Ousainou
Darboe, the leader of the United Democratic Party has claimed that the
Fatoumatta Bah Foundation (FABB) is a replica of Zeinab Jammeh’s foundation.
Addressing a mass political rally in Bakau over the weekend, Darboe maintained that there’s no system change in the country for the fact that the FABB Foundation is operating exactly as that of Zeinab Jammeh’s foundation.
“The constitution doesn’t recognise any official role for a first lady,” he added.
A
UDP-led government, he said, will not have any office for a first lady. “Last
week, we saw the first lady receiving 50 tons of dates which she distributed to
the regional governors and chairpersons who should in turn distribute them to
people across the country.”
He
maintained that first lady didn’t have any official function in the country
apart from being the President’s wife. “What makes it worst is the fact that
many are claiming that it’s the FABB foundation that is giving out the dates,
and these dates is being brought for the government and should be distributed
to Gambians.”
He
went on to thank Gambians in the Diaspora for their unflinching support to the
United Democratic Party (UDP), adding that whoever wants to help the needy or
any hospital should go direct to the beneficiaries and support them but not
through a foundation.
“Instead
of the government implementing the objectives of the 2016 coalition, it’s only
focus on party politics, and that the regime has changed but there is no system
change.”
Darboe
indicated that a UDP-led government will compensate individuals whose lands are
confiscated, because he believes that everyone should be equal before the law.
A
report from the World Bank, he went on, indicated that it is hard to do
business in the country, saying the report has shown that The Gambia stands at
155 above only four countries, something he described as “a sign of failure for
the country.”
He
stated that people’s lands are taken without any compensation, something he
said, should not have happened.
He
promised that a UDP-led government will improve teacher’s condition; hence
things will not happen the way it is today, observing that building many
universities in the country doesn’t improve ‘our education’.
He
disclosed that the Minister of Higher Education, Research, Science and
Technology has revealed that there’re plans to transform GTTI into a University
of Science and Technology.
“We
should ask ourselves whether it is now the time to do that? We couldn’t even
regulate our only university because every time lecturers are going on strikes
because they are not paid on time and the condition of service is not
improved”.