The Gambian government’s spokesperson and presidential adviser on diaspora affairs, Ebrima G. Sankareh, has said that corruption should be viewed as a global challenge rather than a problem unique to The Gambia.
Speaking in an interview with West Coast Radio, Mr. Sankareh acknowledged that corruption remains a concern in the country but argued that the issue exists in every part of the world, regardless of a nation’s level of development.
“Corruption is a problem all over the world, from America to The Gambia—everywhere,” he said.
Mr. Sankareh maintained that no society is entirely immune from corruption, describing it as a challenge rooted in human behavior.
“There is not a single country that does not have corrupt people,” he said. “Some people are inherently corrupt, while others are inherently decent. That is the reality everywhere.”
He also defended the current administration against criticism over governance challenges, arguing that it is unfair to hold the government solely responsible for problems that have accumulated over decades.
“If you have people who damaged a country over many decades and others who are trying to fix it, it is unfair to blame the latter for everything that happened over the last 50 or 60 years,” he said.
At the same time, Mr. Sankareh acknowledged that wrongdoing can occur within any administration and said no government is entirely free of individuals who engage in misconduct.
“We cannot sit here and say there are no bad people in government,” he said. “There are bad people in every government.”
However, he praised President Adama Barrow’s leadership, particularly in mobilizing domestic resources and advancing infrastructure development, arguing that the administration has made significant efforts to address longstanding national challenges.
“The fact of the matter is that Adama Barrow has played a major role in mobilizing domestic resources to help fix this country,” he said.
Mr. Sankareh concluded by pointing to what he described as notable progress under the current administration, saying President Barrow had made meaningful contributions toward the country’s development.
“He has tried,” he said.
