UDP Youth president points finger at corruption for NAWEC’S Struggles

By: Ousman A. Marong

The National Youth President of the United Democratic Party (UDP), Hagi Sawaneh, has pointed fingers at corruption, conflicts of interest, and a lack of political will as the key reasons behind the National Water and Electricity Company’s (NAWEC) ongoing struggles to provide reliable services to the people of The Gambia.

In a recent interview, Sawaneh emphasized that NAWEC’s issues aren’t due to a shortage of resources or technical know-how, but rather a result of intentional sabotage by those who benefit from the current situation.

“Corruption, conflicts of interest, and a lack of political will are the primary reasons why NAWEC isn’t performing as it should,” he stated.

The youth leader went on to allege that some high-ranking officials from the ruling National People’s Party (NPP) are directly profiting from NAWEC’s reliance on costly fossil fuels for power generation.

He claimed that certain influential NPP members have companies registered under their names that are awarded contracts to supply heavy fuel oil to the utility company, raking in millions of dalasis from public funds.

“It’s through the fossil fuel contracts that many of these NPP big shots are making their fortunes. Some of them have their own companies supplying NAWEC with heavy fuel,” Sawaneh alleged.

He believes this arrangement is politically driven and maintained through a system of patronage. He described it as a quid pro quo scenario where businesspeople finance political campaigns in return for lucrative government contracts.

“It’s simple: you support my campaign financially, and I’ll ensure you get a contract. This conflict of interest is rooted in a lack of political will,” he added.

Sawaneh argued that as long as top officials continue to profit from fuel supply contracts, there will be no genuine effort to shift The Gambia towards more affordable and sustainable energy sources like solar power.

For years now, NAWEC has been grappling with inconsistent electricity supply, regular blackouts, and soaring operational costs, which has understandably led to public frustration. Even with repeated promises from the government for reform and significant investments in the energy sector, consumers are still voicing their dissatisfaction with the poor service they receive.

The youth president of the UDP has urged the government to promote transparency in NAWEC’s procurement processes and to make public the list of companies that supply fuel to the organization.

At the time of publishing, attempts to get a response from NAWEC and the NPP were unsuccessful.