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toubab1020
12306 Posts |
 Posted - 27 Jul 2012 : 20:22:59
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Quite tucked away in The D.O.
I couldn't find any mention in any other Gambian newspapers,surprising for what must be a very important ministry.There are some that think that Dr. Njogu L Bah will be unable to cope with the extra workload.
http://observer.gm/africa/gambia/article/minister-for-presidential-affairs-appointed
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"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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Edited by - toubab1020 on 28 Jul 2012 14:14:13 |
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Kitabul Arerr
Gambia
645 Posts |
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toubab1020
12306 Posts |
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Momodou
Denmark
11634 Posts |
Posted - 30 Jul 2012 : 19:16:26
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 Ministry of PA – Is This Necessary and How Constitutional?
Monday, July 30, 2012
In its last Friday issue, the Daily Observer newspaper reported the establishment of a new ministry that would be responsible for presidential affairs and National Assembly matters. The appointment to the said cabinet portfolio took effect on Wednesday July 25, 2012. The Secretary General and Head of Civil Service, Dr Njogu Bah, became the first person to preside over that ministry. Congratulations to Dr Bah!
However, until in the recent past, the number of ministerial portfolios is limited to fifteen. That was what the 1997 Constitution of The Gambia had decreed when it says in Section 71 (1) that:
“Unless an Act of the National Assembly otherwise provides, there shall not be more than fifteen Secretaries of State [now called ministers], including the Attorney General.”
Unfortunately, this positive provision, like many others, no longer exists in our supreme law. Before it was tinkered, for any additional ministerial portfolio, the executive had to resort to seeking the approval of the National Assembly. It was not for nothing that this provision was put in the constitution. With it, the executive is held accountable to the parliament. And the parliament would not only have to consider the necessity of creating a new ministry, but would also watch against stretching national resources beyond what the budget can contain.
What happened then? The National Assembly had typically compromised its powers and sovereignty. They tampered with the constitution and allowed the head of state to add or subtract ministries as and when he deems fit. Just as the head of state is given carte blanche to go about unnecessarily declaring public holidays.
Now, much leaves to be desired. The Gambians are continually grappling with the nerve-cracking task of moving in tune with the endless changes of nomenclatures of ministries, as much as they are with the holders of the positions. This is as if, for instance, the name Ministry of Agriculture is responsible for the failures in agriculture.
Why would we need a minister responsible for presidential affairs? Already, do we not have more than three ministerial portfolios under the Office of the President? And was it not announced only recently that over five ministries are directly under the Office of the President, eventhough there are appointed ministers? Of course, the President dares not complain of overload to warrant attaching a minister to his office when he refused to limit himself to the daunting roles of presidency.
And are we not looking at what obtains in other countries? Here is a lesson from Senegal: Former President Wade had about 50 ministers. But when Macky took over a few months ago, he cut down the number of ministries by half. The monies that would go into those ministries are used to subsidies basic commodities in order to reverse the adverse trend of rocketing of prices there.
Obviously, creating a ministry of presidential affairs would by no means halt the increase of basic commodities in The Gambia. If anything, it means the government would spend more on services whilst prices of basic needs would continue to hike, and our debt stock would swell further.
Moreover, the news release published in the Daily Observer further states that the Head of Civil Service is doubling as Minister for Presidential Affairs and National Assembly Matters. This indicates that there is no clear distinction between what should be rendered onto politics and what should be rendered onto civil service. The two are very different and any serious government would not cross the line that divides them.
In fact, in recent past, we have seen Dr Njogu Bah rotating from being the Head of Civil Service to a Minister and then back again to civil service and continue like that. The food for thought for the Gambia government and the President in particular, is Section 72 (4), which reads as thus:
“The Vice-President and Secretaries of State shall not-
(a) While they continue in office, hold any other office of profit or emolument whether public or private, occupy any other position carrying the right to remuneration for the rendering of services, or directly or indirectly carry on any trade, business or other undertaking.”
Furthermore, subsection 2 of Section 168 that specifically deals with the position of the Head the Civil Service, says:
“The Head of the Civil Service shall not hold any other office of profit or emolument in the service of The Gambia.”
If these constitutional provisions are binding, as they actually are, then the President has two options: Allow Dr Njogu Bah to keep only one position – a minister or the chief civil servant – or continue to deliberately ignore the constitution.
Source: Dailynews Editorial |
A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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toubab1020
12306 Posts |
Posted - 30 Jul 2012 : 21:11:18
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| You see what I mean Momodou, I am not the only one confused ! |
"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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