A number of National Assembly members have vehemently denounced the president’s decision to remove Auditor General Modou Ceesay by force, calling it unconstitutional and a danger to democratic administration.
Hon. Almami Gibba, National Assembly Member (NAM) for Foni Kansala, brought up the issue initially, describing it as a serious constitutional crisis that threatens the National Audit Office’s independence.
Lawmakers from all political parties participated in the debate. Many people were upset and worried, claiming that the president had broken the law.
The president was advised by Hon. Alfusainey Ceesay, NAM for Sami, to refrain from taking any acts that would cause instability in the nation. He stated that the president need to be counseled against stirring up trouble in this nation.
The office of the Auditor General is an independent institution, and the president does not have the legal right to remove Ceesay or shift him to a ministerial position, according to Brikama North Minority Leader Hon. Alagie S. Darboe.
“The president did not have the discretionary authority to remove the AG or reassign him to any ministerial position because the office of the auditor is independent,” he stated.
Central Badibou’s Hon. Sulayman Saho called the conduct a “complete violation” of the constitution. He maintained that the events of this month’s 15th were a complete breach of our constitution. He said that the action violated Modou Ceesay’s rights and that “the president doesn’t have any power based on our law to give a directive or, through his IG, to give a directive to the security forces to go and remove the Auditor General from his office.”
The Assembly was reminded by Hon. Alagie Mbowe of Upper Saloum that laws, not opinions, govern the Gambia. Indeed, that is the reason we claim to be a democratic nation, but we also need to recognize that the constitution and other parliamentary acts established autonomous institutions, and that these institutions in turn produced regulations pertaining to appointment and term limits,” he stated.
Modou Lamin Bah, the member of the National Assembly for Banjul North, also offered his thoughts on the subject, emphasizing that the president cannot run the nation on his own whims or pride.
We must realize that the president of the Republic of the Gambia cannot govern this nation on the basis of feelings and ego; otherwise, it will not advance. This time, the president and the office made a mistake. This incident is unacceptable and devastating. It is incorrect to forcibly remove the auditor general from his office. Along with other lawmakers, I will request that the president overturn or modify that decision. No matter what, the auditor general has to return to his office,” Bah said.
Brikama South’s Hon. Lamin J. Sanneh issued a warning about concerning political trends, especially in the run-up to the next election. He questioned whether the president’s assertion that Ceesay had agreed to take a ministerial position was true. “The auditor general is required here, and he hasn’t actually received any written documents. Give it to the people if you have it. The president cannot listen to so-called advisors; you are aware of the situation on the ground, but if you do what Dick, Tom, and Harry ordered you to do and you keep doing it, it will backfire,” he warned.
Insisting that the president’s conduct created a risky precedent and compromised the independence of important state institutions, a number of parliamentarians joined the appeal for Auditor General Ceesay’s reinstatement.
