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| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Momodou |
Posted - 20 Aug 2018 : 12:23:27
Building The New Gambia
By Madi Jobarteh
Corrupt and Autocratic Governments Start with Issuing False Narratives!
I hereby totally and unreservedly reject the false press release issued by the Barrow Government about the source, amount, use and reason for the suspicious D11.2 million. I demand that the Speaker of the National Assembly summon the Vice President as per Section 77(3) of the Constitution before the whole house to explain these acts of bribery and corruption that has become hugely prevalent in this government.
The National Assembly must realise that they are the true Governors of the Gambia and therefore they ultimately take responsibility for the lawful and unlawful decisions and actions of the president.
The National Assembly’s primary function is to make laws and then monitor the Executive as they enforce those laws. Hence the National Assembly bears responsibility to ensure that the President is seen to be acting according to law. Receiving gifts and then declaring donors anonymous is a violation of the law and the norms of good governance for which the National Assembly must not sit by to watch just like that.
The fact that the so-called philanthropist is anonymous immediately raises issues of corruption, criminality and abuse of power. Is it in fact true that this is a donation and not public wealth stolen by the president to patronize pilgrims? Could this so-called philanthropist not be a drug dealer or arms trader or a criminal who is compromising the president or buying his or her way into our country to engage in nefarious activities?
How do we ascertain that the ‘philanthropist’ gave only 11.2 million dalasi and not more or less? If this so-called philanthropist is indeed genuine why would he or she remain anonymous? Or is it that he or she is a celebrated international criminal such that the Government did not want to disclose the identity.
For these and many questions the National Assembly must step up to ensure transparency and accountability and upholding the reputation of the Gambia and the right of citizens to know.
First it was a Senegalese businessman who donated houses to Barrow and he never declared it officially as required by the Constitution. Then there were 57 vehicles also donated, anonymously. Then Barrow himself acknowledged that friends and Akon built houses for him in Mankamang Kunda and electrified his home. Now we have 11.2 million dalasi donated to the president, again anonymous! These are what we know publicly for the moment.
Yet Barrow and his team cannot realise that they are blatantly accepting bribes and engaging in corrupt practices contrary to the law. When will Barrow realise that he is not a private man sitting in Mankamang Kunda but an elected public official at State House serving as the Head of State of a republic? When will Barrow realise that nothing must go into his hand or leave his hands on his own whims and caprices?
Everything that Barrow says or does or receives or gives out must be guided by law, processes and institutions for which the Gambian People have a right to know at the right time and in full. None of these so-called donations constitute a national security issue such that they cannot be disclosed publicly at the right time. Yet Barrow chose to keep mute over them but only gives scanty information that he feels like giving. The National Assembly must act!
This Government press release is nothing but an insult to the dignity of citizens. It is clearly a false narrative that is premised on the attitude that Gambians are fools and they can be fed with any garbage regardless. When governments are turning dictatorial they start with fabricating information to mislead their citizens. It is when there are no more room for lying and cooking up stories that they start to engage in acts of violence and arbitrariness against citizens. Gambians must wake up.
This statement cannot be said to come a government that is committed to the fight against patronage and corruption. No self-respecting president and government dare issue such an insulting statement to its citizens unless if that president and his government perceive citizens to be zombies. This statement is indeed nothing, but a bunch of disrespect splashed on the faces of Gambians.
Elected officials and public servants working in the Gambia Government must be told that they do not own neither the Gambia Government nor the Republic of the Gambia. It is the people who own the Gambia Government and the Republic of the Gambia. Elected officials and public servants are only caretakers of the Government on behalf of the true owners, the Almighty People. Hence elected officials and public servants have a duty to inform the sovereign owners of the Gambia Government and the Republic what they do on our behalf and in our name.
The idea that anonymous persons and entities can approach our president and deliver goods without being disclosed to citizens is in itself a direct threat to national security. It clearly shows that there is self-serving interest both on the part of the so-called donor and the recipient who is none other than the president. Two years after Dictatorship was booted out of this country one cannot fathom how dictatorial practices could still persist in this society!
The Gambia Government is not a private property nor a criminal gang. The president is not a private person on a private errand. Whatever our president does must be in line with the law. The Gambia Constitution does not have any provision in anyway that grants the president the authority to receive gifts from anyone. Rather the Constitution is categorical that public servants must not receive gifts except for customary reasons such as ‘njansa’ in our social ceremonies. Hence any butut or mango fruit that the president receives as gift from any other person or entity must be told to the citizens to know.
Chief Servant Barrow must be told that his legacy is in his hands. His story is in his hands. However way he behaves will determine the quality of that legacy and the chapters of that history. It was with much hope and high expectations that Gambians voted for him on 1st December 2016. While one may not expect miracles the least we expected however is to not see more of APRC in the form of blunt, direct and open acts of corruption and gross inefficiency.
At the minimum we expected Barrow to proclaim and cling onto accountability as the means to ensure real system change. It is however quite unfortunate that Barrow does not wish to chart his own path upwards but rather wish to follow the downward paths of the erstwhile governments of PPP and, worse off, APRC! This is indeed a tragedy of enormous proportions!
For The Gambia Our Homeland
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| 3 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Momodou |
Posted - 30 Aug 2018 : 15:12:15
Barrow explains D11M donation to Gambian Pilgrims
The Point: Thursday, August 30, 2018
http://thepoint.gm/africa/gambia/article/barrow-explains-d11m-donation-to-gambian-pilgrims
The President of the Republic Adama Barrow has explained the source of the D11, 252, 000 donation to Gambian pilgrims during the 2018 Hajj programme in Saudi Arabia this month.
