Accessibility is not a privilege - it is a duty
Mr President, public office is not a private estate. It is a public trust. From the highest office in the land to the lowest desk in a government department, accessibility is not optional; it is an ethical and constitutional obligation.
When public servants become unreachable - shielded by layers of gatekeepers, unanswered letters, ignored emails, or indefinite “come back tomorrow” responses - the social contract is quietly broken. Citizens begin to feel powerless, alienated, and disrespected. This is not merely a matter of convenience. Accessibility is governance in action.
The people pay the salary
It bears repeating, Mr President: Public servants are paid by the people they serve. Their salaries do not come from personal wealth, party structures, or benevolence. They come from taxes paid by market women and shopkeepers; customs duties paid by importers; PAYE deductions from teachers, nurses and security officers; and levies borne by farmers, drivers, and small entrepreneurs.
When a citizen cannot access a public servant, they are effectively denied service they have already paid for.
Availability builds trust; absence breeds frustration
Accessible leadership builds legitimacy. Leaders who listen - even when they cannot immediately solve problems - earn respect and trust. Conversely, leaders who are perpetually unavailable foster resentment, rumours, and disengagement.
Inaccessible governance often leads to: escalation of minor issues into national grievances, growth of informal “middlemen” and rent-seeking, perception of arrogance or indifference, and Decline in public confidence in state institutions.
This is not theoretical. It is visible in queues at ministries, unanswered correspondence, and citizens’ increasing reliance on personal connections rather than due process.
Public service is not about power - it is about responsibility
Mr President, authority in a republic is not an entitlement; it is a responsibility. Public servants are custodians of power temporarily entrusted to them. Their legitimacy is sustained not by titles or convoys, but by responsiveness and humility.
True leadership is demonstrated when: offices keep predictable and respected public hours; complaints are acknowledged, even if resolution takes time; citizens are treated with dignity, not suspicion, and public servants remember that silence is also a message - and often a damaging one.
A culture shift is needed
Mr President, what The Gambia needs is not new laws, but a renewed culture of service, a culture where: public servants see accessibility as part of their job description; senior officials lead by example in openness and responsiveness; and Ministries are measured not only by budgets spent, but by citizens served. This cultural shift must be driven from the top. When leadership models availability, the rest of the system follows.
A respectful call to action
Mr President, this is not a call for disorder or disrespect of office. It is a call for human-centered governance - one where the state remembers that it exists for the citizen, not the other way around.
The people do not ask for miracles; they ask to be heard, they ask to be received, they ask to be respected.
A public servant who is accessible strengthens democracy, a public servant who is available restores trust, and a government that listens governs better.
Mr President, the people are waiting - not for favours, but for service.
Good day!