UDP’s Sanneh: Civil Service Promotions Must Be Based on Merit, Not Party Loyalty

By Fatou Sillah

Lamin J.K. Sanneh, Deputy Administrative Secretary for Social Affairs and Fundraising of the United Democratic Party (UDP), has called for civil service promotions to be based on merit, competence, and performance rather than political affiliation.

Speaking in an interview with West Coast Radio, Sanneh said civil servants should not have to belong to the UDP or the Gambia First Coalition to earn promotion. Public sector workers, he said, should be judged on the quality of their work and their ability to deliver.

“You don’t have to be a UDP member to get promoted, or a Gambia First Coalition member. You have to be promoted based on your appraisal and your competency,” he said.

Sanneh said the country needs a professional and independent civil service, with transparent recruitment, publicly advertised vacancies, and candidates chosen on their qualifications and abilities.

He criticised the lack of effective performance appraisals and said civil servants should be evaluated regularly and rewarded for good work. Promotions, he said, should take account of both performance and length of service, and not rely mainly on seniority.

He also said the government should ensure that workers hold the qualifications and skills required for their posts, and that ministries and public institutions need specialized professionals. He called for continuous professional training, saying that investment in staff development would lead to a more efficient public service.

Sanneh proposed strengthening the Public Service Commission so that it can address misconduct independently and enforce disciplinary measures against staff who fail to perform their duties.

On digital transformation, he criticized the continued use of paper-based correspondence and outdated email systems in public offices. He urged the adoption of secure digital platforms to improve efficiency and record-keeping.

Sanneh also called for comprehensive reform of the security sector. He said the country’s security services should be nonpartisan and loyal to the state and the Constitution, not to the government of the day.

“Governments come and go,” he said, but institutions such as the army, police, prisons, and fire service endure. Their members must therefore serve the State and uphold the Constitution.