President Barrow Must Rein In the First Lady!!
By Ndey Jobateh
The Gambian people did not elect her. We did not give her a Constitutional mandate. Being married to the President does not confer Executive authority, nor does it place anyone above public institutions or public servants carrying out their duties.
And this cannot simply be dismissed as hearsay. Ebrima Dibba has given his account, and Lamin Bojang, the Head of Security at the Ferry Terminal, has spoken about what happened to him after Dibba’s vehicle was allowed onto the ferry.
So the question is no longer simply about personalities. It is about power, authority and accountability.
By what authority should a First Lady influence what happens at a public institution?
Why should a public servant face consequences for performing his official duties?
And if someone ordered action against that officer, who gave that order and under what lawful authority?
President Barrow must understand that the Presidency is not a family institution.
He was elected. His wife was not.
The title “First Lady” is not an elected office and must never become a parallel centre of State power.
Public institutions belong to the Gambian people. Public servants serve the Republic, not the President’s family.
President Barrow, rein in the First Lady. The Gambia is a Republic, not a family estate.
National Human Rights Commission, The Gambia
Edward Francis Small Centre for Rights and Justice
