Gambia’s president Adama Barrow has expressed the need for African countries to close ranks in their efforts to curb corruption.
“Africa is speaking the same voice on how we deal with corruption. A lot of resources has been wasted in Africa, it is now time that Africa come together and fight corruption if we mean development for Africa,” Barrow told reporters Tuesday evening upon his arrival at Banjul International Airport.
Last week, a-two day African Union (AU) summit took place in Nouakchott, Mauritania. The event, which brought together more than 30 Heads of State, provided an opportunity for participants to discuss a wide ranging issues. The fight against corruption topped the debates including institutional reforms of the continental body.
President Barrow who vowed to right the wrongs of the past in the tiny West African nation said the African Head of States were serious about taking such a move, and committed themselves to building strong institutions that would help fight corruption.
“Even if we cannot eliminate corruption 100 percent, at least, we can minimize it in the interest of our continent. I think this was the main focus and direction of the summit,” he added.
Global anti-graft watchdog Transparency International said corruption is still a problem in Africa, and continues to hold back the continent.
African countries appear at the bottom of the 2017 Corruption Perception Index (CPI) with an average rating of 32.
Described by many people as a ‘sporting activity’ under the previous regime, the phenomenon seems to have gained vivacity in New Gambia, prompting #DAFADOY campaigners to take to the streets to denounce corruption.
To many observers, this renewed commitment sets high expectations for President Adama Barrow to establish the much awaited anti-corruption commission…
Written by Abdoulie JOHN
The fight against corruption must start with your former finance minister now moved to trade. This man should never be given another chance to rob Gambians.
Do not make allegation without substantiate and crystal clear evidence. The government of the day must do more in fighting corruption in the New Gambia…attitudes must change and national interest before individual interest. Acceptance of corruption as “part of the system” must be eradicated and this must be down across the entire institutions. The president has opened a new chapter and I do hope, attitudes are changed for the betterment of the country.
At the minimum, it is a paradoxical game of “musical chairs” to remove a Finance Minister from his Portfolio only to give him the Minister of Trade Portfolio. It seems to me, the two Portfolios are the two sides of the same “Coin”. No pun intended. Our Political leaders can do better and the Gambians must pushed them ever so persistently to do better. Gambia is Too Small to Fail.
In January 2018 President Barrow warned Gambians about corr3,he said “We must be vigilant against the problem of corrupt practices. My administration declares intolerance to all forms of corrupt and fraudulent practices. Misappropriation of funds, bribery and corruption in public office are illegal, disgraceful as well as breed mistrust,” he said.
Suuñiaro anning tapaa leeya (Sacha aak raambaj) are not the main causes of our underdevelopment. These are below tyrannical and unintelligent lying leadership, and chronic economic stagnation. They are however interlinked. The biggest practitioners of corruption though, are the ones who should be battling it. The contradiction is glaring. Now that we see even the president and his ministers building multi-million Dalasi mansions in their home towns at the expense of the ordinary tax payer, we will magnify our call for this government to vacate office and pay back stolen wealth. No mincing of words.
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When the biggest thieves on the face of the planet meet to discuss corruption, graft and all ills in Africa, then Africa and Africans should start wailing the moment the flights of the diriimos (Gambian big rats) touches down at the meeting venue. For more than half a century, the same meetings and the same sorry outcomes, year in, year out. And still no sign of the United Africa that will stop Europe, America and Asia from prostituting our resources and killing our youth in the Mediterranean Sea.
This is an AU of partying heads of states, parliamentarians and minister. They meet, wine and dine and get paid for that.
Afrikka rise!!
Yours in the service of The Gambia and the Black Nation, I remain.
Mwalimu; You are just accusing, build multi million dalasi house doesn’t mean is a stolen money. This is why Africa will be hard to develop, Africans are likely to be jealous instead you check and balance the fact nor will they rush to judgment, in the case of adma barrow he got something before becoming a president. In the case of yaya Jammeh, he got nothing before becoming a president. If I want to know where the sources sources of wealth coming from, this required to make a research.
