By Binta Jaiteh
Honourable Sulayman Saho, a NAM for Badibou Central has urged the institutions that raise revenue for the country to combat corruption because the Gambia depends entirely on donors for most of its projects.
He said if these donors are seeing corruption walking naked in institutions that can discourage them to have a partnership with such a country. He added that it is high time that the country faces the reality.
Speaking during the second day of the State of Nations Address (SONA), he said the financial condition of this country is going down due to a lot of factors but he also believes that the country has internal problems as far as the revenue collection is concerned. So, “it will be a responsibility on all of us, particularly the ones that are given the task to make sure that the leakages are sealed.”
According to him, he said they have seen this on social media every day a lot of issues have been discussed and that will not help the country while noted that the Gambia is not an island as the country entirely
depends on donor support to solve most of the country’s activities.
Further to that, he said this parliament will love to see what has never been in the history of the Gambia like having its leader amid the people to talk on issues, that will promote the relationship between the parliamentarians and the leaders,
“We have been advocating for that Vice Presidents and Ministers do come we have no doubt in their ability. We want our President to sit with the NAMs and discuss matters sometimes, we believe along the line that our messages are not filtered down as supposed to be, the President should feel our feelings,” he stressed.
‘’Coming to the debt International and National we should look at how to invest to make sure that the services are well positioned to yield something for the country if not, the debt will keep increasing,’’ he said.
He as well talked about agriculture and the diaspora regarding the right to vote while he noted that politicians always use youths and women to raise funds but when the funds are available they are marginalised.
Honourable Omar Jatoo Jammeh NA member for Janjanbureh said the President highlighted Gambian brothers and sisters in the diaspora, their contributions, and remittances “but I don’t think they are given the right to exercise their franchise, and that need to be looked at. If there is an increase in production why are Gambians finding it difficult to buy a bag of rice costing D1600, when our farmlands are four years
without due completion? Looking at the excuses, again are flimsy excuses just recently the National Assembly select committee on agriculture embarked on a tour, and is very disheartening what we found on the ground. In some villages in the Wuli looking at the distance, the community members walked 4 kilometers and considering the nature of the feeder road. It is sad and I, therefore, challenge the Ministry of Agriculture to look at the areas and adjust.”
However, the NAM representing Busumbala said “we still have several provisions in our law books that curtails freedom of those rights which is why I will challenge the Ministry of Justice to make sure that they fast track and bring before this assembly the draft constitution.”