President Adama Barrow has firmly rejected explosive claims made by former President Yahya Jammeh, who accused the current government of secretly working with Senegal to steal Gambia’s oil resources.
Speaking during a meeting with members of Tabital Fulaagu, a Fula cultural association, President Barrow laughed off the allegations, calling them baseless and absurd.
> “They claim The Gambia has oil, and that I’ve teamed up with others to steal it. Even in a dream, that doesn’t make sense,” Barrow told the gathering. “If this country had oil, with the plans I have, The Gambia would already be as developed as Dubai.”
Barrow dismissed Jammeh’s accusations as a political distraction, suggesting they were made up to mislead the public.
> “When people have nothing left to offer, they start inventing stories like this,” he said.
Jammeh, in a recent audio message, alleged that Senegal had no oil of its own and claimed that France would have exploited it if it existed. He further argued that The Gambia holds some of the largest untapped oil reserves in the world—comparable to Saudi Arabia and Venezuela—and stated that his administration had invested $4 million in oil exploration with a Canadian partner.
But President Barrow appeared unfazed. Instead of getting drawn into the controversy, he reaffirmed his focus on developing the country.
> “If, by God’s will, we ever find oil, those making noise now will never return to power,” Barrow said confidently. “I will work so hard that they’ll be too embarrassed to even show their faces.”
