After bankrupting the Gambia through bad governance, rampant corruption, extravagant lifestyle and embezzlement of public finances, Dictator Yahya Jammeh has now resorted to using public institutions like National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC) in cheating the poor and the needy of their hard earn cash. In Brikama Nema, NAWEC has changed their old water tank to a new one after several decades in service, however, the existing customers are forced by NAWEC to reapply for a water supply or they live without water. According to residence in Brikama, apart from new customers, any existence customer must fill in a new application for NAWEC to come to your home and measure the length then charge you according to their measurement. One resident who spoke to us on the condition of anonymity said, she was charged more than D35,000 and she had a tap in her home for more than 20 years now and she felt cheated that she has to forked out such amount in other to restored water at her home. She complained that she cannot afford such amount unless she borrow from friends and relatives.
A similar thing happened in Kombo Gunjur where public taps have been closed for more than a month by NAWEC. The people of Gunjur have requested for the re-opening of the public taps which has affected more than three-third of the town’s residents and has forced some of them to resort to getting water for domestic consumption from the abandoned wells and which are unfit for human consumption and has health implications. All these is due to the fact NAWEC is bankrupt and they have to forced the people to prop up the ailing company.
In the meantime, while Gambians continues to suffer, Yahya Jammeh continue to embezzle the public finances by wasting millions on his so-called birthday party and donating the Senegalese wrestlers and entertainers with millions of Dalasis and fancy cars. Jammeh’s insensitivity do not stop there as he also spent millions of dollars on his children private education and his gold digger wife’s frequent expensive shopping trips in the West and all these are financed by the people of The Gambia.
It can be recalled that in March this year, The Gambia government led by Dictator Jammeh has requested a loan of USD$10.8 million from the IMF to bailout the economy of The Gambia in other to enable the authorities to meet their urgent balance of payment and fiscal needs. The reason given by Gambian authorities was due to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa, which according to them the Ebola outbreak has led to low number of tourist arrivals.
However, the IMF mission led by Mr. Bhaswar Mukhopadhyay have said, “Even before the crisis, 2014 was a difficult year for the Gambian economy. The consequences of past fiscal slippages put pressure on the government budget, public enterprises, the private sector, and households. Government borrowing lifted interest rates, which increased interest payments considerably. Banks have restricted their lending to the private sector while higher debt burdens and import costs due to currency depreciation have weighed on the public enterprises. Difficulties in public enterprises have put further stress on the public budget. The local currency price of imported goods, especially basic foods, has risen.
Gambia Voices 