Foni Kansala National Assembly Member Almameh Gibba has sounded the alarm over what he described as persistent neglect of The Gambia’s security services, citing unpaid allowances and mounting arrears that threaten morale and capacity.
Speaking during the debate on the 2027 Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure, Gibba revealed that arrears owed to personnel who attended overseas training have accumulated to approximately D75 million, with some dating back as far as a decade.
“You are selected to go for training; you are paid allowances. Some of them, five years, six years, 10 years about D75 million arrears are still not paid. Monthly, they will be going to the queue in the Finance Department asking for their money,” he said.
Gibba lamented that while travel allowances are routinely disbursed to other government travelers, security personnel continue to face delays in receiving their entitlements. He urged the Ministry of Finance to prioritize payments to the armed forces, noting that the ministry itself carries about D7 billion in outstanding RDS arrears across government institutions.
Scholarships and Higher Education,
The lawmaker also questioned the adequacy of allocations for open scholarships. He pointed out that while the 2027 budget earmarks D107 million, arrears in the scholarship scheme stand at D180 million, raising doubts about whether the allocation could even cover existing debts.
Concerns were further raised about unpaid salaries at the University of Science, Engineering and Technology (USET), formerly GTTI. Gibba disclosed that staff salaries remain unsettled due to insufficient budgetary provisions.
“We were told that USET, formerly GTTI, their salaries are still not paid because of what was budgeted for them,” he said.
Call for Rationalization, Gibba criticized the expansion of universities without adequate funding, suggesting that the University of The Gambia (UTG) should serve as the central institution, with other universities functioning as branches.
“UTG could have been the umbilical cord of all universities, and rural universities could be branches,” he argued.
A Plea for Reform,
The Foni Kansala representative concluded by calling for a national budget that better reflects the financial needs of security personnel, scholarship beneficiaries, and public higher education institutions.
“It is time for the budget to reflect the needs and aspirations of the armed and security services,” he said.
