Kemo Bojang, United Democratic Party
It’s honestly laughable how the Minister of Agriculture is suddenly more concerned with attacking opposition mayors and chairpersons than actually addressing the struggles of Gambian farmers. Instead of giving us updates on what his ministry is doing to make life better for farmers, he’s busy trying to score cheap political points. Isn’t that ironic? The same man accusing others of playing petty politics is the one waist-deep in it himself.
But let’s be honest, this isn’t surprising. The minister clearly has bigger political ambitions and is just trying to make himself relevant within the NPP. We all know there’s a fierce competition for succession going on in their party, so his recent outbursts make perfect sense. What’s disappointing, though, is that instead of focusing on his job and serving the people, he’s more focused on positioning himself politically. Gambians need to be very wary of so-called “technocrats” who come into office with no track record, no history of serving the people, and end up using their positions to advance personal interests rather than national ones.
Since the minister seems so interested in how local councils are performing, it’s only fair that we flip the script and ask him a few questions about his own ministry. After all, transparency and accountability should go both ways.
1. Minister, it’s the middle of the groundnut season, yet farmers are still struggling and waiting to be paid for their groundnuts. What exactly is your ministry doing to address this urgent issue? Shouldn’t this be your top priority instead of political mudslinging?
2. Speaking of priorities, we’ve been hearing a lot about your ministry’s upcoming tender for tractors. We also know you’ve already identified certain businessmen to award these lucrative contracts to, behind closed doors and without any transparency. Can you clarify this? Or better yet, explain to taxpayers why due process is being ignored?
3. While we’re on the subject of procurement, your ministry has a reputation for quietly awarding contracts to NPP allies without going through proper tender processes. Are we wrong, or is this yet another example of how this government operates—putting political loyalty above fairness and accountability?
4. Finally, your ministry is one of the largest recipients of donor funding in the country. But most of these donor-funded projects either fail completely or end up riddled with irregularities. What do you have to say about that? Why should Gambians trust your ministry with any more funds when there’s so little to show for it?
Minister, the truth is you have enough on your plate already without adding petty politics to the mix. Focus on fixing the mess in your ministry instead of trying to pick fights with councils that are actually doing the work. And if you’re so passionate about UDP’s flagbearer, maybe it’s time you officially declared your political ambitions and left the ministry to someone who actually cares about Gambian farmers. After all, farmers need real solutions, not empty speeches and political distractions.
Kemo Bojang, Youth Counselor KMC