The Edward Francis Small Centre for Rights and Justice (EFSCRJ) has issued a public statement calling on President Adama Barrow to shift his administration’s focus from infrastructure development to strengthening good governance. The statement cites widespread corruption, poor service delivery, and delays in key projects as major impediments to national progress.
While acknowledging the Barrow administration’s significant investments in roads, bridges, hospitals, schools, and utilities and multi-million-dollar donor-funded initiatives in healthcare, education, energy, and agriculture, EFSCRJ expressed alarm over the deteriorating quality of public services and infrastructure. The group highlighted the multi-billion-dalasi Banjul roads project and the stalled construction at the University of The Gambia’s Faraba Campus as examples of substandard work and missed deadlines.
“We appreciate that these projects aim to improve Gambians’ lives, but they fall short when the governance environment is weak,” the statement read. EFSCRJ pointed to historical precedents, noting that former presidents Yahya Jammeh and Dawda Jawara also spearheaded major infrastructure developments—such as Gambia’s first television station and the Independence Stadium—yet these failed to deliver lasting benefits due to poor governance, mismanagement, and neglect.
The group painted a grim picture of The Gambia’s current state nine years after Jammeh’s exit in 2016. National debt has more than doubled, while poverty, unemployment, and the cost of living have soared, fueling crime, irregular migration, and substance abuse. EFSCRJ attributes these challenges to a governance crisis marked by a lack of transparency, unaccountable institutions, and unenforced anti-corruption laws.
Despite robust legal frameworks like the Access to Information Act 2021 and the Anti-Corruption Act 2023, EFSCRJ criticized the Barrow administration for failing to enforce them. The group also pointed to ignored National Audit Office reports, disregarded court rulings, and opaque government contracts as evidence of a systemic disregard for accountability.
In a direct appeal to President Barrow, EFSCRJ urged immediate action to strengthen anti-corruption measures, promote judicial independence, enhance fiscal transparency, and protect human rights. “Good governance is the missing link in The Gambia’s development trajectory,” the statement emphasized. “Public goods alone will not suffice without transparent, accountable, and rule-based management.”
The group concluded by dubbing 2025 “The Year of Transparency and Accountability,” calling on Barrow to lead by example and engage citizens in building a culture of integrity. “The Gambia’s future hinges on leadership that prioritizes the people’s welfare above all else,” EFSCRJ declared, reaffirming its commitment to advancing democracy and economic justice in the nation.
As The Gambia continues its democratic transition, the pressure is mounting on President Barrow to address these governance shortfalls and deliver on the promises of a reformed and prosperous nation.
