Gambia’s Finance Minister Mamburay Njie says he is not going to resign from his post. He says he is going to continue to serve his country, despite calls made by the House Majority Leader for Njie to resign. The Majority Leader Kebba K Barrow contends that Njie had presented an unconstitutional supplementary bill before the National Assembly. He also contends that Njie’s lack of good judgment, recklessness and honesty, could bring loggerhead among the citizenry of The Gambia.
Mr. Njie, was back in Parliament late Thursday evening for the second time to convince Deputies to approve his appropriation supplementary bill. He maintains that there was nothing unconstitutional about the bill. He confronted Majority Leader Barrow before the floor of the National Assembly.
“Nobody has the authority and right to come and tell you, you resign. We are Gambians. Nobody has that authority to do that; because of sentiment? It is wrong. I am a Gambian like any other Gambian. I was called to come and serve and I am serving my country. I intend to stay. I will not resign,” Njie remarked.
The Finance Minister said the requested budget was badly needed to help pay workers salaries, to help airlift the Cuban doctors into the country, so that medical students can resume their university studies, to purchase fertilizer for Gambian farmers, to rescue NAWEC’s budgetary needs among other financial commitments facing the state.
The Kombo South Majority leader said he is not going to support what he called such an “unconstitutional” supplementary bill. He instead called on Minister Mamburay Njie to resign.
“The supplementary budget bill is very unconstitutional, very unprofessional and it is against the principles of democracy in this country. This is the Gambia we fought for; for 22 years and nobody will come and micromanage us here. It is not going to be passed in the National Assembly. I am oppose to the bill. I will approve not the bill. ,” he said.
“There is a lot of inconsistency in this bill. From 1.2 billion to 580 billion. Why are you asking us to pay for another 580 million? For what? There is no consistency in this bill. We are not going to support it. It is not in the interest of The Gambian people. The salaries have been budgeted for 2018. What happened to the salaries for 2018? Who gave them the authorization to reinstate those personnel at the Ministry of Defense, paying them millions of dalasis.,” he queried.
The Majority Leader said the Finance Minister’s bill is questionable by all standards. He contends that it makes no sense for the Minister to ask for budgetary allocation to purchase fertilizer for farmers, when in his own words “farmers produce” for this year’s trade season are yet to be bought. He said some of the farmers will resort to selling their produce to neighboring Senegal, because of lack of buyers in Banjul.
“I am calling on the Minister to resign because he is bringing things that will bring loggerhead in the country. I am not going to support this bill. It is very wrong and unconstitutional,” the Majority Leader said.
Alhagie S Darboe, another UDP MP, also opposed the bill. He said the bill was flawed and totally misplaced. Darboe argued that they as MPS, it is their duty to lay a solid foundation for upcoming MPS in the interest of Gambia’s democratization.
“I cannot oppose the bill the other day, and approve it today. My conscience wouldn’t allow me to approve this bill. I am voting no,” he said, adding that they will not allow anyone to micromanage them.
Darboe said even if it means spending the night at the National Assembly, they will do it, but they will not allow anyone to fool them with such a misplaced bill. He accused the state of tabling the bill at an odd hour, when some of the MPS had already left for the day.
The supplementary bill was approved following a vote from the Speaker of the House Mariam Jack Denton. It was tie vote. 16 MPS voted against the bill, 16 supported it. The Speaker’s vote facilitated the approval of the bill.
Written By Pa Nderry M’Bai
Email: panderrymbai@gmail.com
Tel: 919-749-6319
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