadership, stating that The Gambia is in a worse state now than it was under colonial rule.
She made these remarks last Saturday in Brikama during the 66th-anniversary celebration of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), which brought together party members and supporters under the leadership of Ousman Madekay Faal.
“I did not take the PPP to court for nothing. I took the PPP to court to protect the integrity of my family and the integrity of the party. It is the party that my family built and died for, and it is a party that I’m going to die for as well. Listening to how independent came to The Gambia. It is about time we rescue Gambia a second time. It is about time we bring back independence for our own people in this country because the Gambia is dying. The Gambia under this leadership is worse than the Gambia under colonial leadership. Children are dying of hunger. Women are dying to give birth, and I think it is the PPP that can rescue the Gambia as we rescue the Gambia (before). Let’s tie our wrist very well,” she said.
Hon. Touma Njie reaffirmed her loyalty to the PPP despite currently serving as an independent candidate.
“I was expelled by non-PPP members. I will call them non-PPP members because they do not understand the value of the party. When I stood in Brikamana and demanded that the delegates do the right thing, they were cheated out of doing right because they did not understand what the leadership was after. The leadership was not after the building of the party. They were after jobs. And when I said the PPP is not a job-seeking agency, I meant it, but the young people did not know,” she said.
Reflecting on her past struggles within the party, Hon. Touma Njie apologized for not being able to fight harder for PPP’s cause.
“I did my best, but the best was not good enough, and I think it’s about time we do our best and rescue the party and my brother (Madekay Faal) to take the party where he wants the party to be. If I had followed my heart, I wouldn’t have been here today, because I see some people sitting, and they fought hard for me to lose my seat in Banjul But I do not have any grievance against anybody. I forgive everybody. Let us forge ahead and work for the interest of the PPP.”