It is heartening to learn that our Minister of the Interior, Mr Mai Ahmad Fatty with a high ranking delegation is currently in Dakar, Senegal, discussing security cooperation. The world is going through very turbulent times and there are a series of security challenges facing people and governments around the world.
The security challenges are so complex and so varied that they require cooperation between different countries. If you observe you will see that even the advanced countries are seeking cooperation with smaller countries. The North Alliance Treaty Organization is a similar cooperation so that countries will help protect each other. Thus this is important.
The challenges range from criminality [armed robbery and others], the drug trade, terrorism and many other dangerous and destabilizing problems. The fact that Senegal and the Gambia share many things, like border, culture, language and a lot of other things makes it paramount that the two countries cooperate in the area of security.
It has been revealed that the minister is with the Inspector General of Police, the head of the Drug Law Enforcement Agency, and many other. This shows that your government is poised to solve the security issues of the nation. I hail you and your government for that sagacious move. I hope that follow ups will be conducted to ensure that whatever agreements are signed there are not only on paper.
Mr President, God knows we need to feel secure in our own country. Just yesterday, I was informed of an attack on a friend of mine who was walking around the streets in Fagi Kunda and was attacked by robbers who threatened him and took away his mobile phone and the little money he had on him.
Mr President, the feeling of being completely secure and in peace is very essential to the development of our country. It is only when people are secure and are not afraid of being attacked by bandits that they can go about their daily business. This is absolutely essential. The recent attacks and incidents of armed robberies has instilled fear in so many people.
We need to equip our law enforcers, give them adequate professional training, adequate tools to fight criminals in our streets. They need enough vehicles, enough fuel and arms to patrol our streets. The sight of armed police officers alone can prevent criminals from carrying out their nefarious designs on ordinary citizens. As I suggested earlier, we need an expedited system of justice on crimes so that criminals will know that they cannot get away with crimes.
Perhaps this security summit in Dakar will come up with solutions to our numerous security issues.
Have a Good Day Mr President. …
Tha Scribbler Bah
A Concerned Citizened
Mama Kandeh and Adama Barrow: TELL US THE TRUTH!
In a democracy, politicians do not necessarily say or do the rights things when there is no risk or benefit to what they say or do. In order words, if there is no cost to their popularity and political existence then they could easily fail to do the right thing or even misinform and mislead, as they liked. Politicians misbehave, either by lying or being corrupt in order to gain cheap popularity because they know there is no one to check them.
But when citizens are vigilant and prepared to hold politicians to account by either rewarding them for their good deeds or punishing them for their bad deeds, then this is time when politicians become honourable men and women and do the right. In the Gambia, the culture of holding politicians to account for what they do or say is almost non-existent hence it is common to hear and see our politicians spread misinformation, mislead, contradict or underperform or corrupt. In this New Gambia, we have to stop this and ensure that there is strong culture of accountability.
Therefore, since two weeks ago, it has been reported that Mama Kandeh of GDC said the Government of Adama Barrow has contracted loans only for the ministers to share those funds among themselves. This is a very serious allegation! Since he made this comment, Mama Kandeh himself has not come forward yet to present facts to back up his claim. On the other hand, Barrow has also not come out to refute these claims. What is clear however is that since January Barrow’s government has indeed contracted several loans and obtained as many grants of millions of dollars.
Secondly, rightly or wrongly there have also been reports on social media of some ministers buying multimillion dalasi homes, while others are said to have transported several people to Mecca for the Hajj. Therefore is Mama Kandeh telling the truth or he is not telling the truth?
First of all, the statements Mama Kandeh made are not illegal and therefore no one can take him to court for that. The police cannot question him for his political statements against his political adversaries. But the fact is that those statements must not be left unanswered. This is because those statements cut on both ways. On one hand they serve to raise the profile and image of Mama Kandeh, fairly or unfairly at the expense of the Government. Consequently, the statements generate public dissatisfaction in the Government, as some people may perceive Barrow as corrupt or inept. On the other hand too, the statements harm Mama Kandeh simply because of his failure to give evidence. Many would see him as a propagandist who only wants to damage his adversaries for his own political gains. Hence these statements, if left unanswered do not augur well for both Mama Kandeh and Adama Barrow.
Since no one can take Mama Kandeh to court for these very serious comments, yet there is a bigger court to which we must take both Mama Kandeh and Adama Barrow. That is the Court of the Gambian People, which sits in our homes, in the streets, at work places, in the markets, farms and indeed social media all across the Gambia and abroad.
Therefore, We the People of the Gambia as the judges must demand that Mama Kandeh provides evidence or he will pay dearly for these comments. Secondly, we must also demand that Barrow refute the claims in the interest of his own integrity and as a duty he owes to the people of the Gambia. His Government must not treat these statements of Mama Kandeh as foolish talk and therefore refuse to respond. No. Barrow must respond to them so as to recover the confidence and trust of Gambians incase anyone has lost some faith in his Government because of these serious allegations. Barrow’s response would therefore serve to strengthen his leadership by maintaining and expanding the faith of the people in him if he could convincingly refute these allegations.
As a Government, Barrow has a duty to clear any allegations that have been levied against his Government especially if such allegations come from a high profile opposition figure. That way he would have exposed the accuser and help Gambians to know who are the true and honest leaders of the people. It is for this same reason that Mama Kandeh must also give evidence so that he helps Gambians to know the character and kind of President and Government we have. Thus both of them will do great service to the Gambia if they speak up. In any case we must make sure that either Mama Kandeh or Adama Barrow, whoever is wrong to pay a severe price!
Our role as citizens is to ensure that the truth comes out for the health and strength of our country. Thus we must begin to engage in a social accountability process where we insist that politicians do not just release words into the air, but back their theories with hard evidence. If anyone fails to do that, Gambians would therefore know that such a politician is a dishonest joker who does not worth our votes and support.
I wish to therefore play my citizenship role by demanding that Mama Kandeh provides proof to the general public as to where, when and how the Government of Adama Barrow has diverted loans into personal pockets. At the same time, I demand that Adama Barrow respond to these serious allegations by accounting for all the loans and grants that his Government has received so far. Both men owe Gambians this responsibility.
We must not allow our leaders to act or fail to act as they like when the issues are indeed life and death matter for citizens. When loans are stolen that means mothers and children die at hospitals while electricity and water supply will not get to most of our communities. Corruption is a serious allegation and anyone who alleges must have strong evidence. The Government, against whom the allegation is made must also come out to clear its name.
Adama Barrow and Mama Kandeh, the ball is therefore your courts. Tell us the truth! If Adama Barrow and Mama Kandeh fail to respond, I suggest that Gambians stage a peaceful demonstration against both of them. We must not allow both Mama Kandeh and Adama Barrow to leave us in limbo, not knowing what is true or false about a matter that is of legitimate public interest.
We must not allow ever again empty talk by the opposition or failure of the Government to respond to opposition allegations. Our politicians must not have it both ways. Let us remember that Yaya Jammeh had made such empty talk that ‘his money’ was from “Allah’s Bank” and we did not we did not take him to the people’s court. We are now getting to know that he was in fact stealing our money. Let us not repeat that anymore.
Adama Barrow and Mama Kandeh: Set the truth free in order to free yourselves!
God Bless The Gambia.