#Article (Archive)

APRC deputy spokesperson jibes TRRC

Nov 25, 2019, 2:07 PM | Article By: Momodou Jawo

Dodou Jah, the deputy spokesperson of the APRC has taken a jibe on the Truth Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC), arguing that its establishment was a waste of resources.

“I can tell you that 90% of the witnesses that appeared before the commission are not speaking the truth. We have all the evidence and we will soon reveal it to Gambians,” he said.

Mr. Jah was speaking on Saturday during the APRC mega really in Abuko which attracted thousands of party supporters.

The TRRC was established by the Barrow government to investigate the atrocities committed during the Jammeh regime in order to reconcile Gambians.

Since its establishment, several witnesses have mentioned the name of former President Jammeh for ordering the killings of so many Gambians including some West African migrants.

Mr. Jah, however, labelled TRRC’s establishment as a waste of resources, saying the purpose of establishing the commission was to see that APRC doesn’t have a support base. “But whenever we meet, the turnout always increases and that tells us that TRRC is a waste of resources.”

He argued that all the testimonies at TRRC are mere allegations and that the individuals should also be given the chance to say their story. “It is only in The Gambia that you allege someone of something and people say it’s true.”

He said Barrow can’t win elections in this country because he is seeing things and he’s nothing saying anything.

Yankuba Colley, the former mayor of KMC urged the supporters of the former ruling party to acquire national documents.

If all the supporters have their voters’ cards and vote for the APRC, he said, then they will be declared winners in the 2021 Presidential Election. He claimed that some of their supporters always find it difficult in getting national documents.

“I just want to inform you that if you go to acquire our national documents at The Gambia Immigration Department and you are denied, go and report the matter to their lawmakers or their ward councilors. They have no right to stop you as a Gambians from getting your national documents.”

“You as an immigration officer and you are born in Banjul and I’m born in Koina and my alkalo in Koina attest to the fact that I’m born in the village, then I come with the document to acquire ID card and you start asking me some unnecessary questions.”

The former KMC mayor said that APRC is not a party to Operation 3 Years Jotna. “We will not trouble anybody but when we are pushed to the wall. Whoever troubles us, we will react to the individual. We are happy for our supporters for always maintaining discipline.”

He said the former ruling party has brought unprecedented development to the country, citing the Laminko-Passamas Road among others.

Mr. Colley also urged journalists to be fair in executing their duty. He said some journalists are claiming that bad media laws in the country were brought by the APRC government, arguing that if that was the case, the new government should have repealed them, but had instead repealed only the age limit to suit vice president’s political expediency.

Former KMC mayor continued that despite all the allegations levelled against the APRC, it was the former regime that transformed the country to where it’s today.