The audio leak of Seedy Njie speaking in a meeting with the father of Omar P Jallow and other officials in his residence, if confirmed warrants Seedy Njie to leave public office immediately. His despicable comments violate the Constitution, human rights and undermine the integrity and reputation of not only the position of Deputy Speaker but also the entire National Assembly as an institution. For that matter, Seedy Njie has no legitimacy and credibility to sit in public office any longer.
By targeting individuals on account of their ethnicity, Seedy has violated multiple provisions of the Constitution. By causing the dismissal of officials on account of their ethnicity and perceived political affiliation further violates the Constitution which imposes an obligation on a member of the National Assembly under Section 17 to protect the human rights of all citizens.
The Constitution states in Section 212 on the ‘Directive Principles of State Policy’ among others that, “All organs of the State shall strive towards the realisation of national unity, peace and stability.” It went further to state in Section 212(2) that, “Every effort shall be made to integrate the people of The Gambia and foster loyalty to The Gambia without discrimination.”
Furthermore, Section 222 on the duties of a public officer, the following subsections provide that:
(3) A public officer shall not, in the course of his or her official functions and without lawful excuse, do or cause to be done any action which is prejudicial to the rights of any other person.
(4) In the exercise of his or her duties, a public officer shall avoid nepotism and favouritism.
(5) A public officer shall not encourage others to convey the impression that they are in a special position to influence him or her.”
Subsection 13(a) further states that a public officer shall not “allow his or her political inclinations to interfere with the discharge of his or her official duties.”
In the leaked audio, Seedy Njie violated all of these constitutional provisions. He was heard weaponizing ethnicity and confessing that he caused the dismissal of former GRTS staff Abubacarr Darboe while also threatening current permanent secretary at the Office of the Vice President, Ousman Ceesay with dismissal on account of being a Mandinka and an alleged UDP member.
By threatening Omar P Jallow and interfering with his official functions is a blatant abuse of power and gross misconduct which are grounds for the removal of Seedy Njie from the National Assembly. Omar and his community have the right to invite members of the opposition to their community events without hindrance or reprisals. Thus, punishing Omar for accepting the decision of his community is bullying and intimidation for which there must be accountability.
To be a Mandinka and a UDP supporter are not crimes nor are they requirements to hold or lose a position in the public office. As Seedy Njie is a Fula by ethnicity and an NPP official yet holding the post of Deputy Speaker so also does every other Gambian of any ethnicity and belonging to any party has a right to hold public office. Why therefore is Seedy Njie abusing his powers and violating the Constitution to punish, threaten and intimidate other citizens?
The fact is the Mandinka forms the majority in the composition of the ethnic groups of the Gambia. For anyone to deny a Mandinka person to hold a position in the government is to assault the dignity of all Gambians and the Mandinka people in particular. By such action, Seedy Njie is threatening the social cohesion and stability of the country hence inciting division and violence.
Section 32 of the Constitution states that, “Every person shall be entitled to enjoy, practice, profess, maintain and promote any culture, language, tradition or religion subject to the terms of this Constitution and to the condition that the right protected by this section do not impinge on the rights and freedoms of others or the national interest, especially unity.”
Being a Mandinka and a UDP supporter just like belonging to any other ethnic group or party is not a violation of the Constitution. Hence any citizen who discriminates, threatens, and excludes a citizen on the basis of ethnicity and party affiliation is to violate the Constitution and the dignity of all Gambians.
If there is any party to be excluded in the affairs of the Gambia it is the APRC which was the political machinery of a brutal dictatorship in which Seedy Njie served without any conscience. At the time, the UDP distinguished itself as a formidable resistance to the APRC tyranny. To therefore vilify, discriminate, threaten, and remove citizens from public office only for belonging to the UDP is most disgusting and a gross misconduct warranting immediate impeachment.
By his own words, Seedy Njie does fit to hold public office. He is a clear threat and direct danger to our society and must be removed from public office. His words have put the integrity and legitimacy of both the position of Deputy Speaker and the National Assembly into disrepute, hence an act of contempt of the Assembly.
I hereby call on the members of the National Assembly to therefore invoke their powers under Section 91(1)(h) to remove Seedy Njie for contempt of the National Assembly. These powers are further expressed in Section 93 for the removal of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker by NAMs.
Seedy Njie is repugnant. Here is a dangerous buffoon who did only actively trample on the verdict of the people in December 2016 but went further to vow that President Adama Barrow would not become the president. Nothing is more treasonous and traitorous than a public officer who assaults the will and sovereignty of the people as expressed in legitimate public elections in a republic.
I call on all citizens to demand Seedy Njie to resign immediately in shame and failure to do so to hold our individual National Assembly Members to invoke Sections 91 and 93 to remove Seedy Njie as the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly without delay. An attack on one ethnic group is an attack on all ethnic groups and citizens. Seedy’s words constitute hate speech and an incitement to violence. Hence citizens with conscience must not stay silent and ignore this scandalous misconduct by a Deputy Speaker. We must stand to defend the unity and dignity of our nation.
Seedy is a tribalist, a dictator and a vile criminal who is only committed and interested in his own diabolical selfish interest even if that means fomenting civil unrest in the Gambia. He has amply demonstrated that in 2016 and he has just repeated it today! Are we going to allow him to disintegrate our nation?
Seedy Njie Must Go!
For The Gambia, Our Homeland
