By Binta Jaiteh
Hon Sulayman Saho, a member of the National Assembly for Central Badibou Constituency, on Wednesday, urged the Speaker of the National Assembly to send a strong message to the executive members to always honor the invitation of the parliament when there is a call for it.
He said he can fully remember that when members were absent and a quorum couldn’t form in the NA “you sent a message to the Gambians regarding the condition of this parliament and their representation.”
So, he noted that most of the questions are time frame and if Ministers are not appearing “it will be useless to ask them, particularly on questions and answers.”
The Speaker, Hon Fa Bakary Tombong Jatta said he can only talk to the members but not to others following consultation with the Office of the Clerk and the table office, “we would try to put in certain things to avoid recurrence of such. I do agree that for any reason we cannot have a session just to handle only one Minister to answer questions when they were informed earlier and knowing that every Wednesday is scheduled for questions and answers.”
Hon Yaya Sanayang said he is disappointed in the fact that the speaker met the clerk and the minority leader but failed to meet the majority leader and it is the minority leader who put this on the page “meaning the administration is on one side.”
The Hon quoted section 74 and 75 of the constitution on the responsibility of cabinet ministers saying it is not only the President who can but the Ministers too.
Meanwhile, the Speaker assured both leaders of the assembly to take up the challenge and make sure that when anybody is called to parliament no matter what they should try and answer, as it is their number one duty to account to the people of the Gambia through parliament.