By: Kebba AF Touray
The National Assembly Monday, 8 July 2024, referred a Motion seeking the confirmation of Information Commissioners to the Public Appointment Committee of the Assembly.
The motion, tabled before the plenary, seeks to ascertain the confirmation of the appointment of the commissioners by the lawmakers.
Tabling the motion before the lawmakers, Information Minister Dr Ismaila Ceesay told the assembly that the confirmation of the appointed commissioners by the President, is in line with the provisions established under sections 42 (1) and 42 (2) of the ATI Act 2021.
He also told the assembly that the motion also seeks to obtain the confirmation of the remuneration package for the Information Commission that commensurate with salary scales obtainable in existing commissions of equivalent prominence, such as the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and the State-Owned Enterprise (SOE) Commission.
He said, “The ATI requires the constitution of a committee embodying the Ministries of Information, Interior and Justice to preside over the nomination of Information Commissioners.”
However, to sustain the spirit of the unprecedented collaboration between government agencies and critical partners that transcends the conceptualization, drafting, and enactment stages of the ATI Bill, the Ministry deemed it necessary to co-opt three prominent CSOs as members of the nomination committee for the purpose of inclusivity and transparency in the nomination process.
He said that the criteria used in the nomination of the Information Commissioners are requirements of the ATI Act 2021, Gender, Age, Profession, Religion, Ethnicity, and Experience.
He said that the forum, which is established by the CSOs and government agencies, presided over the selection process and that the forum also presided over the identification and nomination of prominent Gambian personalities through a brainstorming exercise.
“The results of the identification process were further subjected to a meticulous filtration process that culminated in the generation of the primary list of preferred candidates and a secondary list that serves as a fallback option in case of any unforeseen challenges,” he added
He said that in view of the abovementioned and as per the dictates of the ATI Act 2021, the following appointments have been rendered by the President in consultation with the Public Service Commission, subject to the confirmation of the National Assembly.
The appointed commissioners of the Information Commission are Nene Macdouall Gaye, as the Chairperson, John Charles Njie, as Vice Chairperson; Baboucarr Cham, a Member; Bai Emil Touray, a Member; and Ya Amie Touray, a Member.
The Legislative Committee would now engage in a consultation and scrutiny process with relevant stakeholders and report its findings back to the plenary.
