Barely 72 hours after the National Assembly Member for Foni Kansala, Hon. Sheriff Abba Sanyang, lamented the supposed poor performance of the Public Utility and Regulatory Authority (PURA), the latter in a statement sent to this paper yesterday expressed shock and dismay at the statement, making particularly reference to an instant when Hon. Sanyang and his colleague who attended the Accra meeting expressed thanks and gratitude to PURA, as contained in a letter addressed to them. Below is the unedited version signed by PURA’s Senior Communication Manager, Mr. Alex Dacosta.

It is with great disappointment, reading from The Point Newspaper of Wednesday 12th December, 2007, comments from the NAM for Foni Kansala, Honourable Sheriff Abba Sanyang, with the caption “Foni Kansala NAM Laments Poor Performance at PURA”. As an institution, PURA has high regards for the National Assembly as a key stakeholder in national development and we respect the Office of the National Assembly Member for Foni Kansala. It is on the basis of this recognition that we have endeavoured to engage the National Assembly with a view to enhancing their awareness about the importance of utility regulation in national development.

Following the submission of our 2006 annual report to the National Assembly and the subsequent presentation of the report to the Assembly in August, 2007, it was mutually agreed that we need to have a sensitization workshop for NAMs to give them an insight into all aspects of the operations of PURA, covering its mandate, functions, accomplishments and challenges. Emanating from the workshop, which was graced by the Honourable Speaker of the National Assembly, was the consensus that it served its purpose of raising the awareness of NAMs on utility regulation in The Gambia. It was mutually pledged that PURA and the National Assembly will work together to promote the development of utility service provision in the telecoms, electricity and water sectors, currently regulated by PURA.

Subsequent to that, we received an invitation from NetTel Africa, an ICT capacity building initiative, and WATRA (West African Telecoms Regulatory Assembly) of which PURA is a member, to nominate senior members of staff from PURA, the sector Department of State and the Members of the National Assembly for an executive development programme on ICT in Accra. To this executive development programme, the Honourable National Assembly Member and another NAM colleague were nominated to represent the National Assembly. The programme was thus attended by two NAMs and two Directors from PURA. En route to Accra the delegation had some travel logistical problems due to communication problems between the sponsors and the Airline in The Gambia, which resulted in PURA making alternative arrangements with another travel agency to ensure that the delegation arrive in Accra on time for the programme.

Despite their travel ordeal, members of the delegation expressed their satisfaction with the programme as it exposed them to the comparative status of regulation in the various West African countries, namely Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone and Liberia with respect to the successes, failures and challenges of utility regulation in West Africa. Honourable Sanyang together with his colleague also expressed their gratitude to PURA for extending an invitation to the National Assembly to participate in the Executive Development Programme. Below, we reproduce their letter dated December 7th, 2007, which we received on Tuesday, 11th December, 2007 addressed to the Director General, copied to the relevant authorities and jointly signed by Honourable Sanyang and his NAM colleague. PURA was yet to reply to the letter when we saw the story on the Point Newspaper on December 12, 2007:

“Dear Sir,
I wish to extend my profound gratitude to your office for having the foresight in inviting the National Assembly to participate in the Executive Development Program Accra, Ghana from the 26th – 30th November 2007.
This occasion has great impacts in our lives as legislators for it has offered us the opportunity to realize the significance of regulatory Agencies in a State.

PURA we realised is unique with very competent staff particularly ones we’ve traveled with. It was indeed pleasing to note that PURA was the only organization in the sub-region with such diversified responsibility. I really commend you for shouldering such a tedious task.

By the way, in the letter of invitation we were supposed to receive $75 per diem but only to receive $40 at arrival in Accra. So putting this to the notice of your management, we would want you to consider meeting the deficit of $35 per day to enable us refund incurred incidental cost.

As we await your keen consideration I once again commend you for the services you are rendering to the Gambian people.

We shall always work together as partners. Please do not hesitate to call on us anytime the need arises.”