Omar A. Jallow

Jallow was a People's Progressive Party government minister under Dawda Jawara, being the incumbent Minister of Agriculture when Yahya Jammeh executed the coup d'état that saw him seize power in 1994.[2] Throughout Jammeh's time in power, Jallow was arrested on 22 separate occasions. He was tortured on four occasions. On the day of Adama Barrow's inauguration in February 2017, Jallow told Reuters "Today, I have been vindicated."[3]

Jallow was re-appointed Minister of Agriculture by Barrow after he won the 2016 presidential election. However, Mr Jallow was fired in June 2018.[4] Gambian journalist Mustapha Darboe did the story, which was further verified by the State House. State agents would later investigate the issue and the presidency would cover it up until Kerr Fatou would make an expose on the incident. On 10 October, Gambian justice minister Abubacarr Tambadou told journalists that the Government has requested further investigation into the incident.[5]

However, the tough-talking Gambian politician claimed he was defamed and sued the news media and the journalist for the story, seeking D20 million in damages. In his first press conference since the story broke, Jallow did not refute the core of the story, being that the fertilizer in government custody was contracted to Modou Dibba to sell it, though he maintained that he was not aware of it nor did he benefit from it financially.[6]

Jallow made a name for himself as a tough-talking Gambian politician with a liberal mind. He was Gambia's first politician to have called for the legalization of marijuana and to repeal the country's tough anti-gay laws. Jallow, a key member of the coalition that brought down Jammeh, also held a different opinion with the Gambian leader Barrow on whether he should stay in power for five years. Jallow always said Barrow should quit after three years even though Barrow has shown ambitions to stay for even ten years.[7]

Jallow died on 14 May 2023.[8]