#National News

 ‘We have not seen what politics of patronage has done to eradicate poverty’

Apr 12, 2023, 11:37 AM | Article By: Bator Ceesay & Ali Jaw

Veteran politician Halifah Sallah has disclosed that the People’s Democratic Organisation for Independence and Socialism (PDOIS) will never switch to politics of patronage, saying as a party they’ve not seen what the latter has done to eradicate poverty.

Sallah was speaking at a recent presser convened by PDOIS at its Churchill’s Town bureau. 

“What we can say to the Gambian population is that as a party, we have never been given the authority to decide. Then don’t ask us about development.” he said.

He added; “Don’t tell us others before they come to power, they were showing what they can do by building boreholes, based on the charity they’ve received from someone, putting something there, which they received, or maybe from state fund.” 

Sallah reminded that those who continue to claim that the reason why PDOIS is not entrusted with the responsibility is because the party has refused to change its politics.

He continued; “We have not seen what politics of patronage has done to eradicate poverty among people. Challenge me by showing me a single politician who on daily basis gives D100 to 100 people for a month. Hundred dalasi to hundred people on daily basis and in a month; we are talking about three-hundred thousand dalasi.” 

The PDOIS leader noted it is high time people dismiss misconception in their minds, or else with these misconceptions in their heads they would continue to wallow in ignorance. 

This, he said, would eventually lead people to achieving nothing from cradle to the grave or simply for one to be born, live and die in poverty.

“PDOIS is engaged on a journey towards what we want Gambia to be tomorrow; a country where people are sovereign; where the wealth that we own will come back to us and free us from poverty. A country where the people we elect will make laws to free us from injustice and to ensure that education comes back to the people to help in ending ignorance that has been put as our burden in our country from the First Republic till now.” he said.