Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, The Gambia) – The National Assembly on Thursday erupted into a charged debate over the country’s worsening electricity crisis, after Latrikunda Sabiji National Assembly Member (NAM) Yahya Sanyang raised a Matter of the Day, demanding urgent government action to address persistent power outages that have crippled households and businesses across the country.
Presenting his statement to the House, Sanyang said Gambians are bearing the full weight of prolonged blackouts and deserve honest answers, not hollow reassurances, from those in authority.
“Gambians pay their taxes, they pay for their cash power, and they deserve reliable electricity, not excuses, and certainly not misleading propaganda,” he said.
Sanyang argued that the country’s heavy dependence on imported electricity has left it dangerously exposed to supply disruptions, and called on the government to urgently invest in expanding local generation capacity to insulate the nation from such vulnerabilities.
“This is no longer a mere inconvenience; it is a full-blown economic and social emergency,” he warned.
His statement quickly drew responses from lawmakers across the political divide, reflecting the depth of frustration the crisis has stirred among citizens and their representatives alike.
Lower Fuladu West NAM Gibbi Mballow struck a cautionary note, urging colleagues not to weaponise the issue for political ends, and calling on all Gambians to rally behind efforts to find a lasting solution.
Foni Bintang NAM Bakary K. Badjie, however, was unsparing in describing the daily ordeal endured by ordinary citizens.
“Sometimes it goes for five hours, sometimes seven hours without electricity. That is the reality,” he said.
Kiang West NAM Lamin Ceesay laid the blame squarely on failures in management and planning, painting a bleak picture of an interconnected crisis rippling through every layer of society.
“Schools are suffering, hospitals are suffering, households are suffering,” he said, insisting that those responsible must be held accountable.
Wuli East NAM Suwadu Touray raised the alarm over the broader economic consequences of the outages, invoking stark language to underscore the stakes.
“A country without electricity is becoming a failed state,” he warned.
The debate was briefly interrupted by heated exchanges between members, prompting Speaker Fabakary Tombong Jatta to intervene, calling for order and reminding lawmakers to observe parliamentary decorum and procedures.
Defending the government’s record, Majority Leader and Kantora NAM Billay G. Tunkara pushed back against what he described as unfair characterisations of the administration’s efforts.
He said significant investments have been made in the energy sector since 2017, citing a number of projects aimed at expanding generation capacity and modernising electricity infrastructure, and flatly rejected claims that the government had neglected the sector.
Despite sharp disagreements over the root causes of the crisis, members from both sides of the aisle acknowledged its devastating impact on businesses, households, schools and health facilities, a rare moment of consensus in an otherwise divisive debate.
The session ended with unanimous calls for concrete, durable solutions to restore stable electricity supply and safeguard the country against future disruptions.
Leave a Reply