Sulayman Jeng, Birmingham, UK
Your leadership partiality has lately become a much discussed subject. As such many conclude given the current NAM electioneering, it is appropriate if you can postpone your scheduled nationwide visit until after the campaign to avoid further denting of your reputation. The reason being however much you try to remain aloof, you will eventually get entangled in the politicking. Since the coalition has not presented candidates for the NAM election, it will further compromise your leadership impartiality and as independent supervisor of the team to throw your weight for any particular political party. You can brush the caution off as insignificant but I can assure you that it will haunt you. I hurts to see you under such stifling pressure to either please your party or lean towards popular demand. Perhaps it will help if you reconcile with another Wolof truism: “If you are eliminating your enemies, it is your relatives who would be extinct first”.
Mr President, it is often said like minds think alike. Laye Jallow (Na mo), has mirrored my thoughts for our chat this morning. When I learned of PMO’s nationwide personnel review to ascertain the integrity of government’s payroll. He argued and I concurred:
“Governments throughout the world are prone to extensive embezzlement by politicians and those entrusted with the public’s resources. These acts induce the misallocation of resources, foster distrust in leaders, and threaten the very pillars of democracy. And while the adverse consequences of corruption have been long recognized, spot checks like the one being embarked on, and regular comprehensive audits will help to curb the occurrences and effects of these malfeasance.
The urgent need to curb the misuses and abuse of public resources has led governments to establish National Audit Offices and adopt audit programs aimed at uncovering the misuse of public resources, which not only increase the probability of detecting wrongdoing, but also provide the requisite information to both voters, as well as prosecutors, to hold public officials accountable for malfeasance. Here’s a look at the role these governmental audits play in reducing political corruption through the promotion of electoral and judicial accountability.
In budding and manageable democracies like The Gambia, these governmental audits can be an effective instrument for not only promoting accountability, but also enhancing judicial punishment in response to well evidenced findings that can be tied to specific actions of the responsible individuals. These audits become one of the most effective policies in the fight against corruption as they help to increase the legal actions taken against custodians of public resources found to be embezzling by increasing the chances of a police crackdown or a conviction in court.
The information obtained through these audits can help promote public sector accountability. However, audits alone might not be sufficient to reduce corruption in the long run, especially if in response, public officials are able to adjust their strategies or find alternative forms of circumventing the existing controls. Therefore, a strategy for sustainable reduction in corruption may instead require policies aimed at improving the government’s capacity – through the Auditor General’s Office – to detect and prosecute public officials found to be wanting and by channelling adequate resources to other anti-corruption agencies who can implement well-executed random audits”.
Mr President, after the PMO’s payroll audit, salaries and allowances review of civil servants must equally be undertaken to equate earning with living standards of employees. For instance a police officer who earns D2, 500. 00 net pay, spends D600 on transport, D1500 on rent, his feeding for the month isn’t even budgeted couple with other expenses such as medication, children’s needs etc., how do you expect such an officer not to fall for bribery? Salaries and allowances increment for the lower income earners is long overdue.
What about NAWEC, Mr President? It has been reported that some of their staff are enjoying free electricity and water supply constantly at the expense of tax payers. The department needs a thorough review and audit to ascertain its needs, shortfalls, capacity, and why it has been poorly managed over the years. I will look at NAWEC in detail in our tomorrow’s chat, Mr President. Until then, have a lovely day.
