By Yankuba Jallow and Nelson Manneh
Dembo M. Badjie, Gambia’s ambassador to the People’s Republic of China, has launched a book on governance titled: “An Outlook on Governance and Administration in The Gambia”. The event took place on the 22nd December 2017. Mr. Badjie who is a seasoned administrator and diplomat, was born in Bansang, in the CRR. Mr. Badjie has a strong background in Political Science and Development Administrator and a long civil service career.
At the book launch ceremony held at the Hotel School in Kanifing, Alhaji Fafa E. M’bai said the book is the first in a series of master pieces that the profound administrator, diplomat and public servant has written; that the role of the public service, as succinctly defined by Dr. Jide Balogun, an eminent scholar and researcher, is “to address the challenges of growth and development in order to transform our natural resources into goods and services that meet the revolution of rising expectations that come with political independence”.
Mr. Mbaye further said the mission statement of the Public Service of The Gambia is consistent with this role highlighted by Mr. Badjie in the book, which is “to develop and sustain in a cadre of public servants, effectiveness, efficiency, dynamism, productivity and responsiveness to national goals and objectives”; that Gambians should be reading books to become aware and be liberated.
On his part Mr. Badjie said many people who retire from public service, do so with their knowledge, experience and institutional memories; that they hardly leave anything behind for the younger generation to learn from; that if retired public servants do not learn from each other, others will write stories for them that may not be in their interest.
“I thought after three decades of lengthy service to my country, I should endeavour to pass on my experience to the younger ones in the service, to those who are in academia and to those who are clueless in how administration proceeds in Government” Mr. Badjie said. He said the book simply explains what administration and governance is all about and how it works.
“Since the book is completed at a time when the country is in a new era, the book also reflects a short chapter on the political transition of the Gambia, as that is relevant to the administration and governance of the country”, he said.
“Administration gives order to a system of Government. Many officers in Government hardly adhere to the rule of law and order in administration and systems of management. Many invent their own rules and styles in the conduct of their duties. The practice of officers engaging in their own ways of doing things in Government putting away the pillars of administration, i.e. General Orders, Financial Instructions, Foreign Service Regulations, PSC Rules and Regulations, Acts relating to public enterprises, procurement rules etc., is serious and should be of national concern. There is the need to renew and restructure the administration system, in the country. Good governance to a large extent depends on the efficiency and effectiveness of the administrative system”.
“I wrote this book to serve as a practical guide to administration. It is a concise book knowing that the reading culture in the Gambia is very low” Mr. Badjie concluded.
