“Blame Coalition Leaders Not 3 Years Jotna” Says OJ

Photo: OJ Jallow

By Ousman A. Marong

The former leader of the Peoples’ Progressive Party (PPP), Omar Amadou Jallow alias OJ has said that the Coalition leaders are to be blamed on the issue of 3 or 5 years mandate of President Adama Barrow.

According to him, Gambians should blame the coalition leaders and not  “3 Years Jotna” Movement.

“We (Coalition leaders) are to blame and not “3 Years Jotna movement. President Adama Barrow was not the architect of the Coalition in 2016. He (Barrow) was never part of the executive and has not attended a single meeting organized by the executive,” he remarked.

The veteran politician made these revelations on Taranga FM’s Current Affairs radio program anchored by Dr. Ismaila Sisay.

When asked about his thoughts on the arbitrary closure of the two radio stations namely Home Digital FM and King FM plus the clamping down on journalists, he responded: “the matter is at the court and me, therefore, want to limit myself on the issue”.

He added that many Gambians misunderstood his comments regarding the demolition of mosques in public places.

“Gambians misunderstood me. I never said neither did I encourage the demolition of mosques in public places. What I said was the sense in building mosques at government institutions when you have people praying for only one daily prayer and that is the Zuhr prayers,” he asserted.

According to him, the country’s late President Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara had never ordered the killing of any Gambian during the 1981 coup.

“Sir Dawda had never ordered the killing of any Gambian but it was Kukoi Samba Sanyang who contested and lost the National Assembly Election in Foni and decided to collide with the “Field Forces” in order to topple the democratically elected government of Sir Dawda,” he adduced.

Meanwhile, he urged Gambians to be law-abiding and adhere to the rule of law.