Islamic cleric Imam Ba Kawsu Fofana has called on government ministers to prioritise their official responsibilities over political campaigning, arguing that their performance in office should be the strongest advertisement for President Adama Barrow’s administration.
Speaking on Kerr Fatou’s Grand Bantaba programme, Imam Fofana said ministers should demonstrate their value through measurable improvements in the sectors they oversee rather than taking microphones at political gatherings to urge people to vote for the president.
“A minister’s propaganda is not about holding microphones at meetings,” he said.
He argued that ministers appointed to manage key sectors, including agriculture, should concentrate on addressing the challenges facing those industries and ensure that their work produces visible benefits for the public.
According to the cleric, citizens should be able to assess the government’s performance by looking at what has changed under each minister’s leadership, without needing to be persuaded at political rallies.
“A minister’s mouth should not even talk about political issues,” he said.
Imam Fofana applied the same argument to the health sector, saying the health minister’s priority should be to improve hospitals, ensure medicines are available and strengthen the quality of healthcare services.
If patients can see improvements in hospitals and communities recognise better services, he argued, that would be a more convincing contribution to the government than campaigning alongside the president.
He said ministers responsible for the economy, electricity and other critical sectors should be judged by the same standard: their ability to solve problems and deliver results.
The cleric also proposed changing the format of the president’s nationwide Meet the People Tour to make it more focused on public accountability than political mobilisation.
He suggested that Barrow should travel with his Cabinet and give residents the opportunity to question ministers directly about the performance of their respective ministries.
Under the proposed arrangement, farmers could raise concerns about agricultural support with the agriculture minister, while other residents could question the relevant officials about problems affecting their communities.
Imam Fofana said such engagements would allow ministers to hear complaints first-hand and respond to questions from the people they are appointed to serve.
He argued that a forum built around direct questioning and accountability would be more useful than political rallies, where ministers focus on encouraging support for the president rather than explaining what they have achieved.
His comments come as government officials increasingly use public gatherings and the president’s nationwide tour to highlight the administration’s record ahead of the December 5 presidential election.
