By Fatou Sillah
The National Assembly Member for Upper Saloum, Alhagie Mbowe, has said that while corruption can be reduced, it cannot be completely eradicated, arguing that even the world’s most robust democratic systems continue to grapple with the problem.
Speaking in an interview with West Coast Radio, Mbowe described the fight against corruption as a continuous and unending process, one that predates modern governance and has persisted throughout human history.
“I know for a fact when you fight corruption, it also fights back,” he said. “And I also know that until the end of time we can fight to reduce, but to eliminate is impossible because the biggest democracy, that’s where they have the biggest corruption scandals across the world,” he said.
Mbowe acknowledged that The Gambia has enacted anti-corruption legislation and has confirmed commissioners to the Anti-Corruption Commission, but cautioned that legal frameworks alone cannot fully prevent misconduct.
Drawing a parallel with violent crime, he argued that the existence of laws does not guarantee compliance with them.
“Laws are meant to regulate a society. You pass laws and put punishment when people infringe on them; that is for you to pay for the ills you have caused to society, but laws, to some extent, can prevent crimes, but sometimes they don’t. For example, murder cases and manslaughter still happen even with laws that condemn them. It is the same thing with corruption issues,” he said.
He noted that Parliament has fulfilled its institutional role by establishing the Anti-Corruption Commission, confirming its commissioners, and providing a budget line for its operations.
A central theme of Mbowe’s remarks was that public debate in The Gambia has concentrated disproportionately on government corruption while largely ignoring corruption in the private sector and among individuals who initiate illicit transactions.
“We are concentrating too much on one side of the equation, looking at government alone,” he said. “The government is entrusted with public resources, but that is only one part of the corruption issue. It takes two to tango. Who is the other party who is actually enticing the government? Who is making the offer? That is why we need to look at the other side as well.”
Mbowe also stressed the importance of civic education as a foundational element of any credible anti-corruption strategy, arguing that many people engage in corrupt behavior without recognizing it as such.
“We need to incorporate civic education in the anti-corruption fight. If we don’t, people will do things and say it’s not corruption, but it is. Corruption is not only about money; even influencing someone into a position is part of it,” he said.
He urged citizens and institutions to examine the role of the private sector, which he said is equally implicated in corrupt practices.
Comments are closed.