Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, The Gambia) – The Speaker of the National Assembly, Hon. Fabakary Tombong Jatta, has called on senior parliamentary officials to confront inefficiencies and overhaul outdated structures, warning that the National Assembly Service must build lasting institutional resilience to effectively discharge its constitutional mandate.
Speaking at the opening of the Senior Management Strategic Review and Planning Residential Retreat on Thursday, Hon. Jatta said the meeting was not a routine administrative exercise but a critical moment for accountability, reflection, and reform.
Calling for what he termed “radical candour,” the Speaker urged senior managers to speak frankly about operational gaps, duplication of roles, and staffing deficiencies that continue to constrain the Assembly’s effectiveness.
“We are not here merely to maintain a Service,” Jatta said. “We are here to build a National Assembly Service that is resilient, efficient, and a model of democratic governance and institutional integrity.”
He stressed that excellence achieved through overstretched personnel and improvised systems is neither sustainable nor desirable, insisting that strong institutional performance must be driven by well-designed structures, professional specialization, and adequate resourcing.
While commending the Clerk of the National Assembly and the Senior Management Team for what he described as a transformative 2025, the Speaker acknowledged that many of the achievements were delivered under severe human and material constraints.
He noted that administrative and technical staff remain the backbone of Parliament, sustaining its day-to-day operations behind the public-facing work of elected members.
Jatta welcomed the Functional Review conducted by SMD Management Group, describing it as a critical diagnostic tool for identifying structural weaknesses within the Service. He urged participants to embrace reforms aimed at eliminating inefficiencies, modernising the organogram, and closing long-standing operational gaps.
Challenging senior officials to move beyond comfort zones and confront broken systems, the Speaker said the retreat must yield practical, implementable solutions rather than broad or abstract recommendations.
Reaffirming the National Assembly Authority’s confidence in the Senior Management Team, Jatta concluded that the retreat is central to positioning the National Assembly as a strong, responsive, and credible pillar of democratic governance.
