The Edward Francis Small Centre for Rights and Justice hereby joins GALA in its Protest against Corruption scheduled to take place on Wednesday July 23rd from Iceman Junction to Westfield at 11am sharp. We urge all citizens of the Gambia to travel to Iceman Junction to stand against corruption which is eating into and destroying the social, political, economic and political life and future of this country. The time to stop corruption is long overdue hence all citizens must protest corruption now.
Why It is Necessary to Protest against Corruption
Protesting against corruption in The Gambia is necessary because corruption has historically crippled the country’s development, misdirecting public funds away from critical services like healthcare, education, and infrastructure. During Autocrat Yaya Jammeh’s regime, systemic corruption led to an estimated $1 billion loss to the country, impoverishing citizens while few elites profited. Even post-Jammeh, corruption persists, where official reports of mismanagement in public institutions are widespread and unchecked. Protests amplify public demand for accountability, push for stronger anti-corruption measures, and signal to leaders that citizens reject impunity. Without protests, entrenched corrupt practices risk continuing, stalling The Gambia’s democratic and economic progress.
The Dangers of Corruption
Corruption undermines governance, weakens institutions, fuels poverty, threatens peace and stability, and erodes public trust in Government. Corruption takes away hopes and opportunities and destroys the future. The effect of these ills results in the prevalence of crime, drugs abuse, deprivation and the Backway phenomenon. Corruption fuels social discontentment and disunity as citizens become frustrated over poor services and hardships hence lose patience and then blame and attack each other.
Why We Must Protest #GambiaAgainstCorruption #EnoughIsEnough
Protesting is not just a right guaranteed by the Constitution, but it is also a necessity, a moral imperative and a patriotic act. Protests drive change. Public pressure forces action. It was protests that led to the fall of the Yaya Jammeh Dictatorship. It was protest that led to the release of the list of buyers of Jammeh assets and the subsequent setting up of the parliamentary inquiry into Jammeh assets. The Gambia does not suffer from lack of resources, knowledge, skills or tools. It suffers from chronic corruption that must end today.
Corruption is not just a crime; it is also a betrayal of The Gambia’s future. Protests remind elected and appointed public officials that the people will not stay silent while resources are looted. Only sustained public pressure can force real change and sustain good governance, accountability, progress and prosperity for all. Protest today to end impunity.
2025 – The Year of Transparency and Accountability
