Prominent human rights activist Madi Jobarteh has sharply criticized Environment Minister Rohey John Manjang’s justification for appointing Colonel Salifu Corr, a former military commander, as the new Director of the Department of Forestry (DoF), calling her reasoning “sad and outrageous.” The appointment, announced on March 3, 2025, has ignited debate over the suitability of a soldier leading a civilian forestry agency.
Colonel Corr, who previously served as Commander of the Kanilai Military Post under former President Yahya Jammeh, assumed the role amid concerns about his qualifications for managing the country’s forest resources. During a parliamentary session on Monday, Minister Manjang defended the decision, arguing that the DoF has faced “serious threats” to its security and sustainability over the past three years. She insisted that Corr’s military background would bring much-needed discipline to the department.
“Despite having experts within the department, I have never received a single advice or proposal on how we can curb the challenges confronting the country’s forest,” Manjang told lawmakers. “You should all agree with me that qualification alone is not enough. What we desire is the competence and the willingness to serve.”
Jobarteh, however, dismissed the minister’s explanation as a reflection of her own failings. In a scathing Facebook post, he wrote, “Rohey John Manjang is just exposing her own incompetence in managing the affairs and resources under her responsibility!” He argued that if the minister’s claims about the department’s dysfunction were true, “the President should sack Rohey John Manjang for incompetence and corruption. She has shown that she cannot lead that ministry.”
The activist stressed that existing laws, policies, and regulations already provide a framework for managing the ministry and its departments. “The minister, as head of the ministry, should provide direction and guidance to all departments and agencies under her purview to ensure they perform and deliver effectively and efficiently,” Jobarteh said. He called Manjang’s reliance on a soldier to enforce discipline an “acknowledgment of her poor leadership and inefficiency,” noting that Corr would still be bound by the same legal and administrative rules as any other director.
Manjang, for her part, revealed that her ministry had taken steps to legitimize the appointment. In July 2024, a concept note justifying Corr’s selection was shared with the Head of the Civil Service and the Attorney General’s Chambers to ensure compliance with regulations. She added that Corr was officially appointed and reassigned by the Public Service Commission in February 2025 before taking up the post.
The controversy has fueled broader discussions about leadership and accountability in The Gambia’s government, with Jobarteh’s critique amplifying calls for stronger civilian oversight of public institutions. As of now, the minister has not responded to the activist’s latest remarks.
