By Fatou Sillah
Tension escalated in parliament on Monday when the National Assembly Member for Busumbala Constituency, Muhammed Kanteh, challenged assertions made in the President’s State of the Nation Address regarding The Gambia’s security situation, prompting intervention from Speaker Fabakary Jatta.
Kanteh questioned the basis of the president’s claim that The Gambia is the safest country in the subregion, requesting the source of the data underpinning the statement. He emphasized that security should not be politicized.
“I don’t know where they obtained that data or the methodologies used to reach that conclusion. Security is paramount to our national growth and development. We would advise the President to be truthful next time he appears before parliament,” Kanteh said.
He also noted that the continued presence of foreign troops appeared inconsistent with the president’s claims.
“If The Gambia were truly the safest country in West Africa today, we would not be witnessing the presence of ECOWAS forces in the country,” he said.
Speaker Jatta responded by cautioning Kandeh about his choice of words.
“Honorable Member, that was a very harsh statement. You can disagree with him; it does not mean that he is not truthful,” the Speaker said.
Kanteh defends his statement, insisting that it was based on his own findings.
“Honorable Speaker, I conduct research; that is why I am speaking in this regard,” he stated.
The exchange intensified, prompting the Speaker to remind Kandeh to adhere to parliamentary rules, highlighting that suggesting the President was untruthful equated to calling him a liar.
“He should be truthful, means he’s lying,” Speaker Jatta said. “When I am talking, you have no grounds to talk. Whether I am right or wrong is not your prerogative. All that you are doing now is illegal; you have no right to open your mouth to speak without my permission,” he added.
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