By Binta Jaiteh
Twenty legislators yesterday voted against the judiciary officers’ remuneration and other entitlements bill.
Despite enjoying the support of 18 lawmakers, Justice Minister Dawda Jallow’s bill was rejected in a parliamentary proceeding on Tuesday.
The bill seeks to make provisions for the enhancement and upgrading of salaries, allowances, pensions, and other entitlements for judiciary officers.
It suffered a setback at its second reading thus leading to a prolonged debate.
After debating the merits of the bill, some legislators have indicated their unwillingness for it to even pass through to the Committee stage whilst others suggested it be referred to the Assembly’s Business Committee to “sanitize” it.
During Tuesday’s debate, NAM for Lower Saloum SannaJawara pointed out that the judiciary officers’ remuneration and other entitlement bill was one of the reasons he and other legislators jettisoned the draft new constitution.
“If the executive cannot do it right, we the members, with our core mandate, will make it right for the Gambians,” he stated.
“How can such a provision be guaranteed? Even after your retirement, you still want those entitlements when the farmers, doctors, teachers, and others cannot even afford to survive,” the Lower Saloum NAM argued.
He requested the justice minister to return the bill to the Assembly with justifications as he wondered whether Minister Jallow did his homework in trying to understand whether his proposal could be accommodated by the budget in “this economic hardship”, knowing that it is difficult for the Finance Ministry to implement the budget.
“Gambians are crying about how to survive and all that the Minister could do is to bring a bill at the Assembly; the bill that made us reject the draft constitution. This bill is not budget-friendly. I stand here to say No to the bill,” Jawara added.
NAM Foni Kansala Almamy Gibba described the rejected bill as a volcano bill.
According to Gibba, Section 33 Subsection 1 of the 1997 Constitution dictates that all persons shall be equal before the law, quoting provision 5 that says “no law shall make provision, which is discriminatory either of its self or in its effect”
“This is very clear… superior judges…where are the magistrates and the clerks, who are doing the donkey job? You expect us to pass this bill? Let us be honest,” he pointed out.
Gibba added:“You have retired as a judge and you still want to be paid as a superior judge. How about that poor teacher, soldiers, and nurses?”
He pointed out that the government’s ban on non-essential travel by government officials was due to issues with financial resources.
“We have to be smart because he(justice minister) is a lawyer and wanting to play with our minds in this Assembly is taboo,” Gibba stressed.
He added:“Let us not waste our time on this because the public is against it totally. You can do your own lobbying but our stand is very clear. Let us look at it critically and argue on the facts that will save this country. The Minister’s lobby will not work here. I urge all members to bury this bill alive. Let him work on the reform agenda that will suit the lives and aspirations of the citizens not only a cohort. Let us reject it(bill) outright.”
NAM for Bakau, Assan Touray, said: “We are sitting on a bomb as the nation is watching. Let all the members try and go against this bill for the betterment of the citizens.”
NAM for Jokadu Salifu Jawo told the Assembly that had the minister done his homework and through consultation, the bill would not have been in the Assembly.
“These were the controversial things that were embedded in the draft, warranting us to reject it,” he explained.
“If we allow this to be passed, it will be very serious because the people are not happy with this bill and the majority are not in support of the bill. So many issues embedded in this bill are not fair,” Jawo contended.
He added: “I am speaking with my conscience and am appealing to the government that anything that will be laid before assembly should be sieved and scrutinized. What will happen after passing this bill? So, let us start now to build a faculty of law from here up to Basse as other sectors will be abandoned. Everybody will want to be a judge.”
