By: Sandally Sawo
President Adama Barrow has said civil servants, who sidestep their roles and responsibilities, are like pests in a groundnut sack, adding that deployment of pesticides is the most ideal way to deal with a pest in a groundnut bag.
“If you go to a public office and ask someone about his/her political affiliation and the individual replies that he/she does not belong to any party, write the name down because he/she is an opposition. We know them and we are trailing them one by one,” President Barrow said in a meeting at Basse Mansajang Kunda on day four of his Meet-The-People Tour. He went on: “The public service minister has started lashing them one by one. They are just like pests in a groundnut sack and the best way to deal with a pest in a groundnut sack is to spread it with pesticides. The public service minister is doing a great job in that direction and we will support you [public service minister].”
The Gambian leader stressed that civil servants should be alive to the fact that they are working for the people and must, therefore, serve.
“You are not working for President Barrow but you are serving the people. If you go to work at 10 o’clock…. You are not busier than me. I go to the office at 8:15 am and I usually take my breakfast at 7 o’clock. How can you report to work at 10 am? They [those shirking their responsibilities] are just a handful. This is why when some of them retire, they’ll start begging for fish money the next day because they don’t have a blessing. As Dou Sannoonce said, I have a brakeless bus and if you stand in its way, you will get run over,” Barrow underlined.
Speaking earlier, the Minister of Public Service, BaboucarrBouy, said there is a lot of deception in the government.
He warned that any civil servant, who does not want to follow the service rules, will be caught up by the same rules.
“Some people have lost their jobs because they were not doing their work properly. We have taken steps against civil servants, who were not working properly. I don’t want to talk about it until the public starts to feel it,” he explained.
Minister Bouy pointed out that the government employs people to lubricate its engine.
“Every government employee has a role to play. Offices are established for the delivery of public services. We [civil servants] should know we have a responsibility and must be willing to serve,” he noted.
