By: Fatou Krubally
The National Assembly Wednesday pressed Vice President Muhammed B.S. Jallow to clarify the source and legality of a D50 million enterprise fund launched by the National People’s Party (NPP) for its women’s wing.
The Vice President, who appeared on behalf of President Adama Barrow to respond to oral questions, was making his first appearance before lawmakers for the 2026 legislative year. What began as a routine session quickly turned into a heated exchange after Yahya Sanyang, National Assembly Member for Latrikunda Sabiji, raised concerns about the funding of the initiative.
Hon. Sanyang asked whether public funds or state-owned enterprises were used to finance the D50 million disbursement and requested full disclosure on the source of the money.
“No public funds are used in this initiative,” Vice President Jallow replied.
His response triggered prolonged debate, with some members from the ruling side urging the Speaker to prevent further questioning on what they described as a party matter. However, Deputy Speaker Seedy Njie allowed Hon. Sanyang to continue.
The Latrikunda Sabiji lawmaker then questioned why such a significant enterprise fund was created specifically for women of a single political party rather than channelled through the existing Women’s Enterprise Fund under the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Welfare.
“That question is for the party to answer,” the Vice President responded briefly.
Hon. Sanyang also raised concerns about whether the disbursement, reportedly spearheaded by the Head of State, complied with the Election Act 2026 and the code of conduct for public officers, particularly in an election year. He asked whether the initiative could be construed as vote buying or an unfair use of executive influence.
In response, the Vice President said matters relating to political party conduct under the Election Act fall within the mandate of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC).
“As stated earlier, the enterprise fund of the National People’s Party is purely a party affair, and any issue relating to political party conduct in relation to the Election Act should be referred to the Independent Electoral Commission,” he told the Assembly.
He further stated that he was not aware of any state resources, including government vehicles or civil servants, being used in the planning or launch of the fund, which was unveiled at the party’s headquarters in Banjul.
