President Jammeh, in a usual outspoken moment, has pronounced that nobody is above the law in the administration of justice in this country, not even him.

The Gambian leader made this declaration last Friday at the inauguration ceremony of the National Council of Chiefs and The Gambia’s first paramount chief, Alhaji Demba Sanyang, at Brikama.

He said: “I the president, and you the traditional rulers, we are all below the law.”

He noted that traditional rulers are bounded by the same constitution that empowered them, calling on them to dispense justice in accordance with the constitution of The Gambia and the Local Government Act.
 
He advised them to stay honest and neutral in their dispensation.

“There is no APRC or opposition, anyone that violates the law must be dealt with accordance with the law. In the dispensation of justice, there should not be any fear or favour,” he maintained.

“You have been empowered by the constitution, and by the Local Government Act and by myself,” he assured them.

“In order for your institution to be respected, first you must respect yourself and your institution,” he added.

He indicated that the national council of chiefs should be seen as an influential agency where all chiefs will not only identify enterprises beneficiary to their various districts, but also those that advocate dialogue and interaction from district level to regional and national level.

He warned traditional rulers against alienating their people, noting that if they should do that, they would become unpopular. He made it categorically clear that any one found to be unpopular at any given time would be replaced.

He underlined some controversies that do come between National Assembly members and chiefs as to their identical roles. He stated emphatically that the traditional ruler is responsible for the day- to- day activities of the district. He made known that when a National Assembly member goes to the traditional ruler, the traditional ruler becomes the boss.

“I am the president and the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, but when I go to Kanilai, the Alkalo is my boss,” he remarked. “The National Assembly member, the chief and the Alkalos should be one team if they are interested in the development of their district,” he added.

As believed by President Jammeh, an honest and loyal member of the National Assembly, who is development orientated, and has the interests of his constituency at heart, should be consulting the chief of the area to know the problems of the constituency.

In conclusion, President Jammeh underlined the importance of hanging onto ones culture, noting that the first thing the colonial masters did when they came to Africa was to destroy the institution of traditional rulers.

For his part, Paramount Chief Sanyang testified to his thankfulness for the trust bestowed on him in making him The Gambia’s first paramount chief and promised to live up to expectations.