The deputy speaker of the National Assembly, Seedy Njie, has vehemently rebut claims by some members of the Diaspora Club that he used his influence to revoke a government permission for the group to build a maternity ward at Chamen Health Center.
The Diaspora Club is a nonpartisan organisation founded by Gambians living abroad to support marginalised groups in various sectors, including health and education.
Its members said an approval given to them by the ministry of health was later revoked soon after the inauguration of the project. The MOH said the decision to revoke the approval is due to a secured grant from the African Development Bank (AfDB) through the National Social Protection Secretariat to build new structures and renovate the existing ones at the entire health centre, but members of the Club blamed Seedy Njie, a native of Chamen for master-minding the revocation for political reasons. “Though the group’s intention was well received by the community of Chamen, there has been strong resistance from a certain government official (believed to be Seedy Njie) from the beginning,” said Joro Mbye a member of the Diaspora Club.
Reacting to these allegations, Mr Njie, said any suggestion that he influenced the cancellation of the project is false. On the contrary I am, and will always be at the fore front of development in Chamen as evidenced by numerous project interventions I single handedly implemented in various areas and I am still open to start or join any initiative that will develop Chamen,” he said.
Commenting on the specific allegation, Mr Njie, said he only got to know about the project when one Modou Cham, the chairman of the opposition United Democratic Party in Chamen called to invite him to the inauguration of a project at the health center. “In fact, I was initially told that he Cham had told people that I was on board and was aware of the inauguration and when I confronted him about that, he turned to ask for my help to get the project off the ground, and accused the NAM and the Chief of the area of working against it,” Mr Njie said.
He said he informed Mr Cham about a government project earmarked for Chamen health center and several others that will built a complete facility of accommodation, Laboratory,delivery and admission wards among other units at the health center. ”I told him that project is bigger and will provide a more holistic facility, and to avoid duplicity, he and his partners can direct their assistance to anywhere in the village or district,” Njie explained.
Mr Nie denied torpedoing the project because Mr Cham and members of the Diapora Club are seen to be from the opposition.
”They accused me of playing politics which is not true. I supported government initiative of course led by President Barrow and the minister of health. But in any case, they too sidelined the alkalo, the VDC and the Chief and instead chose to select a UDP chairman as project coordinator. So who is playing politics?” he asked.
Mr Njie concluded that the efforts of the Diapora Club is much appreciated and respected and the people of Chamen have already started talking to harmonise the common intention of both government and the Diaspora Club towards developing the Chamen health center.
