MC Cham Jr. Business Councillor Kanifing Municipal Council
By Seedy Jobe
The Business Councillor at the Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC) and a senior member of the Unite Movement for Change (UMC), Hon. Councillor MC Cham Jr., has strongly criticised President Adama Barrow’s recent remarks on a women’s empowerment fund, describing them as indicative of “a deeper crisis of governance, accountability, and the proper use of state authority.”
In a statement, the UMC stalwart argued that restricting the initiative to women affiliated with the National People’s Party (NPP) and its political allies turns what should be a national development programme into “political patronage dressed in the language of development.”
Cham emphasized that public office carries a constitutional obligation to uphold neutrality, fairness, and inclusion. “Public office demands neutrality, fairness, and inclusion. These are not abstract ideals, but constitutional obligations. When state power is deployed to privilege party loyalists, it erodes public trust, entrenches division, and weakens the democratic foundations of the Republic,” he said.
According to Cham, such practices dangerously blur the distinction between party and state. “The line between party and state becomes dangerously blurred, and citizens who do not share the ruling party’s colors are effectively told that their loyalty determines their worth,” he stated.
Reaffirming the national identity of Gambian women, Cham stressed that they should not be defined by political affiliation. “Gambian women cannot be reduced to political labels. They are not first and foremost NPP women, UDP women, or UMC women. They are citizens of the Republic, equal before the law and equally entitled to the benefits of national development,” he said.
He added that any programme claiming to empower women must be inclusive and transparent. “Any initiative that claims to empower women must therefore be national in scope, non-partisan in character, transparent in its administration, and accountable to the public. Anything less is a betrayal of both democratic principle and social justice.”
The Business Councillor further stated that the Unite Movement for Change remains firm in its belief that development should serve as a unifying force rather than a tool for political division. “True empowerment lifts all citizens, not a favoured few. It strengthens institutions rather than weakening them, and it builds a shared future rather than consolidating political advantage,” he said.
Concluding the statement, Cham warned that accountability would be inevitable. “When 5 December 2026 arrives, accountability will not be negotiated or deferred. It will be demanded.”
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