The newly appointed Speaker of the National Assembly of the Gambia, Hon. Fabakary Tombong Jatta has said that his comments on Yahya Jammeh’s return and other critical issues against the Barrow Administration have been taken out of context on social media.
A statement from the Office of the Speaker of the National Assembly said: “The office of the Honourable Speaker is aware of the concerns raised on the social media regarding statements made by him on the 14th of April 2022 during an interview in the immediate aftermath of the Hon. Speaker’s investiture. These statements may have been taken out of context and as such the way they are portrayed do not reflect the virtues of the office of the Speaker of the National Assembly, especially given our unique context as a country in transition.“
The role of the Speaker, the statement reads, is to preside over proceedings of the Assembly in a fair and unbiased manner.
“The Hon. Speaker is a neutral arbiter of proceedings and works in the interest of ensuring legislative and oversight efficiency with the goal of consolidating Democracy, Peace and Rule of Law. These are key pillars of our Democracy and virtues that the Hon. Speaker commits to live by during his term as Speaker of the National Assembly,“ the statement concludes.
However, Hon. Jatta, shortly after his nomination as Speaker of the Gambia’s National Assembly on April 14, 2022, had an interview with journalists, during which he maintained his position on Jammeh’s return, the TRRC and other issues.
He said he has always been saying that it is high time for Africa to change the way in which they treat their former heads of State.
