The National Assembly has barred, for the third time, journalists from providing media coverage for the ongoing parliamentary inquiry into the Russian oil saga involving millions of US dollars (see story on page 1).
In our mind of minds, this decision of the legislature does not only constitute a disservice to Gambians but it’s also counter-intuitive in many senses than one. A disservice in the sense that the National Assembly is seen in some quarters as the few remaining bastions in the country’s fight against corrupt practices and allied conducts. The decision to conduct the hearings over the oil saga behind closed-doors is also counter-intuitive in the sense that the National Assembly is looked up to as an institution for the promotion of accountability, transparency and probity.
It is our firm conviction that the legislature should not be dictated to by private individuals over matters of legitimate public concern.
The Gambian people would like to know how this Russian oil issue unfolded. People want to know the names of persons and corporate entities involved and how the entire thing panned out. What is the National Assembly trying to hide here? This issue is about Gambians and Gambia and therefore, nothing about it should be swept under the carpet no matter who is involved. The inquiry should be open to the public as it should be puritanical and purgatory through and through and there should be no sacred cow.