By Fatou Sillah
The National Assembly Member for Kiang West Constituency, Hon. Lamin Ceesay has called for clarification on the spending of D10 million allocated for borehole drilling across the Gambia.
Addressing the assembly, Hon. Ceesay expressed concern over the apparent delay in the implementation of the borehole drilling project, which had a budget of 10 million Dalasis in 2022. He noted that as of the last quarter of 2023, only D3.6 million had been disbursed from the Ministry of Finance, and he questioned the reasons behind the shortfall.
“Hon. Speaker, we appropriated 10 million Dalasis in 2022 for the drilling of boreholes across the country, still this is not done. What is going on? As at the last quarter of 2023, only D3.6 million is what have been disbursed from the Ministry of Finance. From a reliable source, only D3.6 million have been disbursed from the Ministry of Finance. Why? This must be told to this August Assembly. Because we appropriate things to our people,” Hon. Ceesay asked.
Furthermore, the NAM underscored the importance of improving access to clean water for citizens, stating that after 58 years of independence, it is unacceptable for people to still rely on open wells and local pumps. He urged the Ministry to clarify the status of the implementation, the communities benefitting from the funds, and the contractors involved.
“We cannot see our people 58 years after independence still drinking from open wells or Local Pumps is unacceptable. We must graduate from that. We should be crying about Higher Education and other things. But we must graduate our people from using Local Pumps and open Wells. The Ministry must tell us how these funds are spent and why they were not disbursed. The little that was disbursed—where are the communities they are going into, and what is the status of the implementation? And contract for all these projects you awarded to various contractors,” He asked.
In addition, Hon. Ceesay sought information from the Minister regarding the 50 million US Dollars announced by the President for fisheries development. He called for details on the source of the funds, the donors involved, and an urgent audit of the Fisheries Development Fund.
“Hon. Speaker, presently, His Excellency publicly informed the public about 50 million US Dollars that the fisheries have for the fisheries’ development. Tell us the source of these funds and who the donors are. The 80 million Gambian Dalasis fisheries development fund. Tell us how it has been spent and how it has been disbursed. We want an urgent audit of the Fisheries Development Fund, the funds that are appropriated for the Fisheries Sector, and that of the Ministry of Youth and Sports. Because our Nation must use our resources wisely,” Hon. Ceesay said.
The NAM also raised questions about the Ministry’s plans to procure 20 fishing boats. He requested information on the cost of each boat, the status of previously purchased boats for fish landing sites, and the criteria used for communities to benefit from these projects. Additionally, he inquired whether the boats were provided for free or on a loan basis, with a focus on ensuring equitable distribution and recovery mechanisms.
“Hon. Speaker, I have done my research very well, and I have been reliably informed that the Ministry of Fisheries is about to procure 20 fishing boats. These 20 fishing boats that the Ministry is about to procure, and the process is going on. Tell us the cost of each boat, we need the cost of each boat. Can the Ministry, through the Hon. Minister, provide this August Assembly with the status of the past boats that were bought for various fish landing sites? Tell us about the communities that were the beneficiaries of these boats.
“Let them also please tell this August body the criteria that were used for the various communities to benefit from these projects. Were these boats given for free or on a loan basis? So that the recovery can be powered back to other communities that have not benefited for the first time,” He Asked.
Hon. Lamin Ceesay urged the Ministry to provide comprehensive and timely explanations on these matters to ensure accountability and prudent use of national resources.