•Says We’re Not Elected to Enrich Ourselves
A Gambian lawmaker is getting viral attention for resisting an increase in the payment of salaries for her and colleagues in the Gambian legislature.
According to The Standard, a media organization, “The Gambia Workers’ Union said the reported pay rise of the Speaker and the National Assembly Members suggests that politicians are using the taxpayers, voters, actors of development and the most vulnerable to enrich themselves.”
Speaking at the assembly budget session, the lawmaker, Touma Njie stated that the minister’s statement and the budget did not depict love for the country.
“Looking at the Honorable Minister’s statement and looking at the budget, I think that our government does not love this country.
“They do not have the feeling to nurture our children in this country.
“Six billion dollars in salaries alone, not in administrative costs. Honorable speaker and we say we are a poor country.” she said.
The lawmaker however stressed the need to focus more on investing in education and health rather than being focused on enriching themselves.
“The medium age in this country is 19 years old, we should consider the life and the livelihood of our children, we should be investing in education, health, rather than paying ourselves, feeding ourselves out of the poor people of this country”
“I would start with this August assembly, to see that the salary of the honorable speaker increased from 658,000 to 1,560,000.”
She also expressed her distaste to be called a member of the assembly, stating that she gave herself to serve the masses and not for the masses to serve them.
“I feel ashamed to call myself an honorable member, I gave myself for service, I did not give myself for the poor people to feed me and my family.”
“When I saw this, I felt embarrassed, I did not want to come to this budget session because I said to myself there is no need because we are just sharing the cake in our pockets, going home, feeding ourselves.”
“It is embarrassing for me to go back to my poor constituency and tell them that with the major resources of this country, I am paid that much at your expense.
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“I took an oath to serve and to give back to the society, not to enrich myself and even if I go to the constitution, it says that we should not deliberately enrich ourselves so increasing our salaries is deliberately enriching ourselves and that is an embarrassment and I think as a national assembly, we should not accept any salary increment.” She stated.
She said the lawmakers offered themselves for service, adding “we were not appointed, we were elected. I think we should think about our people when we do the budget.”