By Salifu Manneh
Africa-Press – Gambia. Introduction: I write this with the utmost concern as a citizen. I am deeply saddened by the scale of mismanagement and betrayal Adama Barrow and his administration inflicted upon us as a people. It is equally disheartening to consider that my fellow countrymen and women could, deliberately and through sophisticated means, loot public funds in the manner revealed by these NAO reports.
While Barrow and his administration continue to pile debt upon our nation, the millions going missing or left unaccounted for are overwhelming. The scale is immense. These missing millions are not only costly but deadly. Navigating our financial position as a country is already complex. Still, the calculated art of withdrawing, swindling, and mismanaging vast sums of money so desperately needed for our economy has been made far worse.
The National Audit Office (NAO) numbers are not mere statistics or personal opinions. They are hard truths, exposing a reality that cannot be dismissed, denied, or ignored. These figures speak to systemic failures, demand accountability, and challenge the foundations of governance.”
In every democracy, numbers tell the truth that leaders try to bury. Today, the National Audit Office (NAO) has spoken loudly in The Gambia through its audit reports. From 2016 to 2024, the evidence is overwhelming: billions of dalasis and millions of dollars have disappeared, been mismanaged, or misappropriated under President Adama Barrow’s watch. These are not allegations whispered in political circles; they are documented findings by the institution tasked with ensuring accountability.
The NAO is a group of intellectuals, men and women of our country, whose services are professional and dedicated at all times for the good of our country. Through their guidance, we expect nothing less than probity, transparency, and accountability. These are not new revelations. Some of these audit reports have been in circulation for years.
While the Gambian people suffer daily under economic hardship, President Barrow dares to dismiss these audit revelations as “individual opinions.” This is not only an insult to the professionalism of the NAO but also a betrayal of the Gambian people. Giving Barrow and his administration more olive branches to put our economy into more jeopardy must not be a conversation we should encourage amongst ourselves at this stage. Gambians are not stupid. Gambians are small, but we compete intellectually in all global arenas. Gambians are in top positions in public, private, and charity organisations worldwide. Barrow and his administration have taken us for a ride.
It’s time to apply the brakes. The Barrow administration is not defensible. The famous name of ‘kerreng kafo’ is undisputable. The ‘kerreng kafo’ have done their job very well. It is our turn and time to reciprocate and do so in a very informed and judicious way.
The evidence is beyond a reasonable doubt and calls for unity and democratic ways and manoeuvres to terminate all contracts.
Barrow and his administration has signed with the electorate. They have been given enough time and years to change how our country is governed post-dictatorship, but ‘the kerreng kafo’ have failed abysmally.
The truth is simple: Barrow does not deserve a third term. Even allowing him to run again endorses corruption, neglect, and a profound disconnect from the realities ordinary Gambians face daily. This list is by no means exhaustive. Numerous other financial reports of mismanagement are not included here.
The Scale of Misappropriation: A Nation Robbed.
The audit reports read like a ledger of betrayal. The figures are staggering:
Summary Highlights of NAO Audit Findings (2016–2024)
2016 Management Letter (GoTG)
– Misappropriated GMD 839,500 at the Forestry Department (with GMD 329,440 still outstanding).
– GMD 2.89 billion in undisclosed grants (later revised to GMD 1.296 billion).
– Contingent liabilities of GMD 360 million, USD 2 million, and €855,826 are not disclosed.
– Concluded litigation liabilities of USD 4.96 million unreported.
– Outstanding external debt understated by GMD 2.856 million.
– Treasury bills understated by GMD 6.767 billion.
Pre-2017 Summarised NAO report uncovered:
– GMD 72 million in undocumented payments.
– GMD 59 million in unaccounted-for imprest spending.
– GMD 50 million in unexplained bank accounts.
– GMD 40 million transferred into unauthorised “mobilisation” and “security” accounts.
2017 Audit (GoTG)
– GMD 72.25 million in unsupported payments is still unresolved.
– GMD 109.86 million in arrears for vehicle and fuel purchases without confirmation.
Passport Audit (2017–2019):
– Illegal issuance and misappropriation of diplomatic/service passports (no monetary values specified).
2018 Audits
Government of the Gambia:
– Unsupported expenditure of GMD 19,203,125.54.
– Undocumented payments of GMD 1,922,070.
– Total ≈ GMD 21.1 million.
Kerewan Area Council (2018–2019):
– Revenue leakages: GMD 2,111,825 unbanked.
– Unsupported payments: GMD 1,364,420.
– Total ≈ GMD 3.48 million.
2019 Audits
Banjul City Council:
– Unsupported expenditures: GMD 12,612,500.
– Missing receipts: GMD 4,900,000.
– Unbanked collections: GMD 1,256,780.
– Total ≈ GMD 18.8 million.
Brikama Area Council:
– Unbanked revenue: GMD 3,445,050.
– Unsupported payments: GMD 2,222,300.
– Total ≈ GMD 5.67 million.
Basse Area Council:
– Revenue leakages: GMD 1,098,750.
– Unsupported payments: GMD 789,500.
