By Madi S. Njie

Muhammed Krubally, a lawyer by profession and the Gambia’s first and only visually impaired magistrate, who served as Interim Chairperson after the dissolution of the previous board, was re-elected as Chairperson of the Gambia Federation of the Disabled (GFD), for a four year term.

With a total of 12 Disabled Peoples’ Organisations (DPOs) GFD serves as the umbrella body of persons with disabilities in the Gambia, and promote and protect their rights and welfare.

Mr Krubally served as interim board chair since December 3, 2017, when the former board was dissolved, following allegations of malpractices against the dissolved board, who were eventually replaced by an interim board.

“The members said they were not happy with the old board because they did not meet their needs and aspirations, as expected, alleging misappropriation of funds; that the GFD office was closed for a long time.

“They felt the board was incapable because they did not perform to expectation. These led to the dissolution of the old board during extra-ordinary congress, and institution of interim board leading GFD to Congress,” said Mr. Krubally.

On 27 April 2019, GFD held a congress at the Kairaba Hotel in Kololi, to elect positions for Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, Second Vice Chairperson, Secretary General and Treasurer. Only the position of the Chairperson went unopposed, making Mr Krubally the duly elected Chairman of GFD for the next four years.

“The AGM has been held, financed by the UNDP, and the Congress was facilitated by the IEC. Various speakers spoke, and I have been confirmed duly elected unopposed Chairman of GFD,” Mr Krubally echoed.

He said he will lead for the next four years, but even though he is qualified to contest, the final decision for him to continue is left with the board.

Commenting on his success stories so far, Mr Krubally said they were able to re-open the GFD office, after it was closed for a long period.   

He said they also benefited from Article 19 Project defending freedom of expression and information, towards supporting GFD, to set up income generating activities geared to making people with disabilities (PWDs) economically reliant, and independent; and give secretarial support to PWDs in the running of day to day affairs of their organisations.

Magistrate Krubally said “during my tenure at the GFD I secured funding from UNDP to finance a two-day review of GFD Constitution, one-day validation of the constitution, and holding of congress, for a permanent board for the next four years.

“We also secured funding from two sympathetic Gambian entrepreneurs, namely Dr Karamo Sonko who pledged D700, 000, to the federation, and Mustapha Njie commonly known as TAF Construction who also pledged D300, 000, all towards helping persons with disabilities to be economically independent.

“We are following the Disability Bill to ensure Parliament enact it into law, to address the rights of persons with disabilities. We are also liaising with the Ministry of Trade and Employment to seek to create job opportunities for persons with disabilities,” Magistrate Krubally said.

Recounting on Challenges,the GFD new leader said, “We have lot of ideas and programmes, but lack finance to implement them,” adding “It is very difficult to convince the government to enact the disability bill.”

He also expressed frustration on the challenges in fundraising, “because some donors don’t reply to their requests, while sometimes the processes are very slow.”

Mr Krubally finally called for partnership support to implement GFD programmes, to ensure the Disability Bill becomes a law, and create job opportunities for PWDs, provide scholarships and skills for PWDs.

He re-echoed that his priority for the next four years is as newly elected Chairperson are to ensure that the disability bill is presented before the National Assembly, improve financial status of PWDs, ensure access to scholarships, job opportunities and access to government facilities, as well to uplift wellbeing of PWDS.

He urged the disabled people to unite, speak with one voice and unite for common good, “because united we stand and divided we fall. And we don’t want to see this disunity among us.”  

Burama Keba Sagnia, UNDP Consultant providing technical support to GFD, and Member DPOs, to review GFD Constitution for his part said among other that based on feedbacks from DPOs during the GFD Constitutional review process he drafted constitution, which was subjected to review and validated, to reflect interests of members, followed by extraordinary meeting, and the Annual General Meeting in which congress was held.

He said the constitution was adopted during the congress, and 12 registered DPOs signed to legally accept the constitution, which makes it legally binding on them.

Mr Sagnia said the second aspect of UNDP support is on assessing GFD Capacity needs, and see how UN partners can help GFD deliver services to members of their constituencies.

Commenting on the challenges, Mr Sagnia observed that most DPOs don’t have office; are working as volunteers, without sponsors; undermined by prevailing division among DPOs.

He added that DPOs are operating as splinter groups, in isolation, thus become fragmented, and competing among themselves. “Some of them don’t want to talk to each other, which poses challenges and undermine their progress.

“There is lack of focus among DPOs, with minimal capacity, and prevailing high rate of unemployment,” the UNDP Consultant observed.

He expressed the need for appropriate support to develop skills of the disabled, especially disabled women, to improve their lives, and called on DPOs to unite and work together towards achieving common objectives than to be divided and fighting against each other.

He recommends the need for skills and marketing projects to improve conditions of disabled communities.