The questions are who authorizes, signs, and hands out these documents? These are not ordinary papers. They bear Gambia’s government approval and validation. Finding out who then gives them out should never be rocket science. Should the National Assembly be now part of the approval procedure before anybody walks away with such a powerful piece of paper? forGambia renders an exclusive with the Serrekunda West legislator, Hon. Madi Ceesay who happens to be a member of the house’s Foreign Affairs Committee as well.

“Well, as a member of the national assembly, I was shocked and very disappointed because this is one of the most important documents that should have really gone through proper scrutiny. But it’s disappointing and shocking that this important document is found in wrong hands. I have personally been able to see some of them who are Europeans and they are referred to as ambassadors at large. And I’ve seen other people who are within the country who, as far as business is concerned, are non-starters and they are referred to as business executives,” Hon. Ceesay told forGambia Thursday. Those so-called business execs also get the diplomatic passports.

“So, it all goes down to corruption and mismanagement. This is a system that has cancelled over 500 diplomatic passports issued by the former regime and now they have doubled that [number of] diplomatic passports. Worst of it, is that it is in the hands of those that are not eligible to get it. The classes of people according to the minister, we had a confrontation with him…he told us that some of these things which go through scrutiny…and he himself, the minister admits that there is abuse of these documents,” Hon. Ceesay mentioned.

 I think we have to look at the criteria of issuing these important documents. And even the company that is involved in printing these documents, that is Semlex, whose name is tarnished and we know currently people who have charges against them in their own country, and this is the company that is printing for us as well. We’re all concerned definitely.” The issue, he said has attracted the attention of national assembly members. “And I’m pretty sure something will be done about it. I happen to be a member of the foreign affairs committee and this is absolutely a topic for my committee to take up these issues. We will definitely do that,” he concluded.

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