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By Omar Bah
The chairman, URR chapter of the United Democratic Party, has claimed that President Adama Barrow had offered him two million dalasi to join the National People’s Party, NPP.
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Alhaji Nfamara Jabbi, a native of Alumhareh, is widely described as a man of few words.
Addressing a gathering of touring UDP grassroots mobilsation team, Mr Jabbi claimed that one Saturday as he was returning from a funeral in Kolari, he met the president’s convoy near the Governor’s junction in Mansajang. “I pulled over and waited until the convoy passed before continuing my journey home. But a few hours later, around 10 in the night, President Barrow called me and asked me to go and meet him immediately in Mankamang Kunda but I told him it was too late. He insisted that I should try and go meet him,” Jabbi told UDP supporters.
He said when he arrived, Barrow told him that he knew the UDP had given him a brand-new pickup but he was ready to give him a better offer.
“He then told me he was going to give me D2 million, a brand-new pickup and a diplomatic passport because he knew I have a lot of people following me and joining him will increase his chances. But I told him to give me three days to talk to the seven administrative areas in Basse because going to him alone without my followers will not be useful for him. So, I told him if I would leave the UDP, I would have to leave with those behind me. But you know Barrow is not smart, he keeps sleeping – since then they have been calling me,” Jabbi said.
He further alleged that Barrow is still sending elders to convince him to join the NPP.
“But I have made it emphatically clear to them that I am not going to give my vote to Barrow or convince anyone to join him,” he said. Jabbi said it is not correct to conclude that all the Serahuleh communities are now supporting Barrow in the area.
The Standard contacted NPP strongman, Dou Sanno on the allegations, who said he was shocked by the comments. He said Jabbi’s claims are cheap and impossible. “I cannot imagine what importance or influence Mr Jabbi has in the URR that would prompt President Barrow to personally call him to answer to him. As far as I know, Mr Jabbi is not even important in his own Alumhareh village where the Alkalo and Imam are already Barrow supporters. True, Jabbi had been a UDP supporter and must have helped the party in one way or the other but he is not anywhere near the importance he is flattering himself with. His claims are not true and if he is wiser, he would take the advice of UDP leader Ousainu Darboe who had only recently released an audio urging his supporters to refrain from making unfounded allegations and other idle talks,” Dou Sanno, himself from URR, said. Sanno said he wondered how President Barrow would sideline his loyal and important chairmen, Yai Kompins and die-hard supporters to give D2M to Jabbi. “It just doesn’t make sense,” he added.
According to Mr Sanno, Jabbi himself only came to become a UDP chairman after the party fell out with the former chairman Bobou Drammeh, who he said is in fact still more influential than Jabbi. “I am surprised that Mr Jabbi, who was a dumb chairman would suddenly start talking disastrously false statements,” Mr Sanno concluded.
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