Dear editor,
The most devastating pandemic facing this country is not Covid-19, it is corruption. If any politician wants to improve the lives of Gambians and not predominantly concerned with gaining or preserving power, then tackling the menace of systemic corruption and strengthening democratic institutions like a free media, checks and balances on power, and an independent judiciary must be taken to the forefront of the political agenda.
Today, the fragmentation in the political landscape and the rising costs of living are not the only threats to our national unity, but the increasing number of reported corruption cases in the public service still not investigated for lack of political will is becoming of immense concern to the citizenry. Bribery continues to impede access to basic services, the country continues to endure blackouts despite the millions of dollars pumped into NAWEC to boost electricity transmission/ distribution, public transparency is getting more and more opaque, and the frequency of single sourcing over-inflated public contracts mostly without following tender procedures, all these enable corruption to flourish uncontrollably and with impunity.
In 2017 when Adama Barrow was sworn into office, a bill to fight corruption was already passed into law by the former government of Yaya Jammeh. In 2018, that same bill was revised and is still gathering dust somewhere at the National Assembly thus underscoring a need for urgent action. To engender public trust in the new administration, the elected president and unelected cabinet ministers (appointed by the president) were all required to make a written declaration of their assets before holding public office. That exercise never took off the ground indicating the lack of political will to take the fight against graft seriously, which unfortunately seriously affected the performance of the country in the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) of the Transparency International.
According to its newly released 2020 CPI report, the Gambia is the 102 least corrupt nation out of 180 countries. This is a drop from the 96th position in 2019. The report which was released on 28 January 2021, also presents a largely gloomy picture for countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. Out of the 49 African countries surveyed, only eight scored more than 43 out of 100 on the index. With the Gambia consistently scoring 37 points over the past three years, our country continues to be ranked among the most corrupt countries in the world.
By failing to put anti-corruption measures at the top of his agenda, Barrow’s new government has not been faring well in closing those loopholes that enable corruption in the public service to flourish and bring those involved in it to account. A key policy strategy in curbing graft in the public service must be operationalized and the implementation of the anti-corruption law be expedited. To counter the negative perception of rampant corruption in the civil service, reintroducing the asset declaration by ministers and other top public officers in the position of trust should be prioritized.
Confronting corruption should no longer be left in the hands of politicians or parliamentarians, it should be a national crusade likened to the fight against the coronavirus. While the country has signed and ratified the AU Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption as well as the United Nations Anticorruption Convention, implementing the country’s anti-corruption law is still regarded as a work in progress.
Across the sub-region, Gambia is the only country without a functioning anti-corruption agency or commission. That speaks volumes about how our performance in the CPI ranking has been dropping under this new administration. Without a strong anti-corruption institution, impunity becomes the foundation upon which systems of corruption are built. And not demolishing impunity, all our efforts in the fight against corruption and graft in the public service will be in vain.
As the 2021 Presidential election is fast approaching, let us use our voting cards to select the right person who will put the interest of the people before personal wealth and power. The ball, as they say, is in our court.
Morro Gaye
