Why Is President Barrow Described “As The Most Mocked & Criticized President” By Critics, Enemies, & Political opponents?

Alagi Yorro Jallow.
Fatoumatta: Does President Adama Barrow sleep at night? Does he not have nightmares? Does he not wake up at midnight, sweating and screaming? I have had to wonder at times – given the groundswell of opposition against him. Daily, the opposition and so-called activists keep landing body blows on him—opposition from within and without. If I were President Barrow, I would feel intimidated. He is described as the most criticized President in Gambian history. I do not know about that. We are in the age of social media where citizens’ messages are neither censored nor limited by time and space; the loudness and speed of travel of their voice is electronically accelerated and amplified, unlike in the past when citizens simply gathered around vendors’ stands to analyze and criticize their leaders.
With or without social media, however, leaders are generally criticized. President Yahya Jammeh faced mammoth opposition during his reign from 1994-2016, particularly following his frequent human rights violations and his style of kleptocratic rule. He often came under heavy political bombardment and personal insults. Today, Adama Barrow is a subject of ridicule over his second term bid, passive behavior of not fighting corruption, and policy reversals without severe institutional reforms and restructuring. He had started his government on a controversial note, donating vehicles to members of the national assembly without due process, defeating the principles and spirits of separation of powers. He never recovered from the Public Relations disaster, particularly donation emanating from a faceless donor.
Fatoumatta: The vitriolic attacks of Boybairaay and Babajalinding’s ugly campaign rhetoric levied an extended criticism of President Adama Barrow turns into the attack dog against the President. It is so venomous, so deeply demeaning of its origin that one finds it shocking to imagine the level of hatred contained in the source’s “poison” pouch, which seems reserved strictly for Barrow.
One cannot help but wonder why the folk’s persistent and unrelenting criticisms of anything remotely close to or far-flung from, so long as it is associated with the President. Also, one is left curious to know when Barrow and some of his critic’s paths crossed and what might have transpired between them to initiate such blind and ferocious literary onslaughts from the latter onto the former?
These conspiracy theorists say it might probably be because having reached the pinnacle of their careers, that is, becoming educated in one of the universities in the United States or Europe and joining the third liberation struggle, they believe they deserve much more respect from any other country Gambian government thenceforth. Thus, a better recognition from the current administration through an appointment or two would not be out of place, rather than them being snubbed like a nonentity, a nobody. Thus their fury, anger, and annoyance boil down to being ignored like an ordinary citizen, which they think themselves not.
Inferiority complex on the one hand, thus they detest and envy for Barrow, a “Mandinka – Sarahule-Fulani” extract from an ethnic majority they might wish to have come from but can never. Moreover, a superiority complex, on the other hand, due to their high level of academic qualifications and career status, influencing them to regard everyone lowly and “simpletons” as they recently described Barrow followers.
Whatever the reasons might be, many find the haters a little bit too harsh in their scathing attacks of almost every policy and approach to government governance under President Barrow’s leadership.
Fatoumatta: I, being not a staunch supporter but an admirer of Barrow, have never actually bothered about their criticisms, despite issuing a warning on social media and whoever, albeit jokingly, for them to beware of their tongues where and when the President is concerned. I was of the sincere belief that whatever might be making his critics act with such inattentive abandon must be personal. So they are entitled to their opinions, whether wrong or right and are free to spew their guts or fart aloud once in a while as a concerned citizen, most especially on national issues.
Moreover, I found it necessary to respect them because of their lofty academic status, as I did some years back, even before they became social media analysts. However, subject to their recent temperament, it is sad to note that clearly, they have allowed something, I do not know what, to have taken over their sense of decorum, lose control over their emotions, peaked their bias and sentiments, and even misappropriate their intellectuality.
When things like that happen, and it can happen to anyone, literate or illiterate, a genius or a simpleton, urban or suburban, one can only sympathize with the unfortunate persons over their despicable predicaments. However, that is the primary reason I chose to understand some of them who often seem to be hell-bent on dancing naked in the marketplace, despite calls by those who care for them not to do that.
Moreover, their trademark derogatory remarks I was soon to learn were not limited only to the greats and mighty in society, in their insatiable quest for attention, but that even ordinary social media users were not spared. From their track records of the use of abuses, which are not limited to the likes of Adama Barrow alone, since some of them and many others are once in a while given a dose of their public stripper of a mind.
