By Amadou Jadama
Abdoulie Bojang, a politician and one time independent candidate for Foni Kansala, has called a for rethink and possible scrapping of the Constituency Development Fund, arguing that the fund be instead invested in national security, health, education, agriculture and energy rather than allocating it to National Assembly Members.
In a writeup shared with The Standard yesterday, Mr Bojang said: “The Constituency Development Fund (CDF) in The Gambia, which allocates over 125 million dalasi to National Assembly members, demands urgent scrutiny. While the intention behind the fund may be to enhance local development, its implementation has largely fallen short, leading to widespread concerns about inefficiency and corruption and should be scrapped”.
Mr Bojang added that as citizens grapple with pressing developmental needs, the continued existence of this fund appears increasingly untenable, simply because of the manner the fund is utilised.
According to him, many politicians have employed the CDF for projects that are little more than “white elephants”—initiatives that consume resources without delivering tangible benefits to the community.
“The lack of proper oversight and accountability exacerbates this problem, as many NAMs do not provide transparent expenditure reports to their constituents. A further critical flaw is the absence of consultation with local development experts and authorities. Effective development requires a collaborative approach, one that aligns financial resources with the genuine needs and aspirations of local communities, ” he said.
He further stressed that the current framework allows for decisions to be made without input from those who possess the relevant expertise. Mr Bojang added that, this disconnect leads to poorly conceived projects that fail to address the real challenges faced by the districts, adding that taxpayer-funded projects necessitate rigorous audits and comprehensive reporting.
Mr Bojang went on to argue that government must prioritise transparency, ensuring that all projects funded by public money are aligned with the national development policy objectives. “Without such oversight, the potential for misuse of funds remains high, leaving citizens disillusioned and frustrated”.
“In light of these issues, it is imperative for the Gambia government to reassess the CDF. Rather than perpetuating a system fraught with inefficiency and potential corruption, the government should consider redirecting these funds toward more pressing national security and development priorities—such as health, education, energy, and agriculture, “he said.
