Africa-Press – Gambia. Lawyer Lamin J. Darboe has warned that President Adama Barrow could face impeachment if he fails to act on sanctions imposed by the National Assembly against ministers implicated in the ongoing Russian oil controversy.
Speaking Show, Darboe emphasized that disregarding the legislature’s decision would constitute an impeachable offense under the Constitution.
He cautioned that the president’s inaction on Assembly-imposed sanctions could spark a constitutional crisis.“Because then you can follow the president himself. It is an impeachable offense,” Darboe said.
He further explained that the Assembly has the constitutional authority to sanction ministers, and once such action is taken, the President is obliged to dismiss the affected official.
“I think the National Assembly should try and see how far it can take its stand because it has a mandate to sanction ministers; it is a constitutional provision. And if a minister is sanctioned, then the president is under compulsion to dismiss the minister,” he said.
Darboe, however, acknowledged the political realities, noting that any move to impeach the president would be a formidable challenge given his support within the Assembly.
On the broader issue of governance and integrity, Darboe argued that leaders must foster conditions that protect human dignity rather than subject individuals to moral tests they are likely to fail.
He illustrated the pressures of public service with a vivid analogy: “This could destroy one’s life. For example, you have a government vehicle and an international mobile phone, and they seized these from you. You eat meat for breakfast, and now in the morning you can’t even afford a cup of sugar.”
Darboe emphasized that integrity requires more than individual strength; it also demands a supportive environment.
“Don’t test people; very few people will be able to pass. What you need to do is to create an environment that allows people to hold on to their dignity without putting them under too much pressure. If you put people under too much pressure, they are going to collapse; it is just the nature of human beings,” he argued.
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