Members
of ‘Tabital Pullaagu’ Gambia Association; a group of Gambian Fulas has denied
what he called claims by some people that their planned meeting with President
Barrow was politically motivated.
The
Association’s executive members said on Sunday, that those against their
meeting with the President are mainly members from the Gambia Democratic
Congress (GDC) and hold positions in the party, saying the membership of the
association have nothing against their meeting with the President.
Public
Relations Officer Alieu Saja Jallow said only few people are against their move
to meet with the President and those are all affiliated to GDC, naming some of
them as Alagie Jallow Jawo – an adviser to GDC, Modou Bah also from GDC
responsible for logistics, Alieu Jamanka – a GDC chairman in Banjul, Sara Jawo
– a chairman of GDC in Jimara, Alagie Sowe – a national assembly member for
GDC, Omar Bah – an organizer to GDC in Badibou area, Sutura Jallow an adviser
to both GDC and ‘Tabital Pullaagu” and Abdou Bah, both advisers to the
association and GDC.
He
added that both Sutura Jallow and Abdou Bah, from Youna village have received
motor bikes from the GDC party. “The President has not invited us to a meeting.
We wrote to the President requesting to meet him. The President has not
requested to meet 3000 Fulas as claimed,” he said.
Kassum
Jallow, assistant secretary-general said their meeting with President Barrow
has no link with politics, saying their executive came to being after a
national congress sometime in February 2019, wherein delegates came from
different parts of the country and was overseen by the Independent Electoral
Commission (IEC) oversee the elections.
He
said the association was registered and has been in existence even before
President Adama Barrow was elected into office.
“The rumour that President Adama Barrow requested us to mobilise 3000
Fulas to a meeting at the State House is not true. We requested to meet President
Barrow and he has never written or requested to meet us,” Jallow averred.
He
said “Tabital Pullaagu” cannot be a political party and they have no political
agenda, stressing that their mission and vision is to promote the welfare of
our membership.
Alagie
Seedy Dem, President of the association said he requested to meet the President
to discuss with him the challenges that his people are facing with so that he
can support them.
He
said he did discussed politics with the President but he never mentioned
anything related to politics to him. He said their discussion was centered on
their association on what they are facing. “He is our President and we have all
rights to meet him to tell him our problems,” Dem said.
Mr
Dem called on the people planning to disrupt the unity of the members of the association
to cease because the unity of their membership is strong. “We were elected in a
national congress in February 2019 to serve our people and that is what our
executive will continue to do,” Dem concluded.
