Opinion: Is President Barrow Using State Resources for Personal and Partisan Activities?
Senegal’s President Faye and The Gambia’s President Barrow (c) State House Facebook
By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT
State House issued a press release on 9th May 2024 announcing that President Adama Barrow will tour industrial areas and inaugurate rural health centres, however, the statement adds that the Fatou Bah-Barrow Foundation (FaBB) and the NPP Regional Bureau will be inaugurated during the Presidential Tour starting today 10th May 2024.
This raises questions about President Adama Barrow’s mixture of partisan and personal activities during his presidential tour.
The rest of the statement highlights the following;
1. Jummah prayers at the opening of a Bakau New Town Mosque and the launch of the Fatou Bah-Barrow Foundation (FaBB) at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara Conference Center – 10th May 2024
2. Industrial Tour Greater Banjul Area, Kombos, Fonis, and Kiang – 14th to 16th May 2024
3. Inauguration of Jarra Soma Central Mosque – 17th May 2024
4. Inauguration of Tumana and Mankamang Kunda Health Center – 17th to 20th May 2024
5. Visit Swami Ltd Banana Farm and Jah Agrofoods and Farm Industry - 17th to 20th May 2024
6. Opening of Salikenni, Chessay Majaw Hospital - 21st to 23rm May 2024
7. Opening of NPP Regional Bureau from - 21st to 23rd May 2024
The presidential delegation is expected to return to Banjul on 23rd May 2024.
President Adama Barrow’s State Functions
Looking at the list of activities to be attended by President Adama Barrow and his delegation which will surely consume state resources it’s remarkable to observe that partisan political and personal activities are included in the President’s Tour.
Even if they were included in the tour without the notification of the public, the audacity to publish these activities which are clearly personal and partisan in nature in a press release hints that the President and his advisors don’t see anything wrong in this.
Fatou Bah Barrow is the First Lady. Her functions can not be termed a State Function as the Office of the First Lady is not a constitutionally mandated office. In other countries with proactive branches of government, Parliament would hold the government to account through summoning and questioning. Civil Society Organisations would test the Judiciary’s independence by seeking a ruling on the matter.
It remains to be seen how much taxpayers' money will be spent on the following activities, which may be deemed personal and partisan.
1. Jummah prayers at the opening of a Bakau New Town Mosque and the launch of the Fatou Bah-Barrow Foundation (FaBB) at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara Conference Center – 10th May 2024
2. Inauguration of Jarra Soma Central Mosque – 17th May 2024
3. Opening of NPP Regional Bureau from - 21st to 23rd May 2024
One expense that is not often considered is the time lost by government officials failing to attend to their daily functions only to attend Presidential Tours, sending off and receiving the President from his travels.
While The Gambia continues to waste state resources on such activities, Senegal's newly elected President Diomaye Faye has decided to do away with the practice where officials send off and welcome the President from his travels
#StateResources #TheGambia #PresidentialTour #StateFunctions
