Another lavish vehicle purchase made by Gambia’s justice ministry has been leaked to forGambia News. The Toyota Land Cruiser was purchased from CFAO Motors at a tune of D3,556,425.60 (Three million, five hundred and fifty-six thousand, four hundred and twenty-five Dalasis, sixty Bututs). The leaked papers were dated February 19th, March 5th , March 6th , and March 9th 2020.
Also leaked from the same ministry are three other paper works involving money transactions between the ministry and CFAO Motors. One of the papers speaks of a contract, while another mentions cost of vehicle materials and other items in six-figure ranges.
Some of the papers have been hastily scanned and sent. We apologize for the blur in the scanned documents. The cost of living in The Gambia, right now, is unbearable for most people. Consumer goods, especially food prices have risen to unprecedented levels.
However, in November 2020, we reported a similar story from the same ministry about a D7.5 million spent on only three vehicles. These are all happening when most Gambians can’t afford to put proper food on the table. Story here:
As we publish this, the Kanifing General Hospital still lacks an MRI scanner. Its repair cost, according to sources is still not given by the Barrow gov’t. The next time a Gambian goes to Dakar, they might only be doing so just to get an MRI scanning.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) takes an x-ray picture of a patient’s inside to help doctors see a disease process. It doesn’t treat anybody. Simply put, an MRI machine is only a big camera! Many Gambians don’t go to Dakar to be treated or cured.
There is a difference between treatment and diagnostic. MRI is only a diagnostic! But today, our gov’t can’t even help us get an MRI machine at our hospitals or repair a broken one bought by the Jammeh administration. One MRI Machine costs S100,000.00 (One hundred thousand Dollars).
Adama Barrow’s daily fish money is costing us D150,000.000. His salary is D250,000.00 a month. We don’t know his other benefits including per diems! This is the reason poor Gambians are dying like flies due to lack of the basics in our hospitals.
$100 Million Hotel Contract to a Senegalese Company!
Our genuine opposition should repeat these all the time: Do we need a 5-star hotel for the rich or an MRI scanner for both the rich and poor in our country? How many poor Gambians would have the simple chance to even see the inside of such hotel?
$100 million is five billion, one hundred and eight million Gambian Dalasi. This money alone can build a state of art Gambian hospital with MRI machines and other diagnostic tools. Or if not, it can remodel and renovate the RVTH Hospital in Banjul!
Reader, every Gambian should be talking about this! Our poor people are dying just to get an MRI access in Dakar. But look at the money our gov’t is spending on cars and other really stupid things! Our poor women in markets selling okra should hear and know this!