NAWEC’s Failure Should Be A Shared Blame

The Point, privately owned Gambian newspaper on Monday reported that the managing director of The Gambia National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC) has been fired.

As characteristic of our current administration, no reason has been advanced for the abrupt dismissal of the NAWEC boss, Mr Momodou Jallow, who was first appointed in 2006, but dismissed later on, before he was re-appointed. 

Now, according to the newspaper’s report, the former NAWEC boss is replaced by Mr Ebrima Sanyang, who was until on Monday was Mr Jallow’s deputy.
Indeed, hiring and firing of public officials is a commonplace in today’s Gambia, in particular, at the national and almost sole provider of water, electricity and sewerage services in Gambia, (NAWEC)
Yet, the supply of these services have not been bettered. In fact, the situation has been yo-yoing.
While the reason for Mr Jallow’s dismissal is not made public yet, there is every reason for one to suspect that it is connected to the worrying shortfall in the supply of electricity for the past several months in The Gambia.
It must however be noted here that if NAWEC under Mr Jallow couldn’t arrest the problem, the responsibility should not fall on his shoulders alone. The failure of NAWEC should be a shared responsibility.
It is known for a fact that as at 21 June this year, NAWEC owed over two billion dalasi by those key public and private institutions and individuals.
For instance, the office of the president together with eleven ministries owed to NAWEC an exorbitant amount of over thirty-two million, one hundred and twenty thousand dalasi, according to authoritative records. The Ministry of Defence has the highest debt among the lot.
Government-related accounts and parastatals, including the national broadcaster - GRTS, the Green Industries, and the Presidential Villa, also owed to NAWEC over fifty million dalasi. GRTS owes over D14, 000,000.
The seven area councils in the country combined owed to NAWEC over one hundred and twenty-five million, three hundred and seventy-six thousand dalasis. Brikama Area Council owes the highest.
Some private institutions and individuals, including Amadou Samba, Mustapha Njie, Ocean Bay Hotel, Kanilai Farms, and Taf Constructions Company owed to NAWEC almost eleven million dalasi.
Consequently, NAWEC has incurred an operational loss of more than seven hundred and sixty-one million dalasi, between 2008 and 2010, which has impeded the revenue base of the company and continues to affect its operational obligations.
Due to this huge drawback in revenue and the continued rise in debt owed to it, the National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC) is facing serious difficulties in paying its suppliers.
It is also worth mentioning that NAWEC has taken an initial step to recover the debts by sending a comprehensive list of its debtors to the National Assembly so that the legislators can use its powers to recover in full all debts due and outstanding.
Following this move, the Public Accounts and Public Enterprises committees had scheduled to convene extra-ordinary session on 11th and 12th July in order to put measures in place to help NAWEC recover its debts.
However, a press release from the National Assembly published on 8th July states that the extra-ordinary session has been postponed till further notice. No reason was advanced.
The fundamental question to ask is: How can NAWEC survive when key public and private institutions and individuals fail to pay their huge debt?
Mr Jallow’s sacking should not be used as an excuse in order to cast off a collective blame and to enhance or build a political capital. NAWEC’s failure should be a shared blame!