Saihou Mballow, advisor to President Adama Barrow, has claimed that some opposition elements are behind the ongoing drivers’ strike.

Mballow said: “There is a clear manifestation of the activity of the opposition. You can see the collaboration between the union and the opposition [parties]. 

“And not all the opposition [parties], but there are certain elements of the opposition who are not wishing well for Gambians.”

“They are associating themselves with the union to make Gambians suffer.”

“I have to thank the police and their leadership for stepping in to ease transportation adversity in the country during this period. 

“What logic does it have for The Gambia Police Force to park their vehicles when some Gambians have to go work, some have to go to the hospital and others have to go to the markets and they don’t have a vehicle because of the strike of The Gambia Transport Union. 

“I think the whole Gambia should praise the Police for this intelligent action. This is commendable and it happens worldwide when there is an emergency, the police will step in to help the people,” he added.

“We expect The Gambia Transport Union to act maturely, they should act with caution and understand the situation of the world. We are in a democracy which requires dialogue. We all know during dictatorship, no one dares to do such action.

“We all know no one dares to do this under a dictatorship or attempt to interview people about it. They will lock you up in a fictitious manner and no one can do anything about it. 

“So, people should thank President Barrow for this democracy. We have to respect the rules of law, the union is also a registered institution, they also have the right to negotiate with the government. This strike shows how democratic this government is. The whole world can attest to that,” he continued.

The Gambia Transport Union is staging an indefinite strike until government meets it demands over the high price of fuel and toll fees at the Senegambia Bridge among others. 

Reporting by Adama Makasuba