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| Omar Jallow (OJ) at last year's political rally |
In rallying the troops, he reminded his audience, 90% of whom were made up of young people, according to his assessment of the crowd, the role Kombo constituencies played, including the Kombo North town of Sukuta, in the formation of the PPP.
By invoking the names of Famara Wassa Touray, Sanjally Bojang among other prominent founders of the PPP and citing sons and daughters of Kombo who were PPP ministers and parliamentarians the Serrekunda politician was sending a subtle reminder to the old guard to return to the PPP fold.
A stinging barrage of verbal assault was unleashed on the Gambian dictator by OJ who characterized Jammeh as the "most prolific thief in the entire African continent." Jammeh's corruption was highlighted by comparing his numerous assets he's accumulated in his 22 years of dictatorship to Jawara four compounds, all of which were purchased with the aid of bank loans.
Jammeh's exploitative behavior towards the poverty-ridden rural population who are forced to "volunteer" to work on Jammeh's fields instead tending their own farms during the farming season came under attack from the fiery Serrekunda politician.
Jammeh's hypocrisy was not spared either by OJ who reminded his audience that all of Jammeh's children were born in the United States while touting his regime's success in improving Gambia's healthcare services. By contrast, all of the former Gambian president's children and those of his ministers, including OJ's own were born and high school educated in The Gambia, using the health and school facilities built for all Gambians. In the eyes of OJ, Jammeh is not only a prolific thief but a hypocrite and a consummate lair as well.
Gambian youths fleeing the economic hardships through the Mediterranean route resulting from ineffective and inappropriate policies with catastrophic results. Gambian youths have drown in the treacherous journey in disproportionate numbers. An opposition-led successor government will revitalize the economy, create jobs for the youth to stem the tide of the out-migration of our youth who are currently unemployed and under-employed due to the failed policies of the Jammeh regime.
Yaya Jammeh also came under attack for his ill-conceived idea of creating an Islamic Republic in a country that has been a secular state and home to Muslims, Christians and animists alike who have lived harmoniously. Injecting religion in an otherwise secular state is inviting discord seen in Sudan and Central African Republic.
Appealing to the opposition parties, OJ implored the UDP, NRP, PDOIS, GMC, GPDP and all others to join forces and present a single leader under a single banner to contest the presidential elections in 2016 because a single opposition party cannot unseat the dictator.
Former APRC parliamentarian and current Independent Member of the National Assembly for Kombo Central, Hon. Buba Ayi Sanneh of Brikama attended the meeting and so did representative of the late Sheriff Dibba's National Convention Party.
OJ used the occasion to remind the partisan crowd that the NCP was a breakaway faction of the PPP whose late leader served as Vice President, Minister of Finance, Economic Planning and Local Government and Lands in a PPP-led government which is seen as another subtle reminder of the need for all parties to close ranks and fight the scourge that is Yaya Jamus Junkung Jammeh.
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