By Ramatoulie Jawo
The National Assembly Member for Brikama North, Hon. Alhagie S. Darboe warned the government of the Gambia against using the Electricity Restoration and Modernisation Project (GERMP) to score political points.
Hon. Darboe made these remarks at the Parliament earlier on Monday While they (NAMs) were considering and ratifying the Financial Agreement between the Government of the Republic of The Gambia and the European Investment Bank on the Electricity Restoration and Modernisation Project (GERMP) also called Gambia Renewable Energy Project (GREP).
“We are looking forward to the implementation of the project. Focus on the implementation that will not look like political fanfare. Start the work now when it is approved, don’t wait until when it is campaign time then the president goes on campaign with it to distribute it to the people as if he is doing it just to have political aid,” Hon. Darboe to the Minister.
Hon. Darboe said they have seen projects where the president waited until when it was time for the campaign, he went with them to distribute them during his political campaign rallies which he described “as very wrong.”
“These are issues that we need to be addressing immediately. When it is approved, the funds are available, we should not wait for any avenue for the implementation. We should start as soon as possible. I am just making reference to certain things that happened, and I don’t want a repeat of that. We are open, we are very objective, and we are very rational in our work as parliamentarians to approve it. The Executive should do the implementation and let them try and do it with due diligence,” he highlighted.
The National Assembly is currently on its first extraordinary session of the 2023 legislative year.