A group of Concerned Citizens has warned lawmakers against passing the “flamboyant”judicial officers remuneration and pension bills that seeks to make provisions for the enhancement of salaries and allowances, and pension entitlement for the judiciary and lawmakers. 

The group who planned to protest on Monday against the bills held a press conference on Sunday to outline their objectives and demands.

Speaking for the group, Lamin Manneh, said they believed national assembly members are discharging their functions “unconstitutionally”. 

“It’s our belief that the members of the National Assembly have decided to operate unconstitutionally Hence the 1997 Constitution of The Gambia, section 112, sub-section (b) which clearly stipulated that ‘All members shall regard themselves servants of the people of The Gambia desist from any form of conduct by which they seek improperly to enrich themselves or alienate themselves from the people, and shall discharge their duties and functions in the interest of the nation as a whole and in doing so, shall be influenced by the dictates of conscience and national interest,” he said.

According to him, with regard to the clause in the Constitution that his group is unequivocally opposed to the proposed bills that are aimed at serving interest and enriching the members of Parliament and the Judiciary over the general public.  

“These bills came at a time when the majority of civil servants and private sector employees barely feed their families for half a month due to the escalating high cost of living. Majority of Gambian youths are unemployed and are vulnerable to drugs and irregular migration,” he added.

He said lawmakers should be focus on addressing the “unfortunate” economic conditions that the majority of Gambians are facing.

Reporting by Adama Makasuba