Fatoumatta Touma Njai, national assembly member for Banjul South, was sent off today (26 Oct) from the parliament chamber after calling deputy speaker Seedy Njie a liar.

Seedy Njie heaped praise on the nation’s health officials during an emergency session of the country’s parliament over the Acute Kidney injury scandal.

Njie praised the health officials that raised the alarm over the Acute Kidney injury incident linked to contaminated cough syrups from India. 

About 70 children died from serious kidney disease after being given the cough syrups. 

Seedy Njie said some Gambians were politicising the tragedy by vilifying the country’s health officails.

However Touma Njai took exception to Njie’s comment. She rose up from her seat to interject, telling the speaker that “we come in this assembly to tell the truth and nothing else but the truth. The honourable member has not spoken the truth.”

Speaker Fabakary Tombong Jatta then ordered the lawmaker to withdraw her statement. 

But Touma insisted: “No I will not. I can be asked to leave the chamber but I will not withdraw it.”

The speaker ordered her to leave the chamber after she refused to withdraw her statement. 

Reporting by Adama Makasuba