Fatoumata Tambajang Quotes

Gambian politician and activist

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.

From: Wikiquote (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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.

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.

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.

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.