By: Kemo KanyiPolitical commentator and human rightsactivist Madi Jobarteh has said that the pressrelease issued by the Office of the National Assembly about the Salaries and Pensions Bill 2024 was misleading.
The clerk’s office said in a press release on Tuesday that the Bill only seeks to repeal and replace an existing Act of Parliament but Mr. Jobarteh said the release was misleading and fallacious, saying the National Assemblynever followed this Act since its enactment.
“I find this press release to be misleading and false. In the first place, since the creation of this law in 1997 and amended in 2007, the National Assembly has not been following it.
Over the years, the National Assembly has been increasing its salaries, pensions, and benefits as they see fit. For example, in 2022, NAMs increased their own salary amidstpublic outcry.
They argued that theircounterparts in other countries receive far more salary and further indicated that theirwork and status deserve such salaryincrement,” Jobarteh argued.
He recalled that when the debate about the salary increase was on, Banjul South legislator Touma Njai was the only NAM, who stood up to say she was ashamed to call herself an Honourable Member in expressing heropposition to the increment, which was part of the budget estimates.
“That increment did not follow the existinglaw that the Clerk now claims to repeal and replace,” added Madi.
He further disclosed that it was not the onlybenefit that the National Assembly membersenjoyed at the expense of the poor Gambians,recalling how one of them was ruled out by the Supreme Court.
“Apart from salaries, we have also seen duringthe fifth legislature how NAMs were providedwith pieces of land and brand new pick-up trucks which are incentives that are not covered by the National Assembly Salaries and Pensions Act. Only PDOIS NAMsrejected the trucks,” he stated.
“Furthermore, in 2020, the Gambia Participateand CRPD jointly took the National Assemblyto court to object to the D54M loan schemecreated by NAMs for themselves, and the Supreme Court ruled against the loan. Then, in2023, we have also seen NAMs providethemselves with brand new Prado SUVs,” herecalled.
Madi lamented that all of these are incentivesthat the National Assembly Members have showered on themselves in total contravention of the existing law that guides how theyshould be remunerated. “Therefore, it ismisleading and false for the Clerk to claim thatthis current bill is merely to repeal and replace and address gratuity. It is more than that. This bill is meant to increase their salaries, allowances, pensions, and gratuity,” hepointed out.
He argued that NAMs have yet to show for the benefits in which they’re basking over the years.
“The National Assembly, the Judiciary and the Executive have been showering themselveswith untold incentives, salaries, allowancesand benefits over the years. Yet theirperformance and delivery do not match theirreward.
Therefore, they cannot continue to increase these benefits. They do not deserveany increment, and there should be a moratorium on them. The national cake is not for only the president, ministers, NAMs, and judges,” he underlined.