By Fatou Sillah
The Governor of the Central Bank of The Gambia, Buah Saidy, has stated that he is fully prepared to account for his actions in office and is willing to appear before any commission that may be established to review his tenure.
Saidy made the remarks while defending the bank’s decision to sponsor an overseas training programme for members of the National Assembly’s Finance and Public Accounts Committee (FPAC) in Accra, Ghana.
The Central Bank funded a two-week capacity-building programme for more than a dozen lawmakers, a move that has drawn criticism from some quarters, with concerns raised about the potential impact on the committee’s independence in overseeing the bank. Reports also alleged that each National Assembly member received D450,000 in per diem and travel-related expenses.
Speaking at the bank’s Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) press conference, Governor Saidy explained that the initiative falls under the institution’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) and was designed to address technical capacity gaps among lawmakers in financial oversight.
According to him, members of FPAC, despite their legislative responsibilities, often require enhanced expertise in economic and financial management to effectively scrutinize public institutions.
“The CBG under our corporate social responsibility assists different sectors of government agencies, institutions, and communities. This trip is part of that corporate social responsibility, and it should be perceived as a positive step by all Gambians,” he said.
Saidy emphasized that improving the technical knowledge of lawmakers would ultimately enhance accountability and enable them to better perform their oversight functions.
“So we saw it necessary to augment their capacity so that they can have the skills, techniques, and knowledge of holding public officials accountable. So this is not in any way going to influence National Assembly members,” he said.
The governor also rejected allegations that the programme could compromise the independence of lawmakers or constitute inducement.
“We are not bribing anybody in the National Assembly or FPAC. We are doing ethical services to ensure Gambians get value for money by augmenting the capacity of FPAC to hold all public servants accountable,” he added.
Reaffirming his confidence in the decisions taken under his leadership, Saidy said he remains open to scrutiny.
“Me, Buah Saidy, I am ready to face any commission in the future with regard to everything I do or did as the Governor of the Central Bank,” he declared.
He further expressed concern over what he described as a culture of persistent criticism, noting that even well-intentioned initiatives are often viewed with suspicion.
“Gambia is a nation where all you hear about is negative criticisms. So if you live in that kind of world, you are suspicious of everything. Even the good that anybody does, they will criticise it. Even if the governor killed himself, they will still say, “Why did he kill himself?” he said.
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