Reply to thread

Message: [QUOTE="Nehanda, post: 30020, member: 2262"] The Gambian government keeps buying fancy stuff as regular people struggle to pay bills. Teachers, nurses, police officers, and office workers can barely afford food. Hospitals lack medicine. Schools fall apart. Yet, President Barrow and his NPP Kereng Kaffo team spend money on themselves instead of helping citizens. They promised to serve the public, but their actions tell a different story. Look at what they bought - expensive SUVs for the OIC Summit at D12 million each. They claimed these cars were needed for important visitors. But many Gambians walk miles to find healthcare because ambulances don't exist in their areas. Public transportation barely works, yet officials ride around in luxury vehicles that cost more than most people earn in years. President Barrow spent over D50 million on his national tour. That amount could pay 1,000 teachers for a full year or buy essential medicine for every major hospital. Instead, he used tax money for flashy events, big car parades, branded items, and political rallies. All this happened while nurses and police officers ate one meal daily because their pay couldn't stretch further. The 2025 independence celebration cost more than D100 million. This cash could have built 10 health centers in villages or sent 5,000 students to school on scholarships. Families across The Gambia skip eating to afford school fees. Women die giving birth because clinics lack basic equipment. The question remains - what exactly did we celebrate with that money? The salary gap shows the real problem. Teachers make less than D7,000 monthly, and police officers risk death for under D6,000 per month. But the president and ministers pocket over D200,000 monthly—that's 40 times more than what a nurse earns. Even the drivers who take officials around earn a tiny fraction of what their passengers make. This breaks the promise of a "New Gambia" after we escaped dictatorship. The vehicles in President Barrow's convoy cost more than D240 million, not to mention fuel costs. These funds should help schools, hospitals and create jobs for young people. Instead, they serve the Kereng Kaffo elite and their desires for fancy things. Real people suffer behind these numbers. A teacher in Upper River Region walks many miles each day to teach 60 students in an almost empty classroom. Her D6,500 salary barely buys rice and cooking oil. A nurse at Brikama Hospital works 12-hour shifts without gloves or medicine for patients. His pay keeps his family hungry most days. Hundreds of young Gambians risk death on the "back way" to Europe. They flee because their country buys fancy cars but creates no jobs. The message appears clear - leaders feast as citizens starve. The National Assembly approves budgets without asking hard questions. Audit reports collect dust on shelves. Nobody knows the details about how the OIC Summit money was spent. When asked about these issues, officials call critics "ungrateful" or "opposition troublemakers." But Gambians see the truth every day. We want immediate cuts to the president's office budget, with that money moved to healthcare, education, and better pay for workers. We demand to see all contracts from the OIC Summit, the independence celebration, and the GPA-Albayrak deal. We need fair wages - cut what presidents and ministers earn to match Gambian reality. Let communities decide how to spend public funds on health centers, farming, and job creation instead of luxury car convoys. President Barrow's NPP Kereng Kaffo government forgot that public money belongs to citizens, not powerful people. The Gambia cannot succeed when leaders waste tax money and ignore teachers, nurses, and farmers asking for help. We fought the 2016 Revolution for justice, not to watch a new group of elites repeat past mistakes. Gambians deserve humble leaders who actually serve the public. The people are watching, and when election time comes in 2026, we will remember these choices. [/QUOTE]

Name