By Tabora Bojang
Information Minister Ebrima Sillah has said that the Barrow administration is committed to transparency and is not afraid to face its critics.
“This is an open government running a democratic state. We are not afraid to face our critics because anything that is happening in this country is open and transparent,” Ebrima Sillah said.
The former BBC reporter in The Gambia said with all social media renaissances, people who make ‘derogatory unfounded statements’ against persons only because of their presence in the government should save their credibility by contacting the government to clear doubts.
“I do not know why people think that they can go and misinform people and believe that they will earn credibility. For me I am not bothered who goes out and insults me, it does not give me seconds of sleepless night but for God’s sake if you are in doubt, consult the right people,” he urged.
The former GRTS boss was speaking at the GTHI where his ministry presided over the opening of the first weekly government interface with the media organised to clarify some concerns doing the rounds on social media and other public platforms.
“We are here to clarify to Gambians because we are all paid from the taxpayers’ money and we are prepared to continue to be accountable to them because at the end of the day it is our credibility that is on the line. But to go round and make scandalous statements about innocent people just because they are in government is unacceptable,” Sillah stated.
He called on all ministries to continue to exhibit openness, insisting that any country that commits itself to openness is always open to progress.
Minister Sillah restated government’s ‘zero tolerance against human trafficking’ noting that they are taking concrete steps to protect victims and prosecute unscrupulous elements who commit this ‘horrible crime.’
“This is not a weak government; to think that we are quiet over certain things does not necessarily mean we are weak. We are committed to democracy and the due process.
“Anybody who thinks that you can prey on innocent Gambians by doing this kind of things we will prosecute you, jail you and deal with you according to the laws of this country. We will make sure they pay heavily over whatever damage done to our people,” he warned.
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