NA pressed to investigate Deputy Speaker over alleged ethnic bias, abuse of office
Announcing the move, the petitioners said they hoped lawmakers would handle the matter with urgency and seriousness. “We hope that the National Assembly will receive and treat this petition with the utmost seriousness, respect, and urgency,” the statement accompanying the petition read. The petition accuses the Deputy Speaker of conduct the petitioners say threatens constitutional governance, democratic accountability and national unity. According to the petition, publicly circulated recordings and transcripts allegedly contain statements attributed to Seedy S.K. Njie suggesting that some individuals could be denied appointments or removed from employment because of their perceived political affiliation or criticism of President Adama Barrow. The petition also raised concerns over alleged references to ethnicity in public administration matters. The petitioners claimed the Deputy Speaker made references identifying certain persons as Mandinka in circumstances they say could amount to ethnic profiling or discriminatory treatment. The document further alleged that the statements implied personal involvement or influence in appointments and dismissals within public institutions, including “statements indicating an intention to pursue the removal of certain public officials because of perceived political association or sympathy.” The petition argued that the alleged actions raise “serious concerns regarding equal protection of the law, non-discrimination in public administration, constitutional governance, political neutrality of public institutions, national cohesion and unity, and public confidence in democratic institutions.” Citing Sections 17, 25, 26, 33 and 212 of the 1997 Constitution, the petitioners said the matter touches directly on constitutional protections relating to equality, freedom of association and protection against discrimination based on ethnicity or political opinion. “We respectfully state that this petition is brought in the public interest and concerns matters of national policy and constitutional governance,” the petition stated. The petitioners further said previous public calls for accountability over the matter had failed to produce “any satisfactory institutional response.” They are now calling on the National Assembly to admit the petition under Standing Orders 125 to 129 and refer it to the Public Petitions Committee for investigation. Among the requests made to lawmakers is the launching of an impartial parliamentary inquiry into the statements attributed to the Deputy Speaker and recommendations for administrative, disciplinary, ethical, or constitutional measures if the allegations are proven. The petition was signed on May 13, 2026, by Omar Camara, Madi Jorbateh and Baboucarr Nyang.
Black News 
Announcing the move, the petitioners said they hoped lawmakers would handle the matter with urgency and seriousness.
“We hope that the National Assembly will receive and treat this petition with the utmost seriousness, respect, and urgency,” the statement accompanying the petition read.
The petition accuses the Deputy Speaker of conduct the petitioners say threatens constitutional governance, democratic accountability and national unity.
According to the petition, publicly circulated recordings and transcripts allegedly contain statements attributed to Seedy S.K. Njie suggesting that some individuals could be denied appointments or removed from employment because of their perceived political affiliation or criticism of President Adama Barrow.
The petition also raised concerns over alleged references to ethnicity in public administration matters.
The petitioners claimed the Deputy Speaker made references identifying certain persons as Mandinka in circumstances they say could amount to ethnic profiling or discriminatory treatment.
The document further alleged that the statements implied personal involvement or influence in appointments and dismissals within public institutions, including “statements indicating an intention to pursue the removal of certain public officials because of perceived political association or sympathy.”
The petition argued that the alleged actions raise “serious concerns regarding equal protection of the law, non-discrimination in public administration, constitutional governance, political neutrality of public institutions, national cohesion and unity, and public confidence in democratic institutions.”
Citing Sections 17, 25, 26, 33 and 212 of the 1997 Constitution, the petitioners said the matter touches directly on constitutional protections relating to equality, freedom of association and protection against discrimination based on ethnicity or political opinion.
“We respectfully state that this petition is brought in the public interest and concerns matters of national policy and constitutional governance,” the petition stated.
The petitioners further said previous public calls for accountability over the matter had failed to produce “any satisfactory institutional response.”
They are now calling on the National Assembly to admit the petition under Standing Orders 125 to 129 and refer it to the Public Petitions Committee for investigation.
Among the requests made to lawmakers is the launching of an impartial parliamentary inquiry into the statements attributed to the Deputy Speaker and recommendations for administrative, disciplinary, ethical, or constitutional measures if the allegations are proven.
The petition was signed on May 13, 2026, by Omar Camara, Madi Jorbateh and Baboucarr Nyang.
