By Ramatoulie Jawo
The National Assembly’s select committee on regional government, lands, and the ombudsman has recommended that the chairman and all councilors of the Janjanbureh Area Council be summoned to parliament for questioning. This recommendation follows the council’s failure to attend a meeting convened during an official visit by the committee members to Janjanbureh.
Presenting the committee’s report to lawmakers, Hon. Sulayman Jammeh, the committee’s chairperson, emphasized that the committee could not proceed with any activities due to the absence of the council’s chairman, deputy, and councilors, even though they were informed of the visit. Instead, it was the CEO and some staff members who welcomed the delegation. Jammeh further noted that this was not the first time the council demonstrated such behavior, referring to a similar incident during the committee’s 2022 nationwide tour.
As a result of the council’s absence, scheduled discussions and site visits were postponed and ultimately canceled. The committee members deemed this a “No Show” situation and expressed their disappointment, leading them to report the matter to the National Assembly for further action.
The committee has recommended that the Janjanbureh Area Council’s chairman and councilors be summoned by the National Assembly to answer for their absence.
“So, the committee recommended that the Chairman of Janjanbureh Area Council and all his Councilors should be summoned by the National Assembly for questioning over the no show situation they cause at the time of the visit,” he said.
Additionally, a motion was raised to establish a special committee to investigate matters of contempt. Lawmakers expressed their concerns and disappointment with the council’s behavior.
Hon. Fabakary T. Jatta, Speaker of the National Assembly, emphasized that the assembly represents the people and is the last hope for their concerns. He asserted that the necessary powers of the institution must be used to ensure accountability and progress for the people. He strongly condemned the council’s repeated disrespect and suggested the creation of a special select committee to address the issue and propose recommendations.
“If we fail to start lamenting on issues that bad, we are failing our people. All the necessary powers are vested in the institution to do good for the people. From this report, this action has happened for the second time. This is complete contempt of the National Assembly, therefore it must be put to an end,” he said.
Hon. Alhagie Mbowe, the member for Upper Saloum, highlighted that this was the second such incident, recalling a previous altercation between a committee member and a council representative. He called for immediate action to investigate and address the behavior, suggesting that disciplinary measures be imposed if necessary.
“And I think we need to put a stop to it now. Therefore, creating a special committee and calling all of them to the parliament to investigate and find out why they are behaving the way they behave.” he said.
Following extensive deliberation, Hon. Lamin Ceesay, the member for Kiang West, moved a motion under section 53 (K) of the National Assembly’s standing orders to form a special select committee to investigate the matter concerning the Janjanbureh Area Council, as raised in the local government committee’s report. The motion was seconded and passed.