By Omar Bah
The National Assembly Member for Bundungka Kunda has advised President Barrow to adopt a meritocracy and remove any public official who cannot deliver.
Speaking in a Star FM Wake-up Gambia Show to be aired this morning, Sulayman Jammeh said: “We [public officials] should respect the positions we are entrusted with and ensure that we do what is in the interest of the people we serve. There are many people working in the government who do not care about their work. If you are entrusted with a position, you should give it all the care the position deserves. But all this [dysfunctionality] is happening because people know they can always get away with not delivering. Had it been otherwise and they know there would be consequences [for their ineptitude], they will be careful and do the right thing.
“So if you appoint somebody and later realise that the person is not delivering or he or she doesn’t have the efficiency to perform, before continue wasting taxpayers’ money, you should ask the person to excuse himself or you transfer him somewhere else. So, it is important to have regular appraisals for government employees to ensure effective service delivery,” Jammeh said.
The respected grassroots politician said if any leader desires success, he should make constant monitoring and regular appraisals a pillar of his governance structure.
“You cannot appoint people and then allow them to do whatever they want because, at the end of the day, the blame comes back to you. The buck stops with you. This is why I want to appeal to President Barrow to pay attention to these things. There are many people serving in government who simply do not care,” he added.
The APRC NAM also raised concern about the lack of “proper and sustainable measures” to address seasonal floods in the country. He commended the government for offering relief to disaster victims but expressed his disappointment over the lack of efforts to address the root causes of the perennial floods.
