Former foreign minister and Gambian ambassador to Dakar, Sidi Sanneh , has adopted a strident tone in his criticism of the coalition government led by Adama Barrow.
Until recently, Sidi Sanneh had been one of the most ardent supporters of the coalition , despite initial expression of misgivings about the competence of the man who is now the president of the tiniest country in mainland Africa.
Sidi Sanneh recently spent some time in the Senegalese capital in the lead up to and aftermath of the fall of Jammeh regime. Since his return to his base in the United States, his writings on social media have been tinged with bitter disappointment .This has excited feverish speculation as to what might have gone awry during his visit that left him less enamored of the politicians behind whom he once threw his gargantuan political weight.
"It is going to be a challenge covering the Barrow administration. It is one misstep after another", Sidi wrote on his Facebook page.
A recent posting offers a more concrete clue on Sanneh's impressions of the new government ,which supplants Jammeh's 22 years of unremitting tyranny ,when he wrote:
"I pulled down a posting yesterday critical of president Barrow because of what president Barrow's photographer named Alhagie Manka posted as the official response to a photo of the president holding a wad of cash ready to be handed over to someone.
No sooner than Mr. Manka posted the now infamous photo than a wave of criticism descended like torrential rains on Team Barrow. Evidently panicked, the photographer took to his Facebook page to concoct what now appears to be lie to cover up for president Barrow, thinking he was serving his boss's interest when he was betraying his trust and that of his country".
Concluding, Sidi said: "President Barrow must start cracking the whip to show that he has what it takes to lead",.
A close observer of The Gambia's political scene, who declined to be named, speculated:
" Sidi Sanneh was in Dakar to lobby for position in the new government, but he was unsuccessful. He was flip flopping at the outset and seemed to be supporting Mama Kandeh instead of Adama Barrow".
Contacted on his phone to shed light on reports of his allegedly abortive attempt to land a plum job with the new government, a clearly exasperated Sidi Sanneh retorted:
" You cannot expect me to respond to you because you are accusing me. Instead of asking me you are accusing me and you call yourself a journalist. Do you know me? I am 70. I am retired, I don't need a job".
Mr Sanneh was informed that the report doesn't necessarily reflect the view of the writer, hence the effort to get his side of the story . But he seemed determined to duck and dive the issue declaring he felt "insulted".
No comments:
Post a Comment