Public officials who should be accountable for their words and deeds are seemingly the most carefree people in The Gambia when it comes to morality. They are capable of abusing their powers in many ways, both at work and out of workplace.
It is interesting to see a senior official dressed casually like an American rapper wearing brim hat, making it difficult to be recognized. People tend to be more concern about their political responsibility than what they do socially, especially their sex lives. They can go with any woman at anywhere, anytime and anyhow. There are also complaints that other top public officials do even take underage girls to hotels just to pursue their sexual desire.
Ignoring the sexual lives of public officials is not protecting women and girls in our society but heightening their ranks as economic and social victim. Some participants at the good governance training at the friendship hostel at the Independence Stadium have witnessed some top public officials bringing women and girls to some of the rooms late in the night. 
A senior security personnel, a high municipal official and a man manning a respectable position in the youth and Sports ministry came to the hostel with women and young girls respectively. Most of the participants who were aware of their activities raised brows about it, complaining that the hostel is being turned into a brothel by officials. What lessons are they teaching young participants who were resident at the hostel to be trained on good governance?
To answer this critical question, it is worth noting that as public officers, the women and girls they take to the hostel are on one hand, their own victims who might come from poor families and whose tax monies are not proportionately utilised for the general economic wellbeing of the nation, hence been easily cajoled by men of such ranks to satisfy their sexual desires.
On the other, they are victimised twice, after depriving them of their economic rights, again get sexual favour from them, probably for a short time token of benefit. Giving sexual favour to top officials would not alleviate their poverty, but earn them only indignity. Public officials should also know that they are duty bearers who are always being seen by right holders involving in all kinds of activities which do not tell well on them as officials.
Gambians are fond of turning blind eyes to the actions of their public officials. There have been many complaints from different quarters that hostels, motels and hotels are the evening hideouts of some Gambian public officials for sexual activities. It is not uncommon to go to a workshop that is residential without seeing a public official coiffeur -driven to a resort with a woman or girl who is not a marital partner.
Women and young girls should also know that the officials who cajole them because of their positions are paid from their tax and it is their right to benefit from the national cake and should not allow to be prostituted. It is unbecoming officials to use a hostel where young people were residing to be trained on good governance as a brothel. This issue of abusing women and girls should be vigilantly pursued by gender activists, journalists, youth activists and other advocates to promote the welfare of women and girls by launching aggressive campaign on their rights and talk to managers of hostels, motels and hotels to help curb this growing menace.
As the visible deeds are those of officials who go out looking for hideouts for such activities, but there exist others who are also in various offices who abuse their office by exploiting their female workers or even bringing other women and girls to their offices for sexual activities. We should be aware that both government officials and private sector officials are duty bearers and should be accountable for their deeds and even words.