By: Muhammed Lamin Drammeh
Political analyst and lecturer at the University of The Gambia, Essa Njie, has described the recent purchase of cars each worth over D3.5 million for National Assembly Members as unfortunate, stressing that the parliament is not different from the executive arm of the government in wasting government expenditures.
He described them as a gang of people busy looting the country’s resources from ‘poor’ taxpayers.
The political science lecturer was reacting to the purchase of the exotic 2023 model Toyota Prada cars for National Assembly Members, 50 to 70 per cent of which, The Fatu Network understands, will be paid by taxpayers.
Reacting to the exorbitant cost of the vehicles at the expense of the myriad of challenges the people are faced within the country, Njie said the MPs are not different from the President Barrow executive in terms of wastage of public resources and mismanagement of public funds.
“It is unfortunate. We have a parliament that is not very different from the executives. Corruption, wastage of public resources and mismanagement of public funds are the order of the day in this country. They (parliamentarians) are not different from the executive in terms of wasting government expenditure’, the political lecturer stressed.
He went on further: “We know the executive buys many vehicles for government ministries and departments. It is the same thing happening in parliament too.
“If the executive is buying luxurious cars for ministers, permanent secretaries and directors, the same thing is happening in Parliament as well. From the speaker to the parliamentarians, they are equally buying luxurious vehicles. It is the same parliament that also approved the budget presented by the executive,” he commented.
Njie, however, said that he does not have any problem with the parliamentarians being allocated vehicles, but it does not make sense to buy exotic cars in which half of the cost will be paid by taxpayers who elected them to serve their interests.
He argued that the members of the parliament do not need to get a vehicle worth over 1 million dalasis when the country is faced with challenges that need to be solved to better the livelihood of Gambians.
He said that within five years, the parliamentarians can have a vehicle cheaper than the 2023 model Toyota Prado vehicles. Furthermore, he added that the members of the parliament should rather think of how to bring progressive laws to the country than focus on driving luxurious cars at the expense of the taxpayers.
Njie further emphasized that the parliament, which is supposed to be the voice of the people and hold the executive accountable for wasting public resources, is not different from them, describing the two arms of government as a gang of people that are busy looting from taxpayers.
“I think this is a gang of people that are just busy looting the country’s resources from the poor taxpayers. It is a chain of work for the executive and the parliament. Unfortunately, we have a parliament and executive that are 6&9 in terms of wastage of public resources.”
The members of parliament have come under intense criticism over the purchasing of exotic vehicles that are worth over 3.5 million dalasis, more than the cost expected to be paid by the government from taxpayers’ money.
The National Assembly member for Wuli East, Suwaibou TOURAY, outlined that the vehicles were budgeted for the year 2022 and not 2023. He mentioned that the decision to purchase these vehicles was approved by the fifth legislative council.
