By: Nyima Sillah
Citizens’ Alliance Senior Strategic Communication Officer, John Moses Jammeh Sainey has responded to critics saying there is no specific time to set up a commission of inquiry into the activity of local governments.
Mr. Jammeh Sainey made this remark following the recent criticisms going on social media after H.E. President Adama Barrow announced setting up a commission of inquiry into the local governments.
In an interview with The Voice on Wednesday, Mr. Jammeh, said “There is no better time to set up a commission of inquiry into the activity of local government activities than now, adding there is no better time than the time closer to their end of term because most of the officials that manning the council in the past years may not come back as officials.
“So, the best time to hold them accountable is the last months of their term. There could not be a better period to hold our public servants accountable. I accept the president’s point fully.
“Every public servant, whether you work in the area council or arms of government, should be open to accountability because you are entrusted with the resources of the country,” he stressed.
Meanwhile, he said UDP should have been the first to welcome the formation of the commission of inquiry into the activity of local government since they control most of the local councils and wards.
However, CA Senior Strategic Communication Officer added that UDP has shown the Gambians that they should not be trusted, noting they should be willing to be accountable to the public, and if they are not willing to give an account of how they manage the resources of the country, then they should not go back to the same people to seek for a mandate.
He advanced that the commission of inquiry is an opportunity for public servants to give account to the same people that entrusted them with resources on how they manage them.
“If UDP turns in and says a commission of inquiry is a witch hunt, you are telling the people that you are not willing to be accountable. They should be willing to be accountable for the resources that were entrusted to them,” Jammeh argued.