The
former coordinator of the West African Agricultural Production and Productivity
Programme (WAAPP), Sheikh Tijan Sossseh, has congratulated President Adama
Barrow on his “sound victory” in the recent presidential election of The
Gambia.
Mr
Sosseh said his employment with the agricultural project was “illegally
terminated” by the former government almost four years ago and has not been
working since then.
“I
was dismissed without pay after serving the nation for twenty two years,” he
said. “After dismissing me, the former
regime took me to court for charges they could not even substantiate.”
According
to Mr Sosseh, the government was not happy with him because he returned
US$60,000 to the funders of the project, World Bank. The money was left after the implementation
of US$7.5 million on the project.
He
said he returned the US$60,000 because it was part of the project agreement
with the World Bank that at the end of the project, any money that is not spent
should be returned.
“When
I returned it, the donors brought US$12 million for a one-year project plus an
additional US$3.85 million, making it more than US$15 million,” he said. “If that US$60,000 was not returned, The
Gambia would have lost US$15.85 million.”
Mr
Sosseh said he had “successfully implemented” three agricultural projects “in
the best interest of the Gambian farmers”.
He
said despite been illegally fired, he has the willingness and committed to work
with the new government to boost agricultural production and productivity in
The Gambia.
The
former WAAPP coordinator said though the former president, Yahya Jammeh, is
gone, there is still much to be done to correct his legacy in the agricultural
sector and other sectors as well.
“There
is still some tasks ahead as the new regime most ensure that there is total
cleansing; they most clean the system,” he said. “The agricultural sector needs to be ramped;
there is a need for total cleansing of the sector.”
Mr
Sosseh applauded the new minister of agriculture, Omar Jallow, saying he had
been doing very well in the same position during the first republic of The
Gambia.
“I
am confident and hopeful that he will be able to revamp the sector again,” he
said.