The National Assembly Public Petitions Committee has yesterday presented its report on allegations of corruption at the Gambia Tourism Board (GTB) before the plenary, recommending the immediate recall and reinstatement of senior staff who were wrongfully terminated.

The committee’s report follows a petition by senior staff members, including Lamin Bojang, Adama Cham, and Lazar Kujabi, who were allegedly deployed to the provinces after petitioning the National Assembly in 2021 regarding corruption and irregularities in contract awards.

Bojang, Cham, and Kujabi, all holders of master’s degrees, were reportedly targeted for their petition, with Bojang losing his contract and Cham and Kujabi being redeployed to regional offices. The petition implicated senior GTB and Ministry of Tourism officials, including former DG Abdoulie Hydara, former director of finance Ousainou Senghore, tourism minister Hamat Bah, and former permanent secretary Codou Jabang. All implicated parties denied any wrongdoing.

The committee’s report described the redeployment of highly skilled staff to the regions as surprising, noting that they could contribute significantly to the post-Covid transformation of the tourism sector if retained at the GTB’s main office. The report recommended the immediate reinstatement of the wrongfully terminated staff and the repayment of 50% of salaries deducted due to a directive issued during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Furthermore, the committee directed the Ombudsman, the Select Committee on Tourism, and the GTB to ensure that the petitioners receive all accrued benefits. It also urged the Ministry of Tourism to refrain from making major decisions regarding the GTB without consulting the board and called for a staff audit from January 2017 to December 2023 to review appointment and promotion practices.

The committee also recommended reprimanding former finance director Ousainou Senghore for misleading the contracts committee in favor of Lerr Group Company, which was awarded a contract to build ecolodges. It called for an investigation into the construction of the Sir Dawda Kairaba hotel at Barra, which was abandoned at a significant cost.

Moreover, the committee suggested that the Lerr Group should be barred from government contracts due to underperformance. It also raised concerns about the allocation of prime lands within the TDA, recommending that all land allocations should be made by the governing body and not the Minister of Tourism and Culture.

The committee’s report highlighted various instances of conflict of interest and called for the review and investigation of several land allocations and contracts involving different companies. It also recommended stopping the weekly fuel supply to the Minister and Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism and Culture.

In conclusion, the committee’s report emphasizes the need for transparency, accountability, and ethical governance within the GTB and the Ministry of Tourism to ensure the effective management of resources and the promotion of the tourism sector in The Gambia.