Amadou Sanneh’s recent remarks in The Standard newspaper, in which he seeks to portray His Excellency President Adama Barrow as a political disappointment, are not only misleading but deeply hypocritical coming from someone whose own tenure in public office was marked by serious ethical and governance concerns.
Mr Sanneh and several senior UDP officials were rescued from criminal prosecution after the change of government in 2017 and were entrusted with ministerial positions in good faith, with the hope that they would help rebuild and rescue The Gambia. Sadly, many of them instead betrayed both President Barrow and the Gambian people through conduct that fell far short of the standards expected in public office.
In 2018, while serving as Minister of Finance and being responsible for government financial administration, Mr Sanneh presided over one of the most glaring conflicts of interest in recent history. He awarded a government audit contract to an audit firm registered in his own name without a transparent tendering process, in clear violation of public finance regulations. His own company was paid to audit government accounts. The resulting audit report was rejected by the World Bank, the IMF, and other development partners due to the obvious conflict of interest. A new audit firm had to be engaged to redo the work, costing the country both credibility and resources. To date, the funds paid to Mr Sanneh’s firm for that rejected audit have not been refunded, a matter that remains unresolved.
This is only one among several dubious contracts and questionable decisions that characterized his tenure as Finance Minister.
Furthermore, the UDP leadership itself has serious unanswered questions to address. Former Vice President Ousainou Darboe admitted before the National Assembly that funds meant for flood victims in Kaur and surrounding communities were deposited into his personal account. To this day, many of those victims are still waiting for the assistance meant for them. This constitutes a clear betrayal of public trust.
Equally troubling are concerns surrounding Mr Darboe’s possession of two diplomatic passports bearing different names during his tenure as Foreign Minister—an issue that would be considered a serious offense in any country governed by the rule of law.
Against this background, it is ironic and disingenuous for Mr Sanneh to accuse President Adama Barrow of the very failures and misconduct that defined the UDP’s period in government between 2017 and 2019. President Barrow has consistently demonstrated honesty, caution, and responsibility in the management of state affairs—qualities that stand in sharp contrast to the record of those now attempting to rewrite history.
When Mr Sanneh likens President Barrow to a wayward “child” of the UDP, he conveniently ignores one crucial fact: President Barrow chose the Gambian people over party loyalty. He refused to be complicit in corruption, conflicts of interest, and the abuse of public trust. That principled decision—not any so-called “unexpected attitude”—is what truly unsettled the UDP leadership.
The Gambian people are discerning. Facts remain facts, records remain records, and political revisionism will not erase the truth.
Written by:
Yaya Dampha
NPP Diaspora Coordinator – Sweden
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