By: Nyima Sillah
Dodou Jah, deputy spokesman for APRC has ruled against the introduction of local languages in the National Assembly as he urged the house to stick to use of English as the official language.
“The National Assembly consists of different committees which among include committee under foreign affairs whose work goes beyond the country, how will they interact with the people outside the country? Also, the committee members do travel to other countries to learn from counterparts and others. In case we are communicating in our local languages how will they be able to communicate when they are not within the country? So, English language cannot be left behind,” he echoed.
“The law of this country says if anyone is seeking to be a parliament member, he or she should be a person that can speak English language because in parliament, the discussions and debates everything is English language,” he disclosed.
In The Gambia, he said, everyone has taken National Assembly to be a place that anyone can jump up and say they want to be there, this idea should change. “Parliament is part of the legislative body that holds the government. Parliamentarians make laws and making laws required knowledgeable people that understand the laws of the country,” he stated.
“IEC should make sure they look into that because if someone gets into parliament and cannot speak English how do they expect such person to carry out its functions and deliver to a higher expectation of its people? A lot of people want to be parliamentarian but they don’t even know the work of an MP. Some will say to his or her people that he/she will build schools, bring water, and construct good roads, and so on. But I will urge them not use any of those words to campaign because it is not the work of MP. Their function is to make good laws for the country,” he lamented.
According to him, an MP can only seek a budget for his or her constituency. Stand for them in the parliament during debates make sure their needs are satisfied through the State Budget.
“So, if you keep insulting the government, arguing with them and always against them, how can you get that for your people,” he asked.
