By: Nyima Sillah
Three lawmakers have spoken against the Meet ThePeople Tour barely three days before President Adama Barrow embarks upon the mandatory annual tour.
The Gambian leader is on Monday expected to begin a whole-nation tour but NAM Yahya MentengSanyang described the tour as a waste of public resources whilst Musa Cham sees it as a political jamboree and Kebba Toumanding Sanneh advised the President to cancel it.
“President Barrow’s Meet The People Tour is a waste of state resources, abuse, and enslavement of the civil and public servants, who follow him during the tour. His tour lacks concrete plans or solutions,” NAM Yaya Menteng Sanyang told The Voice when contacted on Thursday.
He stated that the President’s tour is more of a listening exercise than providing solutions to the problems Gambians are facing, especially the farmers. He arguedthat this can leave many people feeling frustrated and disappointed.
NAM Sanyang opined that Gambians are now used to “the irrelevance” of the engagement, adding the President and supporters are using the tour to boost their popularity and to gain an advantage in the upcoming presidential elections.
“This is making it difficult for people to trust that the President’s visits are genuinely about helping them. If they utilize this adequately, the Meet-The-People Tour can still be a valuable tool for connecting with the public and building trust,” he remarked.
The Latrikunda Sabiji NAM advised the President to be realistic about what he can accomplish, follow up on his promises, and avoid using the tour for political gain.
“As the tour is to meet the people to generate first-hand information about their needs and aspirations, the fundamental question is since the tour started during Jammeh’s era, have the basic needs of the people been answered?” he stated.
When contacted, the NAM for Serekunda, Musa Cham,opined: “The tour is merely a fanfare, which in its nature is a political platform.”
The Foni Jarrol NAM Kebba Toumanding Sanneh saidthat President Barrow will be confronted with many challenges, considering the country’s economic situation coupled with other “burning issues”.
“My advice to the President would be to suspend this year’s tour as the country faces economic challenges and focus more on the achievement of the National Development Plan,” NAM Sanneh advised the President.
