Meet the Gambian officials pilgrims, who enjoyed “Free Ride” to Mecca at the expense of the poor

Even though Barrow and co can afford to pay for their own tickets, they decided to hijack the Hajj package which was meant for the poor and the needy. This new administration should reflect on the past and understand that too much greed doesn’t pay. It hurts national development! It derails peace and security.
While the free Hajj tickets should have been allocated to the needy Gambian Muslims for free, the government would in turn sell the tickets to the pilgrims. The very government officials commercializing the Hajj package, have decided not to pay for the tickets. They issued free tickets to themselves, spouses, family members and Department heads.


Foreign Minister Ousainou Darboe, himself, has been practicing law for over three decades. He is wealthy enough to be able to pay for his own Hajj ticket, but he refused to buy one. He did not perform Hajj all these years; but he waited until there is free ride to Mecca, he jumped into the plane. His son Adama Barrow, Hamat Bah, Mai Fatty, and co have equally did the same thing.

Now the million-dollar question is: Does this administration care for the poor and the needy? If they can benefit from the Saudi free tickets, and turn around to ask poor pilgrims to pay for exorbitant Hajj tickets; is troubling Gambia. A ticket to Saudi Arabia costs the average Gambian pilgrim close to $ 5,000 dollars.

Keep in mind that the Hajj package should be free, but governments in Africa, including the one in Banjul are using it to make money on poor pilgrims. For so long Gambians have been fooled and exploited by their governments.

At the NIA, now called the State Intelligence Services (SIS) so many operatives flew with Barrow delegation to perform Hajj. Free Hajj Raffle tickets were issued to parastatals such as Gamtel, for staff to perform Hajj. The lucky winner enjoyed free ticket to Mecca. The same tickets are being sold to our people, but if you work for the government one is exempted from paying for it.

The National Assembly should launch an investigation into the distribution of the Hajj package. The Gambia International Airline should be investigated as well. The GIA, president’s office, and the Foreign Ministry are at the helm of the scam. It is unfair for Adama Barrow, and all these greedy Ministers to exploit the package, when poor Gambians are being required to pay for exorbitant tickets.