By Adama Makasuba
The National Assembly is contemplating sanctions against the Janjanbureh Area Council due to alleged contempt. Reports indicate that council officials have failed to cooperate with the House Select Committee in its oversight responsibilities.
Sulayman Jammeh, the chairman of the Select Committee on Regional Governments, Lands, the Ombudsman, and a member representing Bundungka Kund, expressed his disappointment regarding the situation. He noted that, despite prior notification, none of the council’s staff members were present during a visit from his team, which was part of a broader tour to assess various institutional projects.
Mr. Jammeh described the council’s behavior as “unruly” and highlighted that this is not the first time the commission has committed such a violation; a similar incident occurred in 2022 with the House Committee. He remarked, “Their absence led to the postponement and cancellation of project site visits within their jurisdiction. The committee considers this behavior a no-show, and we are deeply disappointed. We have resolved to report the matter to the National Assembly,” he stated during his address to Parliament.
He recommended that Parliament summon the council chairman and councilors to address their failure to attend. “The National Assembly should call upon the chairman of the Janjanbureh Area Council and all councilors to discuss the no-show situation from our recent visit,” he read aloud to his colleagues.
Additionally, Lamin Ceesay, a representative of the Kiang West constituency, proposed sanctions against the council officials for their “contempt of Parliament.” He argued that their conduct violated the constitution by obstructing National Assembly members from fulfilling their oversight functions concerning government resources and representatives.
“Consequently, I propose that the council be summoned to the National Assembly to respond to questions related to this matter or that we impose sanctions on them,” he suggested.