Fatoumatta: Moreover, because of his high level of intolerance for any they deem beneath him in his suppressive thinking, many of their e-friends get to be “Blocked” at the slightest expression of opinions. They find contrary to what he holds, even if facts and figures as evidence are tendered to that effect. This attitude has made many wonders why someone who relishes criticizing others would lack the patience to swallow some of their own medicine. It has unfortunately earned them a very stinking reputation and such distasteful reputation on one hand “Haters and Liars.”
However, like people possessed by a mean, heartless and envious jinn, the men of English grammar seems to have gone beyond the frustrations they are registering from the outcome of their ranting and writings and is beginning to extend their network of unguarded utterances, callous disrespect, and disregard which are meant to hurt feelings of ordinary people with equal fundamental human rights, just like them, most for committing no offense whatsoever except exercising their freedom of expression and association.
Boybairaay and Baba Jalinding their “mad dogs” of words unleashed afore times to desecrate the person of Adama Barrow and Office of The President of the Republic of the Gambia, having yielded not the desired results and impact their master would have wished for, has necessitated a change in approach from them to this self-imposed vengeful saga. From their latest outburst, the need for them to include in the attacks of Adama Barrow’s personality, his Gambianess, the Barrow loyalist, has become imperative, thereby taking an entirely new dimension.
I do not fret about being called names. Haters and Wailers do that to Adama Barrow all the time. Such uncivil behavior serves as sharks in his tank. However, we are becoming better. The country is fast regaining its confidence and credibility, among other stabilizing qualities, because of yelping and barking.
Words of Boybairaay and Baba Jalinding arrogantly hauled to register their aggravation with citizens of the Gambia, who support and revere Adama Barrow fell flat at their feet. That is where they belong, for the primary reason that their price and value carry no weight, being useless and worthless. I was in any form of clash or opposition with the man’s patriotic cause for this nation. Again we are doing this out of our own free will, free from any compulsion or inducement. He might not even know we exist, nor do we want him to know. This we are doing for the love of our nation. Those who walked with Adama Barrow through the rough, tricky kinds of stuff that are unbearable to most in bringing back the Gambia’s lost glory, yet we survived the daunting sojourn. Moreover, like other nations that saw the depth of recession’s valley, we hope to see the peak of the Gambia’s rebirth and its repositioning among the world’s leading countries.
The man Adama Barrow for me, for us, is hope for a better future. Not just for our progenies and us, but for this one-of-a-kind blessed and well-endowed country. It is a nation of almost 2 million, hated by many from both within and without it, yet it keeps growing by the day, against all odds. I do not wish to be among its betrayers if I can not help uplift it to greater heights. Thus aligning with Adama Barrow in this quest is a lifetime opportunity, no sane and sound mind should miss. “He is our own “Moses” and such other great men.
Fatoumatta: Now since they know not what or who faithful Adama Barrow supporters are, which shows clearly from how unfortunate and regrettable they always take on people are, I would seek the reader’s indulgence to give the “educated” dons a proper introduction of who we are and what we stand: However, I have no way of comparing the enormity of what president Adama Barrow is facing today with what was obtained in the past. Every man thinks his burden is the heaviest, in the words of Robert Nesta Marley. One thing I know, though, is that the opponents of President Barrow are robust, well-organized, and resolute. They are political heavyweights and so-called intellectuals. Most of them were from his baptismal political family, the United Democratic Party (UDP), and from his estranged Godfather as well from unsuccessful job seekers calling themselves activists, pundits, and journalists. This is no joke. They are coming at him from different directions. Adama Barrow’s government leaked confidential documents on social media seems to be the giant missile so far, coming days after leaked documents of some monumental allegation of corruption.
Fatoumatta: There is also more infighting in his government and in the opposition, which has seen to the exit some members of his coalition partners and conspicuously of his cabinet ministers, including his Godfather Abubacarr Darboe his Foreign Minister and Vice president. Recently alliances formed with the former ruling party APRC which he dethroned, indicate some fence-mending maneuvers. The depletion of the UDP is further worsened by the fact that Adama Barrow’s estranged Godfather Abubacarr Darboe, leader of the main opposition, is fighting hard to give him “home” embarrassment in the coming December 4, 2021, presidential election, while the Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC) and the National People’s Party (NPP) Grand Coalition, which should ordinarily be safe for Adama Barrow, is now in the under the instruction of, a powerful grand coalition. Recently President Barrow is definitely under pressure from every corner.
