Sidia Jatta Blames Gambia’s Persistent Poverty on Repeated Political Choices

By Makutu Manneh

Veteran Gambian politician Sidia Jatta, one of the initiators of the Team Gambia Grand Coalition, has expressed concern over the country’s persistent poverty 61 years after independence, arguing that repeated political choices have contributed to its failure to achieve meaningful economic progress.

Jatta said Gambian voters have had ample opportunity to assess the leadership qualities and records of those seeking the presidency. Despite their political experience and ability to distinguish between effective and ineffective leadership, he argued, many continue to make choices that perpetuate the country’s development challenges.

He maintained that a nation’s progress depends largely on the system of governance it adopts, emphasizing that political decisions can either advance national development or deepen existing economic and social difficulties.

Against this backdrop, Jatta urged Gambians who share the coalition’s vision for systemic change to support its presidential candidate, whom he said would pursue a governance model focused on accountability, equitable resource distribution, and sustainable development.

Outlining one of the coalition’s proposed measures to combat corruption and promote grassroots development, Jatta advocated allowing communities to retain and manage tax revenues generated within their localities.

“Part of our strategy to reduce corruption is to ensure that taxes paid by communities are retained within those communities and used for their local development,” he said.

Jatta also stressed the importance of public awareness and community control over national resources, warning that citizens who lack knowledge of their own wealth risk being exploited by others.

He cautioned that when people remain unaware of the resources available to them, others may benefit from those assets while the rightful owners continue to endure poverty and hardship.

His remarks underscored the coalition’s call for a fundamental change in governance, with greater emphasis on citizen participation, local development, and accountability in the management of public resources.