Minister of Information and Civic Education, Chernor Bah, has expressed disappointment with renowned lawyer Basita Michael’s recent criticism of the government, specifically regarding delays in the payment of school fees subsidies.

Michael had pointed out the government’s failure to release the subsidies while funds were made available for the Salone Civic Festival. In a direct rebuttal, Bah dismissed Michael’s comments as misguided and unfounded, labeling her critique as a “limited way of thinking.”

Speaking publicly about the issue, Minister Bah acknowledged the importance of the school fees subsidies and agreed that they should be paid without delay. However, he described Michael’s remarks as unnecessary, arguing that the issue of the subsidies should not be tied to the festival.

“I am disappointed by her comment,” Bah stated, emphasizing that criticisms like these often stem from a desperate need to justify a position at the expense of other important issues.

Related News

Bah further explained that while some might view the festival as a misallocation of government funds, he firmly rejected the notion that hosting the Salone Civic Festival hindered the government’s ability to provide for education.

“Just because one particular thing went perfectly right does not mean that the other things are failing,” he asserted. The Minister went on to highlight that it is entirely possible for the government to manage both a national festival and fulfill its education-related commitments.

Addressing Michael’s claim that the government lacked the funds to pay teachers, Bah described such statements as baseless. “It is a completely irrelevant point to say that we don’t have the funds to pay teachers,” he remarked, strongly rejecting any insinuation that the government’s budgetary priorities were out of balance. He reiterated that President Julius Maada Bio’s administration is committed to the education sector, stressing that such claims were without merit.

Bah further criticized Michael’s approach, calling her criticism an example of “binary thinking” – a mindset that limits solutions to two opposing options. Drawing from academic perspectives on peace studies, Bah explained that this type of thinking was flawed, asserting, “Option A does not exist because there is no option B. This is a dangerous and unhelpful way of viewing problems.”

In his final comments, the Minister clarified that while he supports the call to pay teachers, it should not come at the expense of the Salone Civic Festival. He defended the festival as a vital event that provided citizens with an opportunity to engage with their government and learn about democracy. “We did not host this event for party enjoyment,” Bah said. “It was a democracy event.”

Minister Bah concluded by reaffirming President Bio’s commitment to education, describing it as “huge” and a key priority of the administration.