Foni Kansala NAM Refutes Eye Africa Claim of Interrupting President’s Address

Written by: Alieu Jallow

The National Assembly Member for Foni Kansala, Almameh Gibba, has dismissed claims by Eye Africa that he interrupted the President’s speech during a recent parliamentary session, describing the characterisation as inaccurate and misleading.

A video widely circulated online, published by Mouhammed Garmi Mbye on Eye Africa and captioned “President’s Speech Interrupted by Foni Kansala MP,” suggested a tense moment in the chamber and pointed to rising political tensions.

Gibba, however, said his actions were in line with the National Assembly’s standing orders, specifically Standing Order 17, which governs member conduct during proceedings. He explained that members are expected to hit the table rather than clap during the President’s address.

According to him, after observing repeated clapping from within the chamber’s gallery, he raised a point of order to address what he described as a breach of parliamentary rules.

“What happening was the President was addressing the nation, and during his speech members are obliged to adhere by hitting the table, but in so doing there was one or twice clapping within the gallery, and when the clapping was continuing I rose as the Honourable Member of Foni Kansala on point of order 17h which reads; ‘clapping shall not be permitted in chambers’, where I was explaining to the Speaker of the National Assembly, Honourable Fabakary Tombong Jatta, that I want him to put an order to the members who are clapping in the hallow chambers.”

He maintained that the intention was not to disrupt the President, but to ensure adherence to parliamentary procedure.

“We have rules in parliament and they are flat, and if they are not obeyed every member has the right to put an order so that those rules must be obeyed. Therefore, the Speaker, Honourable Fabakary Tombong Jatta, said to me that he didn’t hear the clapping, therefore the President continued his State of the Nation Address. But it was not the Honourable Member of Foni Kansala interrupting the President, so I think Garmi of Eye Africa TV should get facts before publishing, and the video is all over. It is not the President I ordered, I ordered members who were clapping when the President was addressing the nation, which is our Standing Order 17h.”

Gibba added that his actions were misinterpreted by both fellow members and sections of the media, stressing that any member has the right to raise a point of order when rules are not observed, as part of ensuring accountability and maintaining order in parliamentary proceedings.