By Omar Wally
The Interior Ministry on Wednesday warned members of Operation Three Years Jotna against flouting the Public Order Act.
On the 16 December 2019, OTYJ held a procession from Sting Corner to Denton Bridge calling on President Adama Barrow to honor the coalition agreement and handover power at the end of his three years mandate.
Operation 3 Years Jotna then applied for another permit to hold another demonstration on 19th January but was denied by the police. The IGP’s move has now been supported by Interior Ministry.
The police chief had argued that following ‘meticulous’ security assessment, monitoring and intelligence gathering, it decided to withhold the granting of permit to the ‘Operation 3 Years Jotna Movement’. MamourJobe added the denial was due to ‘compelling’ National Security and Public Safety concerns. However, Operation 3 Years Jotna has threatened it hold a procession with or without permit.
On Wednesday afternoon, interior ministry issued a statement supporting the decision taken by the Inspector General of Police and called on Operation 3 Years Jotna to comply with the decision.
A statement signed by interior minister Yankuba JN Sonko said the violation of the police decision by any person(s) “shall be deemed as a flagrant violation of both the constitution and the Public Order Act and a direct affront to not the peace, security and public safety as well as economic well-being of The Gambia and it’s people”.
