By Buba Gagigo
The United Democratic Party (UDP) leader, Lawyer Ousainu Darboe expressed his disappointment over the formation of the 2 new ministries by President Adama Barrow.
“I am disappointed that we have new ministries created. I am not sure whether there had been any budget line for this new ministries. I would have put the Public Service Ministry under the Vice President. So that the Vice President would have fulltime dealing with civil service matters. In fact, I believe in the First Republic, the Vice President was in charge of the civil service. Whatever nomenclature you give it now, however sounding the name might be, it still will deal with the public service. And if you think it is going to be an additional burden, have two very efficient deputy permanent secretaries to assist,” he told this medium.
Darboe also said he would have put the Digital Economy ministry under the Ministry Of Finance with expertise that would help do the work effectively.
“The Ministry for Digital Economy, I’m not sure how this will be going to operate with the Ministry of Finance. But, I certainly would have put such an expertise unit within the Ministry Of Finance. So that it helps the Minister of Finance to formulate policy on Digital Economy, rather than having a standoff ministry,” he added.
The UDP leader further said he would have also combined the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education and the Higher Education ministry to minimize cost.
“I would have also thought of bringing back both the Ministry of Higher Education and Basic Education as one ministry. It will save cost and if it’s efficiency that you are taking about, you can have efficient people working in those ministries as permanent secretaries. If you combine Higher Education and Basic Ministries, you have another permanent Secretary as committed and competent as the Basic Education Permanent Secretary, it would be fine. For me, I think that was a bad way of taking off. When you are talking of reducing the number of ministries, that should be the thinking and not increasing the number of ministries. I don’t know what informed President Barrow’s decision on that, I don’t know who advised him on that,” he concluded
The UDP leader made the remarks in a interview with Kerr Fatou that would air on Friday evening.
However, Lawyer Ousainu Darboe during his reign as Foreign Affairs Minister and Vice President under President Barrow had never publicly critiqued the separation of the 2 education ministries.
Lawyer Ousainu Darboe is the leader of the opposition United Democratic Party (UDP).
The full interview will air on friday at 4:00pm.