By Mani Kumba
Modou MC Cham Jr., National Youth President for Gambia Democratic Congress (GDC) has said that the President Barrow led government is not transparent in the manner it expend the COVID 19 emergency response funds.
“If you look at the way the Health Ministry and government handle the funds, there is no due process and there is no transparency. Because we have seen lots of funds (loans or grants) coming to government coffers without going to the National Assembly for rectification or approval,” he said.
He said Gambians need to know the terms and conditions of the agreement between government and the development partners, as there should be a proper transparency and accountability but government is not doing that.
“Government needs to engage the National Assembly. We need to know the terms and conditions of the agreement as well know how they get the funds. The National Assembly is there for the people to scrutinize the government to know how the funds are expending,” he said.
MC Cham Jr observed that the country lacks a proactive government that will help the average Gambians to get their welfare, as this government is more of politicking than helping the masses.
Since the coronavirus pandemic spread to the country, he said, the government had received several financial assistants from partners such as the European Union, World Bank among others but yet noting has change in the health sector.
“Government should focus more on equipping the health facilities. Right now, if someone is sick, he or she may die because the health officers are afraid to attend to people because they lack enough resources. So, they fear of having the virus,” he said.
The GDC mouthpiece alleged that many government officials, especially frontline workers, focused more on buying vehicles and taking allowances from the COVID-19 funds than help the citizenry while Gambians are dying.
With confidence, he bragged that if this is GDC government there would have not been financial mismanagement in the COVID-19 funds, because his party leader is honest, and would fight corruption as expected.
He added that to ensure transparency in the COVID-19 funds there is need for government to consult the National Assembly and other stakeholders on anything they are doing regarding the funds as well update the masses on their expenditures.