Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, The Gambia) – The National Assembly has postponed the scheduled response of the minister for Lands, Regional Government and Religious Affairs, Hamat Bah, to a parliamentary audit report on land registration and documentation after it emerged that the minister had only received the document on the morning of his appearance before lawmakers.
Minister Bah was expected to formally respond to a report by the Select Committee on Regional Government, Lands, Ombudsman, and the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), which reviewed a performance audit report by the National Audit Office into the ministry’s management of land registration and documentation, a matter of significant public interest given the longstanding challenges surrounding land governance in The Gambia.
Addressing the Assembly, Minister Bah confirmed the late receipt of the document. “I just want to confirm that I received this report this morning,” he told lawmakers, while also calling for better communication between the National Assembly and government ministries.
Despite the timing, the minister maintained that he was familiar with the contents of the report and indicated that the ministry had already taken steps to address the issues raised, expressing readiness to respond to its recommendations.
However, lawmakers were quick to raise procedural concerns. Members noted that parliamentary rules required the minister to submit a formal written response to each specific recommendation in the report, rather than engage in a general question-and-answer exchange.
The Minority Leader reinforced this position, reminding the Assembly that if the ministry were unprepared owing to the late receipt of the document, rescheduling the matter would be the appropriate course of action.
The minister subsequently informed members that a written response had been prepared and was being printed for distribution, a revelation that drew immediate concern from the Speaker, who questioned how a thorough and detailed response could have been produced within such a short timeframe.
Members of the Assembly further argued that they needed advance copies of the Ministry’s response in order to properly review its positions and prepare adequately for any follow-up questions.
Following the deliberations, the Assembly resolved to defer the matter, allowing members sufficient time to receive and study the ministry’s written response.
The hearing will be rescheduled by the relevant committee and the Table Office, with Minister Bah expected to return to the Assembly at a later date to formally address the audit findings.
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