By: Dawda Baldeh
Former Independent Presidential Candidate Mamadou Bah, also known as Obama Bah, has urged comprehensive ministerial reforms in the nation.
In an interview with The Fatu Network, Bah, who vied for the country’s top leadership position, emphasized the necessity of reforms across all ministries to enhance service quality.
He asserted that the urgency for robust ministerial reform is crucial now more than ever, given the country’s economic challenges and widespread youth unemployment.
He believes that addressing these issues effectively requires a restructuring of government agencies.
Bah highlighted that while having 21 ministries may appear suitable, the focus should be on tackling youth unemployment and instability in various regions through a more streamlined approach.
He suggested that to mitigate the impact of external factors on limited resources, certain ministries should be reformed by merging them with others to eliminate redundancy and save essential resources.
The suggested ministries for consolidation are as follows:
Ministry of Defense: This ministry should be placed directly under the Office of the President, managed by a Permanent Secretary, to ensure the highest level of authority and oversight in defense matters.
Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy & Ministry of Information:
These ministries, with overlapping functions, could be merged to concentrate on communications, digital transformation, and information dissemination.
Ministry of Agriculture & Ministry of Fisheries and Water Resources:
Due to the close link between agriculture and fisheries, these ministries could be combined to create a more cohesive strategy for managing natural resources and ensuring food security.
Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education & Ministry of Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology:
Education should be streamlined under a single Ministry of Education, covering all levels from basic to higher education, to save resources and adopt a more integrated approach to education policy.
Ministry of Sports: This ministry should focus solely on the holistic development of sports, from grassroots to national levels, to engage young people in diverse sporting activities and prepare them for global events like the Olympics.
Ministry of Youth, Trade, Industry, Regional Integration, and Employment: This ministry should encompass youth affairs, trade, industry, regional integration, and employment to address youth unemployment and economic development comprehensively.
Ministry of Public Service: This ministry, dealing with policies and public service, should also handle National Assembly matters due to its central role in legislative functions.
Bah strongly believes that by removing and consolidating these ministries, significant resources could be saved and redirected toward youth development projects, such as establishing regional youth farms nationwide.
He explained, “With qualified Permanent Secretaries in each consolidated ministry, daily government operations will not be disrupted, and the funds saved from ministerial salaries can be utilized to create job opportunities for the youth.”
He stressed that this reform is not just about reducing the number of ministries but about ensuring efficient, effective government operations that serve the best interests of the Gambian people.
“It is about establishing a government that is more accountable, closer to the people, and better equipped to meet the challenges of the modern world. Ultimately, it is about constructing a Gambia that is fair, sustainable, and prosperous for all,” he concluded.
