Karamo Njie, UDP North Bank Region PRO
By Buba Gagigo
Karamo Njie, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the United Democratic Party (UDP) in the North Bank Region (NBR), has criticized President Adama Barrow’s recent remarks during his Meet the People tour visit to the region, accusing the president of offering little substance to the people.
“President Barrow said he has a surprise for the North Bank Region. I don’t know what surprise or breaking news he is referring to for our region. The only breaking news farmers want to hear right now is the price the government will pay for their groundnuts. Senegal has already announced their rates, but Gambian authorities remain silent. Do we not have an agriculture minister?” Njie questioned.
The PRO expressed frustration, stating that if the government intends to buy groundnuts at last year’s rates, it brings no benefit to the farmers.
“In fact, what does Barrow have to tell the people of North Bank? While he was in Mankamang Kunda, he accused people from North Bank of praying for road projects in Niumi to fail. Is he now in the region to mock us? Last year, many farmers were in tears because the government failed to pay them on time, yet those same farmers were threatened not to sell their groundnuts in Senegal. Is this not a sign of failure?” he lamented.
Njie highlighted the struggles of farmers, emphasizing that this year’s poor rainy season has hit them hard, particularly groundnut farmers. He criticized the president for not addressing the urgent needs of these farmers.
“They (farmers) have nothing to rely on apart from farming. Am I surprised? Not at all! This government has shown time and again that it doesn’t prioritize farmers. It’s clear they are more focused on enriching themselves at the expense of taxpayers.”
Njie also dismissed the president’s claims about infrastructural achievements, asserting that these projects are funded by donors and taxpayers, not by Barrow’s administration.
“Where is the Health Insurance Scheme they promised? Every day, lives are being lost in our hospitals. Just recently, UNICEF highlighted that the country’s healthcare system lacks a comprehensive mechanism to identify high-risk pregnancies. Why is no one addressing this? It’s because they don’t care about Gambians.
I want to urge the residents of the North Bank Region, particularly Niumi, to see the truth. Other regions are ready to bring about change and remove Barrow from power. Let us unite because Kombo has already made its decision. Come 2026, Barrow will be out of office,” he concluded.