#Headlines

Darboe to cut gov’t spending by D80M if elected

Apr 13, 2021, 11:50 AM | Article By: Yusupha Jobe

The secretary general and leader for the United Democratic Party (UDP) has described the D80 million spent on other “peripheral” things as wasteful spending by President Adama Barrow administration, saying his government would divert this amount into the health sector.

Lawyer Ousainou Darboe made these remarks over the weekend at a gathering as the country is being hit by spate of criminal activities including killings and drug trafficking.

He added that the unnecessary budgetary spending of the current government will not be allowed by the UDP leadership. He cited that some other financial spending by the Barrow administration is unnecessary, stressing that the D80 million unnecessary budgetary spending by the government will be taken into other useful sector such as the purchase of drugs for hospitals.

“We have seen how other unnecessary spending is being carried out by the Barrow government. The needless spending of 80 million dalasi by the current government into useless sectors will never be allowed by my government. It is very disheartening to hear that hospitals do even lack gloves for nurses and doctors and the high rate of death during delivery in our health care system.”

He urged Gambians to rescue their country from President Adama Barrow’s leadership amid increase in drug trafficking and murder cases.

“The Gambia is becoming the transit point for drug trafficking. And why will we have containers loaded with drugs shipped into the country? If any country is seen as a transit point for drug trafficking, crime rate and other illegal activities will continue to persist.

“So it is high time the country is rescued from individuals who do not care about the security of their own people and give it to a government that will not allow the country to be used as transit point for drug and gun trafficking including illicit criminal activities.”

“We have seen how guns were illegally imported into the country and till today, no proper explanation has been made by the government. This country will not be used as drug transit point and other criminal activities under the United Democratic Party’s leadership; it will be protected from that,” Darboe assured.    

“What a country are we living in? Even school children find it difficult to arrive early in schools for classes and buses were given by the Turkey’s government for school children. So are those buses meant for our children?,” he queried.