Presenting the latest progress report before lawmakers, FPAC Vice Chairperson, Hon. Alhagie Mbowe, highlighted that while some institutions such as the Accountant General and Auditor General had made headway, the Office of the Vice President had “failed” to furnish updates on almost every matter under its purview from unreconciled accounts, missing COVID-19 relief items worth over D100 million, to unanswered questions on shady contracts and unaccounted government vehicles.
“Sadly, if you look at all the resolutions from page one to the last page, where the resolution required an update from the Vice President, none of them were forthcoming,” Hon. Mbowe lamented. “If these resolutions were sent to the Vice President, why didn’t he respond? This is one of the clearest evidences that parliamentary resolutions are not respected by the executive.”
The report details staggering sums still outstanding: D18 million in unretired imprest, fraudulent withdrawals from sub-treasuries exceeding D9 million, and high-profile cases at the National Environment Agency and foreign missions. Yet, where FPAC expected leadership from the Vice President’s office in providing answers, there was only silence.
The most alarming revelation relates to COVID-19 funds. The NDMA, under the purview of the Office of the Vice President, failed to account for over D100 million in undelivered food items and D37 million in oil supply. “This happened at the most trying time for our people. Some civil servants were receiving only half salaries, while public officers played with millions meant to feed the nation. Yet the Vice President has not updated this Assembly,” Mbowe charged.
Hon. Lamin Ceesay, Member for Kiang West, took the floor to express anger at what he described as executive contempt. He argued that the Vice President’s refusal or failure to respond amounted to undermining parliament’s constitutional oversight role.
“This is why Gambians say our resolutions are not respected,” one member said. “How can the Vice President ignore corruption of this scale and not even give a reason? It is unacceptable.”
He warned that continued silence from the Vice President’s office would erode public trust in the National Assembly’s authority. Some called for the Assembly to “take its stand” and ensure that resolutions are enforced without fear or favour.
Beyond the Vice President’s silence, FPAC reported progress in other areas: the Accountant General recovered over D4.8 million from civil servants through payroll deductions; fraudulent cases at Banjul ports and sub-treasuries are now in court; and integration of government projects into the IFMIS accounting system is expanding rapidly.
“These developments were overshadowed by the glaring lack of accountability from the Vice President’s office. Resolutions on the rehabilitation of State House, the Banjul drainage project, seized timber proceeds with Senegal, and missing vouchers at institutions like Gambia College all remain unresolved, pending responses from the very office meant to coordinate such actions,” Hon. Mbowe stated.
