By Arret Jatta
The Clerk of the National Assembly has confirmed receiving a petition calling for an investigation into Deputy Speaker Seedy Njie over alleged tribal and politically discriminatory remarks contained in widely circulated audio recordings.
Speaking to The Standard on Tuesday, the clerk confirmed that the petition had officially been received by his office.
Asked about the next step regarding the petition, the clerk explained that the matter would follow the established parliamentary procedures governing public petitions.
“So we are just going to process it according to the rules. It’s going to take the normal procedure as far as public petitions are concerned according to the parliament standing orders,” he stated.
The petition was filed by Omar Camara, civil society activist Madi Jobarteh, and journalist Baboucarr Nyang.
The petitioners are urging lawmakers to refer the matter to the Public Petitions Committee and initiate an independent parliamentary inquiry into statements allegedly made by the deputy speaker.
According to the petition, the alleged remarks suggest that political affiliation or criticism of President Barrow could influence appointments, dismissals, and opportunities within public institutions.
The petition also raised concerns over alleged ethnic references in the recordings, particularly mentions of individuals being identified as “Mandinka”, which the petitioners argue could amount to discriminatory profiling and undermine national cohesion.
They further accused the deputy speaker of allegedly implying influence over recruitment and dismissal decisions within state institutions, as well as targeting individuals based on perceived political loyalties.
Describing the issue as one concerning constitutional governance and democratic accountability, the petition cites provisions of the 1997 Constitution relating to equality before the law, freedom of association, non-discrimination, and national unity.
The petitioners argued that failure to address the allegations could erode public trust in state institutions and damage perceptions of neutrality within the civil service and public administration.
