Dear editor,
The press statement by the Government Spokesman Ebrima Sankareh needs more clarity and honesty.
To just compose a statement with a bunch of high sounding words and slogans cannot derail or mislead conscious citizens.
Therefore I pose the following questions and concerns for the attention of Mr. Sankareh and his Government to address.
1. Which Gambian law authorizes the President to issue diplomatic passports! Can the Spokesman cite the specific law and the specific provision.
2. The investigation must not focus on only those who illegally acquired diplomatic passports.
It must also determine whether the President did not issue diplomatic passports to ineligible persons.
The President is not beyond corruption, nepotism, favoritism or patronage. Therefore the investigators must find out if the president did ever give out these passports to undeserving persons for whatever reasons.
3. Why is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs not part of the investigation panel given that diplomatic passports are about foreign affairs?
4. The investigation must not be limited such that the Government only manipulates it to suit its own interest.
The investigation must be thorough, open and consider all issues surrounding diplomatic passports.
Therefore who is the chair of the panel and which individuals constitute the panel?
5. How long will this investigation last so that we know when to expect results.
It has become routine for this Government to declare the opening of investigations into matters of concern yet nothing comes out at the end.
Until today the investigation report of the shooting to death of Haruna Jatta in Kanilai in 2017 is yet to come out, if indeed there was in fact an investigation in the first place.
Failure to address these questions and concerns would indicate that once again The Gambia Government is engaged in hoodwinking citizens.
As citizens we must not allow yet another government in The Gambia to throw dust into our eyes with cock and bull stories.
This press statement is empty, misleading, inadequate and in bad faith.
Let the Spokesman answer, truthfully
Madi Jobarteh
Kembuje village
