The government’s description of public anger over the country’s electricity crisis as “manufactured outrage” has not gone down well with many Gambians.
For many households and businesses, the frustration is not political drama. It is daily reality. Families are sitting in the heat. Businesses are losing money. Students are struggling to study. Food is spoiling in refrigerators. People are paying bills and still living with unreliable power.
In a recent government response to criticism over the outages, officials warned against what they described as misinformation, negativity and “manufactured outrage.” The statement came amid growing public anger over the state of electricity supply in the country.
But for many Gambians, the issue is simple: after 60 years of independence, a country of fewer than three million people should not still be struggling to provide stable electricity.
NAWEC has received major support over the years through several electricity restoration and modernisation projects. The World Bank’s Gambia Electricity Restoration and Modernization Project alone includes IDA grants totalling about $84 million, with the aim of improving operational performance and electricity delivery.
Other electricity projects have also been launched with support from partners including the World Bank, the European Union and the European Investment Bank. One such project, worth more than $23 million, was designed to improve electricity services in targeted communities and strengthen the transmission and distribution network.
So when citizens ask where the money has gone, that question should not be dismissed as misinformation. It is a legitimate demand for accountability.
The government may point to regional energy projects such as OMVG as part of the solution. President Adama Barrow has publicly pledged support for OMVG, and officials have said its energy projects are expected to improve electricity access in The Gambia.
However, regional frameworks and future promises do not erase the present hardship. People cannot power their shops, charge their phones, run their businesses or keep their homes cool with press releases.
True patriotism is not silence. True patriotism is demanding better from public institutions, especially when huge amounts of money are being spent in the name of national development.
Gambians are not asking for division. They are asking for electricity. They are asking for transparency. They are asking for leaders to account for every dalasi and every dollar spent on a power sector that still fails too many citizens.
Calling that anger “manufactured” only deepens the frustration.
The public does not need to be told that progress is coming while sitting in darkness. What people want is simple: reliable power, honest explanations and accountability from those responsible.
As many Gambians are now saying, this is not reckless speculation. This is lived experience.
What is your take? Is the government right to blame misinformation, or are Gambians justified in demanding full accountability from NAWEC and the authorities?