Fatoumata Tambajang

Aid for Trade Global Review 2017 – Day 3 (35059631424)

Aja Fatoumata C.M. Jallow-Tambajang (born 22 October 1949 in Brikama, Gambia) is a Gambian politician and activist. She holds a BA in French from the University of Nice Sophia Antipolis. She served as Vice President and Minister of Women's Affairs under President Adama Barrow from February 2017 to June 2018. She previously chaired the Gambia National Women's Council and advised President Dawda Jawara. After the 1994 coup, she served as Secretary of State for Health and Social Welfare. Appointed Vice-President in January 2017, she was initially ineligible due to age restrictions but was later sworn in after a constitutional amendment in November 2017. She had also chaired Coalition 2016, the alliance that supported Barrow’s presidential bid.

Quotes

• "My son, even if you bring a Holy Quran here, I will tell you it’s not true. If you ask the president, he too will tell you it’s not true. People have spread lies about me, but I forgive them. I know who fabricated those lies, but as a Muslim, I have forgiven them. I am pleased that His Excellency President Barrow has learned the truth. He stood by it and invited me on the 16th of August. We discussed the letter, and it was never something I wrote."

• "Removed and replaced with a note that I had no knowledge of. I looked into what went wrong, uncovered the truth, and identified those involved, and His Excellency President Barrow was aware of this."

• "I want to clarify to the nation that the letter of recommendation I sent to UNEP through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was altered. It has been alleged that certain key figures within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs plotted against her, fabricating reasons to orchestrate her removal from the Barrow Administration."

• "I have no resentment over being relieved of my cabinet position; I could never feel angry, as His Excellency President Barrow respects me now more than ever. President Barrow knows I have served this country with dedication, and I love my country deeply. I am willing to go anywhere I am called upon to serve. A true leader should never be driven by anger; when you act impulsively, you lose the essence of leadership. As a leader, you must stay humble, fear Allah, and lead by example. When you do this, everything else will fall into place."

• "Many people have lost their lives here—not only Solo Sandeng; there are so many others. There are countless unsung heroes, and I will honor each one of them. His Excellency Adama Barrow also acknowledges those who have served and sacrificed, even if they aren’t here to witness this day."

• "The economy is now growing, and what we want to see next is the start of decentralization efforts for the benefit of the people. These changes will take time, so I urge the public to be patient and support the government’s initiatives in whatever small ways they can, for the greater good of the country."
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• "Gambia is deeply grateful to Nigeria for its support. Without Nigeria's assistance, Gambia would face significant challenges."
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• "The success lies in having an independent mediator, respected by all political parties and with whom I have good relations. Gambia is a close-knit country, and through my professional life, both within and outside the UN, I’ve interacted with many of them. People here see me as a mother figure, recognizing that I have no political ambition beyond uniting them. My only agenda is The Gambia, without any political affiliation or interest. This neutrality, along with the respect and trust from political leaders, made it possible. No single person can claim responsibility for creating the coalition—it was supported by both the sub-region and the wider region. These key factors are what made it successful."

• "I have never been a member of the UDP. Initially, I supported them because of their united front. As Ousainu Darboe mentioned at the UDP congress in 1996, they formed a coalition, and I supported the national front. The reason I was often seen with UDP was due to the crises surrounding them, but I visited and collaborated with all parties. I consulted with many, including the female candidate. My presence with UDP did not make me a member. Early on, I did help prepare the UDP manifesto with the late Sidia Sagnia, but I did so as a national leader dedicated to advancing the political process. Nowhere will you find a membership card showing I belong to the UDP. I have the constitutional right to join any party, but I believe we should focus not on political ambition but on the country’s needs. With my experience and abilities from my work with the UN, it was meaningful for me to support the United Front."

• "The administration is progressing relatively well, especially given what we inherited. After 22 years of dictatorship, resources were drained by the dictator, his administration, and allies. When we assumed office, the coffers were empty, so we had to quickly secure budget support from partners like the EU, World Bank, the United Nations, and allies such as the US and the African Union.

• Amid these challenges, our first priority was to create a robust National Development Programme covering 2018 to 2021. This program was developed with input from civil society, media, government, and international partners. Previously, there was only the PAGE plan. Our government successfully championed the national development plan in Brussels, where President Barrow, whom God chose as our leader, secured 1.4 billion euros for its implementation.

• This process will take time, and patience and tolerance are essential given the difficult circumstances we started from. The forward path has also begun to take shape. For instance, the Ministry of Finance has sustained partnerships with the international donor community for budget support and economic assessment. Currently, we are seeing some economic growth tied to a reform agenda. Critics often claim that the government blames our 'inherited bankrupt economy' and Jammeh for underperformance. However, Jammeh has only been out of office for nearly two years, and it’s important to understand the context. When we took office, we faced a severe brain drain, as many of our skilled professionals had left due to political persecution or economic hardship. This created a capacity deficit, which is a major factor in governance, especially democratic governance, where engaging all stakeholders is critical yet challenging. I don’t shy away from acknowledging the government’s difficulties and challenges—I am part of them and remain within the coalition government. However, it's crucial to consider these underlying issues when assessing the successes and challenges of our administration."

