By Fatou Sillah
Lamin Manneh, the United Democratic Party’s Assistant Senior Administrative Secretary for External Affairs, has called into question the size of the salary and benefits package afforded to the President of The Gambia, arguing that the current arrangement is excessive given the extent to which the state already covers the president’s personal needs.
In an interview with West Coast Radio, Mr. Manneh said a substantial share of public funds already goes toward supporting the presidency beyond the official salary, a fact he said undercuts the case for such a high wage.
“We don’t need to give a president 4.5 million dalasis a month for food when the average Gambian is struggling,” he said. “We don’t need to give him a 500,000 dalasis salary from which he pays nothing—absolutely nothing. We give him everything, from toothpaste to toothbrush.”
Mr. Manneh argued that because the president does not personally cover basic living costs such as housing, transportation, and other official expenses, the salary structure warrants reconsideration.
“We give you fuel, we give you cars, we give you housing—we give you everything you need,” he said.
He noted that UDP leader Ousainou Darboe has pledged to cut the presidential salary in half if elected.
“Half of that salary should be enough for any president. Somewhere around 200,000 dalasis should be sufficient,” Mr. Manneh said. “I’m not saying that will be the final amount, but somewhere around that range.”
He said his position rests on the premise that the presidency already benefits from extensive state-provided support, making a large cash salary unnecessary.
Turning to the broader economic conditions facing ordinary citizens, Mr. Manneh described the financial strain on Gambians earning far less than government officials.
“People are suffering. When you’re on a salary of 4,000 or 5,000 dalasis a month, and you have to buy a bag of rice and pay for transportation to get to work, what’s left for fish, meat, or anything else? Never mind paying rent or your electricity bill. How do you survive?” he said.
He went on to suggest that President Adama Barrow has been insulated from the hardships many citizens face.
“People are suffering in this country, but of course Barrow has been cushioned against all of that, and he is living in his cocoon. He doesn’t know what’s happening in this country,” Mr. Manneh said.
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