The Gambia Times calls on Ms. Mariam Denton-Jack, the Speaker of the National Assembly, to resign from office. Speaker Denton-Jack should have been the leading exemplar of integrity in one of the most prestigious national institutions for young Gambians. From her first day on the job, she has been failing awfully in that duty. But with her conducts in the National Assembly, yesterday, she reached the abyss of dishonorableness.
The Speaker displayed the highest level of disrespect to Honorable Halifa Sallah, a member of the National Assembly for Sere Kunda Constituency. She must be told that Hon. Sallah, unlike the Speaker, was elected by the people of Sere Kunda. Therefore, she has no power or authority to silence the people of that constituency — and by extension Gambians — through her unjustified attempt to remove their representative from legislative proceedings.
It’s obvious to all, including herself, that she will go down in history as the most incompetent of all her predecessors. Speaker Denton-Jack lacks basic understanding of constitutional law, parliamentary procedures, the Standing Orders of the National Assembly, social decorum and respect to effectively manage the affairs of our legislative assembly. In addition, she’s chronically anemic of the professionalism Gambians deserved from their public servants. But what should the public expect from a National Assembly nominee who was appointed into that august body because of political patronage? She owes her appointment to Mr. Ousainou Darboe, the leader of the United Democratic Party (UDP), whose interest she was determined to protect over that of the entire nation—her own country. The Minister of Finance attempted to throw dust in the eyes of the legislature to swindle the Gambian people into approving a general framework of a concessionary loan without presenting the underlining agreement to the National Assembly for scrutiny as provided for in our Constitution.
On Hon. Sallah’s objection, the motion was put through a parliamentary vote, which was supported by the majority that the loan agreement be presented to the body for examination. Then, the Minister of Finance went on the condescending tirade against members of the legislative body for not taking their matching orders from him. Hon. Sallah called him out not to disrespect them for discharging their responsibility. There and then, the speaker told Hon. Sallah “you are the one causing problems, get out!” Hon. Sallah was reported to have rightfully fired back at the Speaker “No! you get out; comport yourself because I respect you.” There she ordered the security forces to remove Hon. Sallah from the legislative body. Other courageous members of the National Assembly threatened to boycott the session if Hon. Sallah was removed from the chamber. Then, finally, she capitulated.
Speaker Denton-Jack should do the honorable thing to resign from the Office of Speaker and the National Assembly as she is incompetent for that position. She is a political hack hired to protect senile political elites. With her dishonorable actions, yesterday, the empress was stripped naked in broad daylight in the nation’s biggest Bantaba.
The Gambia cannot afford an unsustainable debt bingeing. The national debt stands at one hundred and twenty percent to the gross domestic products (GDP) amounting to more than one billion U.S. dollars. The national budget is ballooning currently at nineteen billion dalasis with a huge deficit of fifty-three percent— ten billion dalasis. The Barrow administration should understand that there is no free lunch, someone must pay back these loans with interest. It should not mortgage the future for short-term gratification.
Now, it should be clear to all critics of Hon. Sallah that he was right to have insisted that his destiny during this political transition is the National Assembly and not in President Barrow’s cabinet. Hon. Sallah saved The Gambia from an incompetent and secretive government protected by a renegade Speaker.