• "I would rate him fairly well, giving President Barrow a 60%, considering the challenges he inherited and the current situation. We have the resources, but the capacity is lacking. The issue of peace and stability was a major concern from the start. There were numerous crises that he had to manage, which led to sleepless nights for him and many of us. We had to ensure social cohesion, dealing with incidents like the Faraba case, the Busumbula youths, and the doctors’ strike—things were sporadic, changing from one issue to the next. Barrow is a very peaceful man, regardless of where I stand. As a believer, I speak the truth because that’s what matters in the end, and that’s what I’ll be accountable for. We have a leader who needs our support. Coming from the private sector, he had no previous experience in public service. That in itself deserves credit, as he assembled a cabinet of people from various disciplines. Within one year, his government managed to stabilize the economy, which was in disarray, and stabilize the country amidst various factions, including an active APRC. When we took over, the private sector was in a dire state, burdened by high taxes and a lack of incentives to promote growth and create jobs. Civil society and the media were disillusioned, so we had to reignite the sense of citizenship and work towards rebuilding the country."

• "No, I never had the intention to be foreign minister. His Excellency never offered me the position, and I never asked for it. I had no ambition for any particular role. My focus was on ensuring that he had a strong cabinet, and I supported him in that process. He consulted all the political leaders and offered positions to them. For me, political leaders are more important than any position. It’s never been about the role itself. If it were about positions, I would have gone back to the UN or pursued another opportunity, as I have the qualifications. While I’m not perfect, I would have sought higher roles if it were about personal gain. Now, if positions didn’t matter, why did I hold onto the vice president position for so long when I knew my age was a factor? Why didn’t I step aside? I could have said, 'I’ve helped remove Jammeh, that’s enough,' but I chose to stay, even though The Gambia was without a full-time vice president. It's good you asked. I’ve often consulted with the president about stepping down, suggesting that my ambition was to support him in any role other than vice president. I even suggested some names for the vice president role, and he is a living witness to this. But people don’t fully understand me. The president told me that, as far as he and the country are concerned, I deserved to be vice president—not for personal reasons, but because of my background and experience. He said this when he swore me in. He didn’t appoint me because I was the chair of the coalition. He chose me because of the trust, my expertise, and my contributions to the coalition."

• He was firm in his belief and conviction that I was the right candidate to support him at that time.

• Constitutionally, you can oversee a position, and that’s why it’s important for people to understand their constitution, as it is the foundation that governs the country. You can assume oversight in cases such as when someone passes away in office, and an eligible person can step in. But when it comes to constitutional amendments, let’s be clear: am I the one benefiting from the changes? If the constitution hadn’t been amended, would Honourable Ousainu Darboe be vice president? Would we have had competent lawyers like Sourahata Janneh and others on the commission? We need to look beyond individual interests and focus on what’s best for the country.

• This constitution, after all, was designed by former President Jammeh primarily for his own benefit. For 65 years, we’ve been signatories to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and various other human rights agreements. Article 16 of the Universal Declaration says there should never be discrimination based on age, gender, race, or religion. So, imposing an age limit is inherently discriminatory, and globally, no country has such a limit in their constitution. What truly matters is the competence and loyalty of an individual, and this is the way forward. Similar situations occurred in Southern Africa, such as in Zambia in 2008 when Rupiah Banda became president. A few years into his presidency, a law was passed banning people over 70 from running for office, specifically targeting the main opposition leader, Michael Sata, who was 71, just three years younger than President Banda. It wasn’t just The Gambia that faced such challenges. While you say the law was Jammeh’s, I agree that there are both good and bad laws in his system. Some of the laws are, in fact, beneficial, regardless of where I stand. I want to be straightforward and truthful. My priority is the Gambia’s agenda, not personal interests. On the global stage, The Gambia must align with the United Nations and the world at large. Our participation in the UN General Assembly is part of that, and we learn from global practices. However, we must ensure that we follow democratic principles. The reason for our transition is to establish democratic governance where everyone feels included and has a voice, and where laws protect the human rights of both individuals and communities.

• Not really, I don’t see things that way. My life has always been one of faith. I believe that what God has destined for me is what I am living now, and I accept it until I return to Him. Every stage of my life has been defined by Him. I was happy to serve and support President Barrow fully—100 percent. I am confident that if you spoke to him, he would confirm that I always gave him the support he needed. I have been completely loyal to him and to my country. What matters to me is that I swore on the Holy Qur’an to be loyal to my country, support my president, and serve the people of The Gambia. That is exactly what I did. The president holds me in high regard, and he has said so both in my presence and at various forums. I worked closely with him, and he still has confidence in me, which is what truly matters. If I had left due to violating the constitution, I would have felt embarrassed, but I never felt betrayed. I leave everything in God’s hands. He created me and has given me what is meant for me. Being a believer, I view this as a test from God, a way for me to grow closer to Him. I have never been closer to God than I am now, and I will never hold any grudge against President Barrow. My participation in many programs, such as the TRRC, is evidence of that.

• Yes, I felt I needed time to reflect on it. Having worked with the UN, I reached a level beyond that of an ambassador. We have to be realistic—I don’t have a sense of entitlement. I was beyond the rank of ambassador, and returning to the UN mission in that capacity would have felt like a demotion for me.
  • Fatoumata Jallow-Tambajang Former Vice President of The Gambia December 21, 2018

External Links

Biography