Fatoumatta Jawara Calls Electricity Crisis a ‘Minor Issue’ Compared With Peace and Stability

By Fatou Sillah

Nominated National Assembly Member Fatoumatta K. Jawara has described The Gambia’s continuing electricity crisis as a “minor issue” compared with preserving peace and stability, urging Gambians to remain patient as the government works to address persistent power outages.

Speaking during a National Assembly debate on the electricity crisis, Ms. Jawara said the country’s peace should take precedence over frustrations surrounding the unreliable power supply.

“So the electricity issue is a minor issue as far as we are living peacefully; let us have patience,” she said.

Her remarks come amid heightened public frustration over electricity shortages, which have prompted protests and intensified scrutiny of the government’s handling of the power sector.

Ms. Jawara also condemned the vandalism of an NPP political bureau during the demonstrations. She said citizens had a right to protest but should exercise that right peacefully and within the law.

“One can protest, and you base it on the confines of the law, but you should not vandalize government institutions if you are fighting for a genuine cause,” she said.

She also questioned the participation of some National Assembly members in street demonstrations, arguing that lawmakers already have a formal platform in Parliament to raise their constituents’ concerns and press for solutions to national problems.

Ms. Jawara called on Gambians to approach the crisis with patience and a sense of patriotism, warning that confrontations between protesters and security forces would do little to resolve the underlying electricity problems.

Her comments came as lawmakers debated the power crisis following widespread outages that have disrupted daily life and fueled growing demands for a more reliable electricity supply.