However, how did the opposition become so formidable? I think it is a combination of a good game plan and a convergence of interests. That is, “the enemy of my enemy is my friend.” From my observations, there are at least three broad interests that have come together against Adama Barrow, with his former Godfather Abubacarr Darboe and his UDP is now fronting a move to sack Barrow from number One Marina Parade on December 4, 2021, perhaps to atone for the Yahya Jammeh misadventure. Some senior members of the 2016 coalition partners worked for Adama Barrow in the 2016 presidential elections. What went wrong between them? I do not know. However, they are more influential than many people are ready to give them credit for. By far, his biggest weapon, in my opinion, is the UDP – which Adama Barrow elevated to a powerful bloc during his first two years in office, empowering the UDP through funding and patronage, and others served as a mole in his government. Working behind the scene through joining his government the last two years, Abucacarr Darboe has created a political crisis of mammoth proportions for Adama Barrow. Also, when eight UDP national assembly members walked out of the UDP, showing loyalty to Barrow and supporting his agenda, Darboe’s political associate led and formed Adama Barrow’s political party. Those who think Adama Barrow relied solely on his father’s machinery must have realized by now that he has come of age. He is reticent but lethal.
Fatoumatta: In an improbable scenario, Adama Barrow and Abubacarr Darboe are technically in the same corner. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Adama Barrow’s opponents are very organized. They have the media on their side – which is a critical factor in our politics. You have to give the opposition credit for that. I honestly would like to know what is happening in Adama Barrow’s mind right now in this super heavyweight political boxing. Will he raise his hands and surrender rather than wait to be knocked out on December 4? Roberto Duran famously walked away in Round 8 of his welterweight fight with Sugar Ray Leonard in 1980, saying “No mas” (“No more”) as Leonard pummelled him mercilessly.
Or is Adama Barrow adopting Muhammed Ali’s rope-a-dope style, leaning on the rope, pretending to be on the verge of surrender, only to bounce back with ferocious punches – using the same rope as a spring? The Adama Barrow I see on television and social media does not look like a punch-drunk and is about to throw in the towel. If anything, he seems to be keeping his cards close to his chest. That is why despite the massing of anti-Adama Barrow figures in UDP’s corner, I think it is too early to count him out. I will certainly not proclaim his political demise yet. To start with, his opponents have given him a whole five years to get ready for them. Furthermore, weeks, they say, is a long time in politics.
However, I can say categorically that his opponents are currently losing on points. Furthermore, I do not envy them at all… While the grand coalition of the APRC and NPP is precisely a political earthquake (many believed he was a paper tiger), it is disturbing that we may not have seen the last of him yet. President Barrow curiously promised that he would give Abubacarr Darboe political retirement on December 4 – and many are left wondering what that could be. Some have suggested that he could be. Darboe is a very successful lawyer, no doubt, and he could well be, for goodness sake, that should not be time for him to rest!
Enthusiasm about a strong opposition party has been tempered lately as the opposition continues to battle internal divisions. I am not surprised. I have been saying for ages that most Gambian politicians are all the same, and there is no difference between one party and the other. Whatever the case may be, however, I believe we still need a strong opposition party.
Fatoumatta: I can see that an overwhelming majority of Gambians are very excited by the Yahya Jammeh anti-homosexuality law upheld by President Barrow. The consensus is that homosexuality is against our “religious beliefs” and should be criminalized. As a Muslim, I reject homosexuality because the holy Quran is clearly against it. However, I do not consider myself better than any gay person simply because of my sexuality. Meanwhile, the sacred Quran prescribes the same punishment for homosexuality, fornication, adultery, lying, lust, looting, wickedness in high places, etc. When are we going to enact a law against adultery?
Fatoumatta: When I read Boybairaay and Babajalinding swipe at Adama Barrow and his followers, it saddened me much to confirm their reserved position among the Wailers and Haters of a man of honor, integrity, and dignity. I see Boybairaay and Baba jalinding their image, lofty among those who wish for our dear country the Gambia and its road to economic recovery, to describe it in one single and straightforward word, ill. What a disappointment from people with such potential to be lost to the flood, just like Noah’s son of biblical narrations.
However, then looking again at their vomit about Barrow’s loyalists, it occurred to me that they ought to be excused due to their ignorance, and genuinely so too. Forget the fact that they are educated, people. You see, there is this beautiful saying, “We are all ignorant. It all depends on the subject matter”, experts as some of us might be in one field or another. Fatoumatta: They might be knowledgeable in media, economics, law, and public policy. However, when it comes to optics, embryology, facial makeup, they are as good as a novice or even a stack illiterate.