– Total ≈ GMD 1.89 million.
2020 Audits
Government of the Gambia – Financial Statements:
– Material errors exceeding GMD 1 billion in high-risk revenue streams (e.g., sand mining royalties).
Kanifing Municipal Council (2020–2021):
– Unaccounted revenue: GMD 6,200,000.
– Unsupported expenditures: GMD 4,700,000.
– Total ≈ GMD 10.9 million.
Kerewan Area Council (2020–2021):
– Missing revenue: GMD 2,845,760.
– Unsupported payments: GMD 1,344,300.
– Total ≈ GMD 4.19 million.
COVID-19 Audit (Phase 1, covering 2020–2021):
– Unsupported spending of over GMD 93 million.
2021 Audits (Consolidated COVID-19 Phase 2)
– Consolidated irregularities across ministries and agencies.
– Total questioned expenditure ≈ GMD 120 million.
2022 Audits
Banjul Rehabilitation Project – Special Audit:
– Procurement irregularities and questionable contracts worth ≈ GMD 1.4 billion.
SECURIPORT Contract – Special Audit:
– Irregular deductions from airline passengers.
– Estimated collections: ≈ USD 4.5 million outside proper controls.
2023 Audits
COVID-19 Audit (Phase 2 Consolidated Report):
– Fraud risks in procurement and overstated expenditures.
– Total questioned spending ≈ GMD 120 million.
2024 Audits
Banjul City Council (2019–2020 report, published 2024):
– Mismanagement and undocumented spending ≈ GMD 17.5 million.
Brikama Area Council (2019 & 2020–2021 reports, published 2024):
– Losses and leakages ≈ GMD 6 million across the audited periods.
Overall picture (2016–2024)
At the central government level, billions of dalasis in undisclosed grants, understated debts, and procurement frauds dominate (notably the Banjul Rehabilitation Project at GMD 1.4bn and COVID-19 audits at over GMD 200m combined).
At the local government level, almost every council (Banjul, Brikama, Kanifing, Kerewan, and Basse) showed persistent revenue leakages and unsupported expenditures, often in the range of 1–20 million dalasis per council per period.
Across this period, the National Audit Office consistently highlighted systemic financial mismanagement, poor controls, and direct misappropriation of funds, pointing to entrenched corruption risks in central and local government institutions.
Add these figures together, and the picture becomes clear: the Barrow government has presided over one of the most reckless periods of financial mismanagement in Gambian history.
Investigations into the IEC Gambia:
What triggered it: In October 2024, the National Audit Office (NAO) released a Special Audit of the IEC covering Jan 1, 2020–Dec 31, 2023. Auditors said GMD 301,323,850 (≈ D301m) of election funds were transferred to Returning Officers’ private bank accounts to run elections in their regions, an arrangement the IEC has used but which weakens controls. The auditors said they couldn’t verify how this money was spent because the IEC didn’t provide the officers’ bank statements.
Irregular payments flagged: The audit also details D15.89m in staff “bonuses/incentives” (three months’ gross-salary payouts, nomination and “motivational” tokens) that the Auditor General says aren’t authorised by the 2018 Electoral Service Code, and therefore amount to fraudulent payments.
Funds left in personal accounts: Auditors found D1,856,314 remaining in some Returning Officers’ private accounts after elections, recommending recovery and shifting to IEC-designated accounts for future cycles.
Other control failures: Reports highlight unretired election advances (about D7.94m) and over D12m in allowances paid outside normal payroll processes—classic red flags for misuse and weak accounting.
Police investigation: On October 15, 2024, the Gambia Police Force opened an inquiry into the NAO findings. A police progress report (reported Jan 3, 2025) said IEC staff were paid about D3.17m for supervision/monitoring across the 2021–2023 elections. The report called these payments “fraudulent” under the Service Code and in breach of the Public Finance Act/Financial Regulations, recommending recovery.
IEC’s response: The IEC argued the payments were lawful “election duty allowances” under Section 42(8) of the Constitution and, in a leaked letter dated Oct 3, 2024, even asked President Barrow to restrain the NAO and Police from what it called interference. The Auditor General disagreed and warned that the Chairman and CEO could face surcharges for unauthorised allowances.
Current status (Aug 18, 2025): Public reporting shows the police probe and audit follow-ups, but no publicly announced prosecutions are tied explicitly to these transfers/allowances.
The situation at the IEC is truly mind-boggling. Have money-laundering laws been broken in this case? If these officials are found guilty, would they be dismissed and barred from any further role in managing the affairs of the IEC? The origins of these hefty sums must be declared publicly.
The IEC is the central nervous system of our governance and democratic apparatus. Unless it abandons outdated methods of creating, handling, and processing the electoral register and voter registration processes, and instead embraces complete digitalisation with greater transparency and voter-friendly practices, it will continue to face accusations of being a poor arbiter, disconnected from the very electorate it is meant to serve.
Look out for part 2 next week!
Source: The Standard Newspaper | Gambia
For More News And Analysis About Gambia Follow Africa-Press
