The Independent Published Friday, October 12, 2001



As Darboe’s entourage walk into Kumbija Lame boy takes miraculous strides



A lame four-year-old boy made a miraculous recovery after Ousainou Daroboe
and his large entourage walked their way into Kumbija recently amidst much
excitement from elated villagers. Yuba Jawara who never knew the use of his
legs since he was born got infected with the excitement as children rushed
to follow the UDP campaign team and straightened into a walk to follow a
stream of excited children as they followed the opposition campaigners.

On Ousainou Darboe’s arrival, the children were running and chanting ‘we
want Darboe, we want Darboe’. I saw my son standing and starting to follow
the other children as they got excited” Bibbe Jarba Yuba’s mother, told The
Independent.

Many people who witnessed the event sighed in disbelief. Some members of the
UDP campaign team were jostling each other to have a glimpse of the boy and
gave him money. Some among the crowd shed tears.

Yuba father Baba Jawara confirmed the truth of the story to The Independent
and prayed for Darboe to win the election as a show of gratitude. Yuba’s
mother said despite a trip to Brussels, Belgium for medical attention Yuba’s
condition had never improved. “They conducted an operation on him at a
Brussels hospital but that did not make him walk,” she narrated. Jarba
proclaimed that she is now a supporter of the UDP, “because my child started
walking when he heard of Darboe.” “I was never a supporter of the UDP but
because my son started walking when Darboe came here I thought it is good to
give the coalition my support” she said.

Meanwhile presidential aspirant Ousainou Darboe seriously condemned the
Daily Observer newspaper as a political tool, used by members of the ruling
clique for their own ends. He said the credibility of the paper as an
independent press has waned significantly due to political interference in
its editorial section. “The Daily Observer in 1995 is different from that of
today,” he told a rally in Jangjanbureh, pointing out that before the change
of ownership to Amadou Samba the Observer was the mouthpiece of the people.
“But since the APRC bought the Daily Observer the paper became the
mouthpiece of the APRC party,” Darboe claimed.

The opposition coalition leader also said that the Daily Observer and the
Gambia Daily share the same aim, “working side by side with the APRC
regime.” Mr. Darboe accused President Jammeh of “eliminating press freedom
and creating an unhelpful environment for journalists.” The UDP leader noted
with confidence that in a UDP government, the press will enjoy maximum
freedom and independence. “Journalists, he said, “will be trained and
encouraged to specialise in economy, agriculture, environment and health
reporting.

He also promised that the Department of State for Works and Communication
will “not be a bicycle authority for an media house.” On the arrest,
detentions and harassment of journalists, Darboe warned that violation of
press freedom would not be allowed by a UDP-led government.

Meanwhile, Omar Amadou Jallow (OJ) has joined the UDP led opposition
coalition in their nation-wide campaign tour, following his recent brush
with the police. Speaking at UDP rally in Basse, Gambissara, Numuyel and
Bakadagi OJ proclaimed that Ousainou Darboe has been selected as the
president of The Gambia and would occupy State House after October 18, 2001






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