By: Momodou Justice Darboe
Lawyer Ousainou Darboe has tasked the Gambian leader, finance minister, and governor of the Central Bank of The Gambia to publicize details about the privatization of Mega Bank.
Details, albeit sketchy, emerged sometime this year about thegovernment’s decision to privatize the Mega Bank but the issue escaped the public radar some time down the line as thegovernment never made any public announcement about the reported transaction afterward.
Now, the secretary-general of the UDP has been askingquestions about Mega Bank’s privatization.
“Six hundred million Dalasi was injected into Mega Bank to recapitalize it. A Gunjur man and former Central Bank officialOmar Jatta toiled to turn the bank’s fortunes around but they sold it to the Togolese when it became vibrant and viable with assets. I want Adama Barrow, finance minister and governor of the Central Bank to tell Gambians how much you sold the bank for. Why didn’t you make it an open tender so that any interested party can bid?” stated the long-standing politician at a political gathering in Kombo Lamin recently.
According to Hon. Darboe, D600M was injected into Mega Bank to breathe new life into it and it became vibrant.
“After the bank became vibrant following the injection of Gambians’ money into it, you went ahead to sell it and I never heard how much you sold it. Those in the financial world might have heard about it but I never heard about it. I, therefore,challenge the President, minister of finance, and CBG governor to tell Gambians how much has the bank been privatized for,” added the long-standing opposition politician.
He opined that after Omar Jatta’s success in rejuvenating the bank, the most ideal thing to do was to allow Gambians to reap the benefits of Jatta’s hard work.
“But you sold it and they never tell anybody,” deplored the veteran politician.
It would be recalled that the details of the sale of the Senegambia Bridge to Africa 50 for US$100M were kept away from the public until when they were reported by CGTN and later picked by the local media.
