CLAIM: What The Gambia’s Tourism Minister, Hamat Nk. Bah said about Brikama Area Council.
SOURCE: KERR FATOU
During a meeting held at Brikama as part of the President’s “Meet the People Tour” on December 2nd, 2023, Hamat Nk Bah, the Tourism Minister, sparked controversy with his remarks in a video posted by Kerr Fatou Online News outlet. In the video, he directed harsh criticisms towards the Brikama Area Council, accusing them of being out of sync with the government’s development agenda and pursuing separate intentions.
In his candid comments, Bah labeled the council as fickle liars and deceivers, alleging that they spread falsehoods, especially among women in the market, poisoning their minds with untruths. He went on to dismiss their claims as transient as foam during laundering – rising easily but dissolving rapidly with the wind.
The Tourism Minister sternly warned the residents of Brikama to cease trusting the council, branding them as nothing more than purveyors of lies and deception. He emphasized that these falsehoods would lead the council nowhere, likening them to bubbles that burst when exposed to the slightest scrutiny.
Adding gravity to his accusations, Bah urged the Brikama Area Council to shift their focus from what he deemed as deceptive practices and concentrate on a more tangible issue – the cleanliness of the town. Expressing his concern about the dire state of Brikama, he implored the council to prioritize the removal of rubbish and initiate efforts to wash the town clean. He stressed the importance of a clean environment to attract people to Brikama, urging the council to cease their “noise” and instead channel their energy towards practical improvements.
In a final directive, the Tourism Minister emphasized, “We want the city to be cleaned. Brikama is extremely dirty! So, focus on removing the rubbish and wash the city clean for people to be able to come into Brikama, rather than talking and making noise.”
CONCLUSION
The strong and divisive remarks made by the Tourism Minister during the Brikama meeting have certainly ignited controversy and raised concerns about the tone of public discourse. While expressing his views on the Brikama Area Council’s alleged shortcomings, the use of derogatory language and accusations of deceit have heightened concerns.
Bah’s accusation that the council is out of sync with the government’s development agenda and pursuing separate intentions, along with labeling them as fickle liars and deceivers, alleging the spread of falsehoods, especially among women in the market, poisoning their minds with untruths, is a hate speech attack on the council by the Tourism Minister, Hamat NK. Bah. Furthermore, he dismisses their claims as transient as foam during laundering – rising easily but dissolving rapidly with the wind. His warning to the residents of Brikama to cease trusting the council, branding them as nothing more than purveyors of lies and deception, adds to the intensity of the attack.
By:
Momodou Dibba
Researcher, Fact Check Center
