Dear editor,
I just read somewhere that Government Spokesman Ebrima Sankareh said Adama Barrow is the singular permitting authority for diplomatic passports.
It seems to me that this decision was hastily made without the benefit of debate and or discussion with the responsible government agency; Ministry of Foreign Affairs MOFA.
I think Adama Barrow is usurping authority that primarily belongs to MOFA with consultations with the presidency.
Besides, Adama Barrow, I know for certain, doesn’t know the concert of diplomacy, let alone make decisions that relate to the work of a diplomat. Factually, more educated MOFA staff may not even know the intellectual concept.
To ably represent Gambia to the international community is tricky and complex, and deserves acumen most people lack.
I am sure Adama Barrow thinks making such a decision is a moment in time; it’s not.
This is a process; from hiring the right person to empowering them with a Gambian seal; which the diplomatic passport is.
So, I hope Adama Barrow is not singularly left to decide who qualifies for a diplomatic passport.
I know where he’ll take this; it will be politicized to serve his political interest.
And that would be one more tragedy, on top of all the other tragedies he has created in such a short space of time.
But it gets worst.
In the same press release, Ebrima Sankareh insinuated that those who got diplomatic passports before, legally, will be allowed to retain them.
This is one of the dumbest things in his PR. Many people who don’t deserve the diplomatic passports, because it was used for their personal benefit, not Gambia’s, would be allowed to retain them, because they were legally obtained.
Diplomatic passports were sold and shady characters, from Middle Eastern terrorists to international drug dealers, were issued with Gambian diplomatic passports. God help the Gambia. This is insanity.
Mathew K Jallow
USA
