Gambiaj.com – (Banjul, the Gambia)- The Vehicle Controller at State House, Mr. Nfamara Saidybah, struggled to explain the management of government vehicles before the National Assembly’s Special Select Committee on Tuesday, prompting Counsel Lamin Dibba to declare: “I can genuinely say I’m now lost. I’m confused. I’m lost.”

Under questioning, Saidybah admitted that there is no central database of all government vehicles in The Gambia. Instead, he told the committee: “Every ministry keeps its own file, and we also keep that same file in our office separately.” He added that all those individual files are then typed into a “Microsoft Word” document stored on a single computer in his office.

“You mean this entire government fleet is recorded in a Word document on your computer?” Counsel asked. “Yes,” Saidybah confirmed, explaining that the document is not printed and not available anywhere else.

On whether State-Owned Enterprises like NAWEC or PURA fall under his control, Saidybah said: “I do not keep their inventory. They manage themselves. But if I see them abusing vehicles, I can intercept them.” His answers led to further contradictions about which institutions he controls, with the committee pressing: “So, you control all vehicles… except when you don’t?” At one point, Saidybah also revealed that during the Jammeh era, the Maintenance Service Agency (MSA) where government vehicles were stored “was being controlled by the former president’s people,” and was “not under the cabinet or my office.”

Counsel Dibba questioned the lack of a master file or centralized system: “So if I want a one-stop shop for all government vehicles, do you have that file?” Saidybah responded: “No. We only have the Word document on my computer.”

The Chair of the Committee closed the session by saying Saidybah will be summoned again for further questioning, stating: “We still have more to clarify with him on this matter.”