The sacked Gambian Diplomat Ebrima Dibba says he is virtually stranded in Saudi Arabia, following his removal from the Foreign Service some months ago, Freedom Newspaper can reveal. Dibba, speaking in a whatsapp message, has accused the Barrow government of refusing to facilitate his return to The Gambia, together with his family. He says has been abandoned by the government that hired him to represent The Gambia at The Gambian Consulate in Jeddah.
Dibba was the Protocol and Welfare Officer at The Gambian Consulate in Jeddah prior to his firing. He was sacked after he was accused by the government of meddling to politics, which according to the officials at the Public Service Commission (PSC), violates the code that govern government workers, including Foreign Service personnel.
This followed Dibba’s public statement, pledging his allegiance and support for his party leader and sacked Vice President Ousainou Darboe. The Gambian authorities retaliated by sacking him.
Venting his frustrations at the Barrow administration, Dibba alleged that the regime did not only refused to facilitate his return to the country, he says, the government also allegedly seized his one-month salary.
“You can take my one-month salary; that’s is fine with me. I do not have problem with it. It is okay with me. All I am asking for; is for my immediate evacuation from this place. I have been here in Saudi Arabia, not working; I have a family; and I want to go home. If the ploy is to have me apologize to the President so that I can reinstated, I am sorry, I am not going to apologize to him. I am not interested in working for his government anymore. I just want to be airlifted from here to The Gambia,” Dibba remarked.
“If you know that you do not have the means to facilitate the airlifting of sacked Foreign Service personnel, then why firing them? I am done with this government. Nothing can make me to change my mind. I want to go home. The onus now lies on the side of the government; to do what is expected of them by facilitating my traveling back home. I have no work to do here. This is not my country. If I was home, I could have find something to do worthwhile to earn a living. I am calling on Adama Barrow to expedite the process of returning home,” he added.
Dibba says his fallout with Adama Barrow had to with Barrow’s quest to consolidate himself in power. He says no one had voted Barrow to engage in politics.
“I decided to put him on check. He was not voted into office to do what he is doing today. I am equally a citizen of The Gambia. It is within my rights to air my opinion if I feel that the direction that the President is taking is not in the best interest of the country,” he said.
Dibba is a longtime UDP member and supporter. He was mentored into politics by the likes of Lamin Waa Juwara and Ousainou Darboe.
The post SACKED GAMBIAN DIPLOMAT SAYS HE HAD BEEN RENDERED STRANDED IN JEDDAH, SAUDI ARABIA; AS EBRIMA DIBBA ACCUSES PRES. BARROW AND HIS GOV’T OF REFUSING TO AIRLIFT HIM AND HIS FAMILY HOME! appeared first on Freedom Newspaper.