The leader of Gambia Moral Congress (GMC), Mai Ahmad Fatty has announced his resignation as special adviser to President Adama Barrow in order to focus on his party’s priorities ahead of the 2021 presidential elections.
Fatty conveyed his decision through a leaked WhatsApp audio on Thursday, stating that his request to resign went through. He has announced that he will hold a press conference on Friday to formally announce his resignation.
“I have filed my resignation and it went through yesterday [Thursday]. By the grace of God, I will hold a press conference and let the whole world know that I have resigned from Government. Thank God the letter went through,” he said.
“We can now focus on our party’s development initiatives in the country. I now have time to reach out to relatives because I was not having time when I was working. A lot of things can now be in fruition. I will also want to embark on travels to the diaspora and I believe God will help us in the process. Whatever I may come across I will take that as a service to the nation, but I know it will be all peace,” he could be heard clearly speaking in the Mandingo language.
Fatty was the first Interior Minister of the current Government before being fired from his job after less than a year in 2017.
In December, 2018, he bounced back as special adviser to the President. In June 2019, he found himself in the middle of a controversy following the Government’s decision to launch a mass-killing campaign at birds near the Yundum International Airport. He stated that “the manner that people deal with the environment, especially with waste disposal, contributed to the attraction of birds and other ruminants that are currently affecting the smooth running of the airport.”
The Village Development Committee (VDC) of New Yundum found this comment insulting and labelled it as ‘irresponsible and discourteous’ and asked Mr Fatty to apologize.