By Kebba Ansu Manneh
Hamat N.K Bah, Minister of Tourism and Culture has advised Gambian to desist from addressing every Dick and Harry as honourable, observing that the use of the title is becoming rampant and in contravention with the constitution of the Republic of The Gambia.
The Tourism and Culture Minister made this observation at convergence that attracted stakeholders of the tourism, culture and hospitality industry to validate the 2021-2030, Draft Tourism Policy and Strategy Plans.
“We have noticed this in the country in the past 3-4years as people (in all position) are address as honourable, when the constitution clearly states out who to address as honourable. If you look at our NPP meetings and all our meetings everybody is called honourable and that has gone into the minds of many and that has violated the constitution,” Honorable Hamat Bah, former Member of Parliament for Upper Saloum disclosed.
He explained that “those that are to be called an honourable are prescribed in the constitution and I can name few. All members of the National Assembly are address as honourable, members of the high court, appellant courts, judges of the supreme courts, appeal courts are address as honourable justice, and head of sheriff division, chief justice are called honourable by virtue of their jobs.”
According to him, the aforementioned names are people who are to be addressed as honourable in the country, noting that government ministers by virtue of their job and as prescribed in the constitution are address as honourable.
He said there was a debate as to whether former parliamentarians and former ministers can be called honourable, but however disclosed that Gambian constitution is not clear on the matter. Minister Hamat Bah continued that position holders such as the Secretary General, Secretary to Cabinet, Director General, Deputy Director General, Managing Director among others cannot be addressed as honourable, while argued that these people are civil servants who carry their jobs title as prescribed by the constitution of the Republic of the Gambia.
“The mistake is affecting us and now is going down to our children and we need to address it somehow, somewhere,” Tourism Minister disclosed at the occasion.
Dilating on the significance of the validation exercise, Honorable Hamat N.K Bah disclosed that the Draft Tourism Policy and Strategy documents is hoped to serve from 2021-2030, once adopted by stakeholders.
He added that this policy document will replace the old policy document that was launched some two decades ago and has since outlived its lifespan and usefulness.
Gambia’s Tourism and Culture Minister revealed that the document under review will tackle issues ranged from product obsolescence, and rethinking the concept of development in tourism, adding that other issues such as declining service standards at all levels of hospitality, undiversified source markets and enhancing destination visibility will be addressed. He said developing domestic tourism, increasing the range and scope of products, increasing the geographic scope of tourism and its impact, improving travel, attracting high value market of facilitation, segments and improving air access to and from destination Gambia among other challenges will be addressed by the upcoming document.
