By Awa B. Bah
The speaker of the National Assembly Mrs. Mariam Jack Denton, on Monday 12th March 2018 welcomed deputies in the fifth assembly of the first ordinary session after a long break.
Speaker Denton prayed to God to guide them through the session and beyond. She recognized and thanked the honourable members for the good work and due diligence manifested during the over sight committee works, in the last legislative year. She extended her appreciation and commended the members for their support and services for their work and guidance throughout the process. This she said, shows that they have the country’s interest at heart and urged all to keep up the momentum.
In her recap, she said the following bills amongst others were passed before the Assembly during the first ordinary session in the 2017 legislative year and assented to by the president, Adama Barrow. The Constitutional Review Commission Act 2017, Act number 7 of 2017 passed on the 11th of December 2017 and assented to on the 11th of January 2018; the National Human Rights Commission Act 2017, Act number 8 of 2017 passed on the 13th of December 2017 and assented to on the 13th of January 2018; the TRRC Act of 2017, Act number 9 of 2017 passed on the 13th December 2017 and assented to on the 13th of January 2018; Appropriation Act of 2018, Act number (1) of 2017 passed on the 18th of December 2017 and assented to on the 5th of January 2018; The Constitution Amendment Act (1) of 2017, Act number 11 passed on the 21st of December 2017 and assented to on the 5th of January 2018; Constitution Amendment Act (2) of 2017, Act number 10 of 2017. Constitution Amendment Act number (3) Act number 11 of 2017, passed on the 21st of December 2017 and assented to on the 5th of January 2018 and the Rent Amendment Act of December passed on the 27th of December 2017 and assented to on the 26th of January 2018. She recalled that the following motions were also laid and ratified before the members; that the laying of the draft estimates and revenue expenditure of Government from the 1st of January to the 31st December 2017 by the Minister of Finance. This, she said includes the motion to support the re-entry of the Gambia to the Commonwealth of Nations by the Minister for Foreign Affairs and subsequently a preliminary report of the oversight work of the national assembly select committee on health, women, children, disaster and humanitarian relief and refugees, was also laid and adopted under Phase One, from the 7th to 21st November 2017, tabled by Ousman Sillah, the member for Banjul North and Chairperson of the Committee.