Speaking at a press briefing hosted by his spokesperson at the State House yesterday, the Presidency said it should be made known that the individual who provided the fund through the Saudi government did not want to be named; thus, the “anonymous philanthropist” indicated in the Press Release from the government spokesperson on August 19, 2018.
Amie Bojang-Sissosho, director of Press and Public Relations explained that during the president’s visit to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in June 2018, he was informed of a philanthropist, who, through the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, pledged to provide support to Gambian pilgrims this year.
“The support was done through the government of The Gambia. Fast forward to this years Hajj period, when the President Barrow was informed that the fund was available as promised for the pilgrims, (he) immediately instructed that it should be given directly to them while they were still in Saudi Arabia, because they might need it for personal use. Thus, each Gambian pilgrim was given 500 Riyals totaling to an equivalent of eleven million, two hundred and fifty thousand dalasis (D11, 250,000),” Mrs. Bojang-Sissoho explained.
She described it as “unfortunate” that the news was wrongly reported from Saudi Arabia on GRTS News as a personal donation from the president.
According to her, the president has given assurances to all Gambians that, notwithstanding the miscommunication about some of the issues involved, “he would continue to serve the best interest of The Gambia and Gambians in all his engagements and urges all Gambians to work together for the betterment of the country.”
Author: Bekai Njie |
| Momodou |
Posted - 24 Aug 2018 : 13:56:41
The news about President Barrow giving 7000 Dalasi to each of the 1700 Gambian pilgrims was first announced by state owned GRTS TV.
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Government “Clarifies” on over D11M Presidential Gift to Pilgrims
The Point: Friday, August 24, 2018
http://thepoint.gm/africa/gambia/article/government-clarifies-on-over-d11m-presidential-gift-to-pilgrims
 Government of The Gambia has issued a statement clarifying the nature and circumstances of the D11, 250,000 that widespread public criticism claimed was given to the country’s 2018 pilgrims by President Adama Barrow.
The statement, signed by government spokesperson Ebrima G. Sankareh stated that the story is now trending on social media “for all the wrong reasons.”
“Following widespread reports and unsubstantiated claims that President Adama Barrow gave D11, 250,000 (Eleven Million, Two Hundred & Fifty Thousand Dalasis) to Gambian pilgrims on Hajj in Saudi Arabia, The Gambia Government wishes to clarify the nature and circumstances of the said story as it is now trending on social media for all the wrong reasons.”
The statement reveals that in June this year, President Barrow, accompanied by a high-powered delegation visited the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to renew his government’s excellent bilateral cooperation and the Saudi and Gambian peoples’ long-standing historic ties. “During that memorable visit, some generous and anonymous Saudi philanthropists promised The Gambian President that they were going to generously consider their Gambian Muslim brethren during this year’s pilgrimage.”
The statement maintained that consistent with the spirit of the Hajj and the Muslim feast of Edul-al-Adha, and aware of the associated expenses, a member of those anonymous benefactors, generously fulfilled the promised package to President Barrow and presented to The Gambian Saudi ambassador, His Excellency Omar Gibril Sallah, the sum of D11, 250,000 for onward transmission to The Gambian Head of State.
“Once President Barrow received news of the good gesture, he immediately instructed Ambassador Sallah to work with members of The Gambia Hajj Commission and the President’s Religious Adviser, Hon. Dembo Bojang, to fairly disburse the entire funds among all Gambian pilgrims without delay.”
It stated that acting on the President’s directives, Ambassador Sallah and designated officials rationed the entire gift package among the various airlines involved in the transportation of Gambian pilgrims to the Saudi Kingdom who then shared the charity among the intended beneficiaries.
The statement added that once news of the pleasant surprise reached The Gambian pilgrims, they unanimously expressed their profound appreciation to President Barrow and his anonymous benefactor for the charity given at the most arduous hour of their spiritual journey. “Pilgrim after pilgrim commended both the President and benefactor for their generosity, foresight and understanding. Pilgrims also prayed that the Almighty Allah continues to shepherd and protect him, President Barrow, the First Family, members of his government and the Gambian people.”
It further stated that in a conversation with their correspondent, The Gambian Head of State thanked Allah and thanked the people and Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for their benevolence and unwavering commitment to fulfill Allah’s wish especially, during such auspicious occasions as the Hajj and the upcoming feast of Eid Al-Adha. “The President specifically prays for the anonymous Saudi benefactor to enjoy continuous good health, longevity and Allah’s wisdom to continue to be at the service of God and humanity.”
The statement maintained that accordingly, Gambians are reminded that despite claims to the contrary, President Barrow does not have the luxury of giving out presidential largesse as was customary in the past and evidently he stands out as a committed democratic reformer who wants to leave a legacy anchored in international norms and values of transparency, accountability and constitutional due process where all citizens are treated as equals. “There is therefore, neither moral nor ethical equivalence between President Adama Barrow and his predecessor who looted millions while the Gambian people lived in abject poverty and misery.”
It stated that recently, because of the worrisome revelations by the Janneh Commission on the scale of gross financial impropriety at The Central Bank of The Gambia, the Barrow Government working in solidarity with the National Assembly, enacted a new landmark legislation that will end fiscal indiscipline, deter corruption and reckless spending by corrupt government officials and their surrogates.
Picture: Ebrima G. Sankareh gov't spokesperson |
| toubab1020 |
Posted - 22 Aug 2018 : 00:19:10
VERY STRONG STUFF.
"I demand that the Speaker of the National Assembly summon the Vice President as per Section 77(3) of the Constitution before the whole house to explain these acts of bribery and corruption that has become hugely prevalent in this government. "
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