Juwara Blasts Weak National Assembly Over Failure to Check Barrow’s Excessive Tour Spending

By Makutu Manneh

Political analyst Lamin Juwara has accused the National Assembly of failing to exercise its oversight responsibilities, arguing that its reluctance to challenge President Adama Barrow over repeated budget overruns on his annual Meet-the-People Tour has fostered a culture of impunity in government spending.

Speaking on Kerr Fatou’s Politic Kachaa program, Juwara said the president has repeatedly exceeded the funds allocated for his nationwide tours without facing meaningful scrutiny or consequences from lawmakers.

He cited an instance in which a tour initially budgeted at D6 million reportedly cost more than D25 million, nearly four times the approved allocation. Despite the substantial overrun, he said, no institutional action was taken to hold the government accountable.

According to Juwara, the absence of consequences has effectively normalized excessive spending, allowing the president to disregard budgetary limits year after year.

“The only reaction has been public complaints in the media with no institutional action taken, leading the president to treat the overspending as normal and repeat it every year,” he said.

Juwara questioned whether Gambians were prepared to continue tolerating what he described as a disregard for public finance rules, particularly when institutions constitutionally entrusted with oversight appeared unwilling to exercise their authority.

He argued that a functioning democracy depends on a strong and independent legislature capable of scrutinizing executive decisions, regardless of political considerations. In The Gambia, however, he said the National Assembly has fallen short of that responsibility.

Juwara attributed the legislature’s weakness partly to President Barrow’s parliamentary majority, which he suggested has undermined lawmakers’ willingness to challenge the executive.

He also recalled that during the Fifth Legislature, when Barrow had no elected lawmakers belonging to his own political party, the president was nevertheless able to exert considerable influence over constitutional matters.

That experience, Juwara argued, raised broader questions about the independence of lawmakers and whether their loyalties lie with the constituents who elected them or with political leaders.

But he said responsibility for the Assembly’s shortcomings did not rest solely with parliamentarians. Voters, he argued, must also reconsider how they assess candidates for legislative office.

According to Juwara, many Gambians misunderstand the fundamental responsibilities of National Assembly members, often judging candidates by promises to deliver infrastructure and other development projects rather than their ability to legislate and hold the government accountable.

“The fundamental work of a parliamentarian is not to personally promise houses, schools, and roads but to make laws that ensure such developments are delivered to citizens in the most ethical and protective manner,” he said.

He emphasized that lawmakers are elected to represent the public interest, not to serve the political ambitions of the government or opposition parties.

Juwara urged National Assembly members to place their constitutional responsibilities above partisan loyalties and exercise their oversight powers to protect public resources.

He warned that unless lawmakers begin holding the executive accountable, Gambians will continue to bear the consequences of weak legislative oversight.

Ultimately, he said, voters must take responsibility for the quality of representation they receive by electing candidates who understand the legislative mandate and are prepared to defend the public interest.