By: Adama Makasuba
Former minister of agriculture, Omar Amadou Jallow alias OJ has said that ex- President Yahya Jammeh had siphoned D800 million dalasi and bought Amis beach hotel in Bakau after overthrowing Jawara’s government in 1994.
OJ was speaking to his party supporters at Brikama Ba Sunday in Central River Region during a rally.
“Jammeh siphoned the money of PPP from Social Security and Housing Financial Corporation to build Amis Beach in Bakau for D400 million dalasi and again renovated the hotel for 400 million dalasi.
PPP was having Bus cooperative and he took the buses and used it for fundraising in Kanilai,” he said.
He blamed Jammeh for destroying the agricultural sector of the country, adding that during his tenure as minister of agriculture the country used to produce 230,000 tons of groundnuts yearly, noting that under Jammeh’s tenure Gambia was producing 35,000 tons of groundnuts per year.
“In 1993 Gambia was having 230,000 tons of groundnuts but after the coup production dropped to 35,000 tons of groundnuts. That shows how depreciating groundnut is in this country,” he said.
According to him, Gambia’s President Jawara was so merciful with Gambians especially the farming community and ‘in 1985 Jawara passed executive order that he had forgiven the D85 million dalasi loans farmers took during famine period in the country that is on record.’
Mr. Jallow, also lambasted Jammeh for claiming the title ‘Babili Mansa’ bridge builder as a false of him, saying that Jawara had builds many bridges in the country.
He added: “Sir Dawda Jawara was the one who constructed the Trans Gambia highway and constructed Denton Bridge, Pakaliba Bridge Brumang Bridge in Salaji then we should call him Babili Mansa too.”
