By: Kebba AF Touray
Members of the National Assembly yesterday Monday 21st June 2021, summoned the Minister for Fisheries to appear before them and provide answers to their questions regarding matters of his Ministry.
Fatoumatta Njai, the Member for Banjul South who moved the motion for the Minister’s appearance, explained that in view of the distressful state of country’s coastline, it is a matter of urgency for the Fisheries Minister to be summoned and appear before them to provide answers on this.
“Sometime back, I asked the Minister about the state of the country’s coastline and the damage being done to the area. This was the time he stood in front of the Assembly and blatantly gave us false information that we were following social media,” she said; that it is now time to ask him to come back and tell them the real state of the country’s coastline because it is really distressing to see the skyrocketing price of fish in the country as we see how the citizenry are being restricted because they cannot afford the cost.
Njai said they have seen tons of fish being wasted and dumped in the early hours of Monday, which has been confirmed by the media.
“So we want the Minister as a matter of urgency, to come and clear the matter,” she said.
On his part, the Member for Upper Saloum Alhagie Mbow, said as a parliament, it is important that questions and allegations of such nature should be backed by evidence and thus suggested that the mover of the said motion provide some documentation to prove her claim.
He said the Assembly should not base a motion on allegations or on something they do not have evidence on, but on facts.
At this point, Speaker Mariam Jack Denton subsequently put the matter to vote and lawmakers unanimously voted for the motion to summon the Fisheries Minister to come and appear before them, and to provide them with answers to their questions particularly on the above mentioned matter.