My heart has no reason to be jealous of Adama and/or Yaya. Adama, from his own mouth claim the house in Manka Mang Kunda to be a donation. He also SAID the electrification of his village was a good will gesture from Akon.
Political ethics should have barred him from accepting both gestures on moral grounds. That’s a corrupt practice that would have cost him the presidency if Gambia would have been a vibrant democracy where the citizenry is conscious of their inallianable rights.
What more research evidence do you need?
To say it is because of people like me Africa is not developed is an illusion I believe. Am a tax paying citizen of The Gambia. Am not sure the same could be said of Adama if we are to assess the tax compliance of his businesses. What will be the difference there to Yaya? They are the same!
We know as a fact, that Ousainou owes the state over due tax arrears and he probably is illigally occupying the VP position. Tafel, let’s go get them. Am not the culprit here.
Mwalimu; what sort of leaders do you expect to be in the Gambia ? Since Gambia has her independent in 1965 update what kind of leaders you do you want ? Please make your answers simple also I am not trying to scrutinize.
You can of course scrutinize, Tafel. But am asking myself: what’s there to scrutinize? Having your own different opinion to mine is no scrutiny. That’s healthy in any democratic space. Going personal is a totally different thing.
But to help me answer your question, I do have one question for you:
What type of political leadership have we had in Gambia and Africa in general since “independence”?
The new government of Sierra Leone has decided to grant amnesty to any of the past government officials who are ready to return the money or properties they owned illegally acquired through corruption during their time in office. Unless people like Amadou Sanneh and Mohamed Manjang can return the millions they looted within the past year.
The new government of Sierra Leone has decided to grant amnesty to any of the past government officials who are ready to return the money or properties they owned or illegally acquired through corruption during their time in office. Unless people like Amadou Sanneh and Mohamed Manjang can return the millions they looted within the past year they should never be allowed to serve this government.
Building up hatred will Not Take us anywhere lies and accusation against your country people and Government will never bring us any Development in the gambia and also accusing people of corruption without evidences is Evil and dishonest to yourself and the gambia at large.i Feel sorry for most you people who Doesn’t have any Good Intentions for the country but rather encouraging satanic actions and pulluting peoples Mines with nonsensical accusation without proofs. Allah is watching
I have taken the time to read some of the posts above. The grammatical and semantic errors, including mine, are a confirmation that we have to do away with English and aspire to be literate in our own languages. The use of a foreign language in our strive to develop our people and country is total madness at best. Am not one to criticize anyones language ability, talk much less of English. What am emphasizing is that through no fault of our own, the English language is NOT delivering for us. To continue with it means ridiculing ourselves for want, in the face of abundance.
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@those allergic to critism of Adama: every Gambian is entitled to their opinions. Including you. Isn’t that the reason ALL OF US fought so hard to dislodge Yaya and his criminal enterprise. If we smell a resurgence of Yaya‘s modus operandi, we will TALK. People were killed under Yaya‘s watch and justice was denied to the victims and their relatives. Aruna Jammeh was gunned down and still no answers are made available to his family. Why jump the equal urgency in that case that is right now accorded to the Faraba case. Only a game of numbers? How is Adama different there to the Yaya?
Mind you, I, did not say Adama is engaged in the wholesale slaughter of Gambians. I remain within the confines of specifics.
On the plundering of our resources, I don’t think we are under any illusion that there is currently a huge mismanagement of our national resources (money and marketable tangibles). Asking me for evidences, will be like asking any of you the readers and commenters to pinpoint my true identity. You know I exist, but you can’t say who I am. Same principle applies there. If you have contact to the inner circle of the present government, the corruption and nepotism going on will hit you like a thunder bolt. The freuquent travels under Yaya has not changed a bit under Adama and Ousainou. What is the difference then? I have heard many say the freedom of expression is unprecedented and we should be thankful to this government for that. I’ll say let them try silencing Gambians and see. They will realize every Gambian has earned that right. It’s not a gift of charity.