New revelations have emerged in the National People’s Party (NPP) secret registration of Farafenni residents, amid reports that the party’s political operatives had promised to acquire National Identity Cards (ID Cards) to its supporters for free of charge. The home of Tapha Dibba was used for the secret registration. Tapha Dibba is a former United Democratic Party (UDP) supporter, later turned APRC supporter. The last time, we checked, he used to work at the Farafenni hospital. He joined the APRC, when he couldn’t get the UDP’s backing to sponsor him to run as an MP for the party.
Alhagie Musa Joof, is also part of the NPP ID Card secret registration project. Joof is the former APRC Youth Coordinator.
The first meeting that was convened by the NPP was held at the Farafenni High School. The meeting was organized by Wassa Sowe.
Wassa Sowe is a former APRC Councilor. He is the main guy coordinating the Farafenni ID Card registration process.
Sowe had been working with Amadou Tijan Jallow, Tijan Sey and others to help “folks” who cannot afford the fee for an ID Card.
An ID Card costs D500 dalasis. D500 dalasis was given to each individual, who queued at the home of Tapha Dibba to acquire an ID Card.
The source of the money hasn’t been revealed.
But the GDC National President MC Cham said he was told that President Barrow has been the main sponsor for the ID Card project. Cham says such an activity cannot happened without the expressed approval of President Barrow. He is convinced that President Barrow is the one funding the ID Card project.
Gambians are going to the polls in 2021.
One having an ID Card would speed up his or her access to securing a Voter’s Card. ID Cards are issued on the following conditions: The applicant must produce a birth certificate, or an attestation from an Alkalo.
Papa Tunkara of The Gambia Democratic Congress Party couldn’t understand how the NPP supporters were out to undercut the work of the Immigration Department. He wants an end to such an illegal practice.
Both Tunkara and MC Cham have accused Wassa Sowe and his group of violating the national state of emergency regulation. For Cham, he thinks that the most appropriate thing, that the Inspector General of police Mamout Jobe, should have done, was to order for the arrest and prosecution of Wassa Sowe and his fellow NPP supporters.
Wassa Sowe and co haven’t been arrested. They have been going about their businesses.
UNITED DEMOCRATIC PARTY ID CARD SCANDAL?
According to NPP sources, the ID Card issue, came in the wake of a move that was made by Gambia’s law enforcement to clear a UDP supporter, one Fatou Faye, from criminal wrongdoing. Ms. Faye was interviewed by a panel that consist: State Intelligence Services (SIS), the police and Immigration after she was accused of helping UDP supporters to acquire ID Cards.
The panel had sat for three weeks. Among those interviewed was Fatou Faye and the Immigration DG.
The panel had concluded that Ms. Faye hasn’t broken any Gambian law. None of the people she assisted to secure ID Card were non-Gambians. They were Gambian nationals, mainly from other localities.
No charges were pressed against her.
The NPP being the byproduct of UDP, or copycat, then decided to embark on a similar ID Card issuance project, sources intimated.
“It was alleged that Mayor Rohey Lowe was behind Fatou Faye . That she allegedly gave her some money to her, to acquire ID Cards for the UDP supporters. This information couldn’t be independently confirmed. So, there was no evidence to that effect, to substantiate Rohey Lowe’s involvement in Ms. Faye’s ID Card case. The panel concluded that Ms. Faye hasn’t broken any law,” said our source close to the seat of power.
“Ms. Faye’s case was forwarded to the SIS by an official of the Defense Ministry. It was the Defense Ministry official, who raised the alarm bell on her. The SIS acted on the official’s message. She was called for questioning. The panel met the Immigration DG at his office, that’s where he was interviewed,” our source added.
GDC’S MC CHAM
Speaking to Freedom Radio Gambia’s Civic Education show on Thursday, the GDC National Youth President MC Cham, has called on political leaders in the country to condemn the illegal actions of Wassa Sowe and his NPP colleagues. Cham has accused President Barrow of trying to rig the 2021 elections.
“Elections are not rigged on election day. This is part of the NPP game plan to rig the upcoming polls. I am calling on other party leaders to join us to condemn such an illegality,” Cham remarked.
According to Cham, some GDC supporters were among those registered by Wassa Sowe and co. He says Barrow is so desperate to be reelected.
“Barrow would be lucky if he secures 5% in the coming election. No one wants him here. He is very unpopular. He is just wasting his money,” Cham added.
Cham is also concerned about non-Gambians being registered to vote in the coming polls. He says his party is going to write a protest letter to the police and the Independent Electoral Commission to draw their attention to Barrow’s move to steal the coming polls.
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