By: Kemo Kanyi
Lawyer Assan Martin, leader of the newly formed political movement, the National Alliance for Change, portrayed the governance system of President Adama Barrow as ‘’the worst’’ in Gambia’s political history.
In an exclusive interview with The Voice newspaper, the lawyer and social activist claimed that the current government’s biggest obstacle is curbing corrupt practices within its system which, he said, include senior government officials in various ministries, failing Gambians in all aspects.
‘’Corruption is one of the biggest challenges of the Barrow administration. Lots of public funds have been embezzled and misused. The Barrow administration is very hopeless and it is the worst administration of the Gambian because it has failed citizens in all aspects. Gambians have seen a lot of financial mismanagement, misconduct and a lot of malpractice in governance,’’ leader of the National Alliance for Change stated.
He stated that corruption is visible everywhere, including the ministry of health, petroleum, and most recently, the reports emanating from the National Audit Office about misappropriation of funds by state institutions.
‘’The damning reports coming from the National Audit Office in regards to the financial mismanagement by public institutions is very troubling and concerning about the Barrow administration’s management of state affairs. We must take the audit reports seriously. National Audit Office is a statutory body that has the power to make recommendations and we expect the police to get involved and investigate the facts. The fight for corruption must be there. Without that fight, we cannot overcome the economic hardship the country faces. This current administration has done nothing that is helping the citizens,’’ stressed Martin.
He added that “poor economic policies” of the government is draining Gambians through high cost of consumables, rentals, transportation, and other considerable areas of expenditure.
‘’The incompetence within this government is definitely blatant considering the amount spent on constitutional building and commissions of inquiry, which are not coming with actions,’’ he stated.
‘’Political parties must embrace change for the country to be rescued from the current corruption pandemic. Partisan politics is not helping the status quo,’’ he added.
Lawyer Martin called on the electorate to put the country first when voting in the fast-approaching 2026 presidential election so the country can gain its long-yearned economic independence