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Momodou
Denmark
11855 Posts |
 Posted - 10 Apr 2008 : 15:39:40
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Is The Gambia Under Threat? Sidia Jatta Asks
By Amie Sanneh
The Honourable Member for Wuli West, Sidia Jatta, has asked whether the Gambia is under threat. This question came up in the wake of the decision by the National Assembly Members to enact a National Security Agencies Bill, 2008 on Monday at the National Assembly. He noted that with all the security agencies in the country, the Government is still setting up another security agency as if the Gambia is under threat. “Yes the Gambia is under threat,” he remarked. The real face of the Gambia, he said, is poverty of the people. He added that the money which could have been used to supplement efforts towards eradicating poverty is to come into creating five new inefficient security agencies, which he called “the bureaucratization agencies”. “A small country like the Gambia, little tiny Gambia, five intelligence agencies, in addition to the CID” he questioned. He then asked: “what is going to happen to CID? Is it going to be integrated into what we called the criminal intelligence service or what?”
Honourable Jatta observed that the sad thing that is happening in The Gambia is the terrible concentration of power in the hands of one person. The Wuli West NAM said that setting up many security agencies will only create fear among the people. “We want to give voice to individuals so that they can have dignity to contribute meaningfully towards the development of our common society. This cannot be done in fear, whenever you turn back, there is somebody behind you, wherever you go somebody is trying to find fault in you. Its not helping,” said the Honourable Member.
He said they are striving towards establishing a democratic society. The Gambia, he added, can be a model, inspite of anything, but not in this way.
Hon. Jatta reiterated the point that we have many security agencies in the country and this is why individuals are in fear; that nobody knows where they are.
“People are being killed, nobody knows who the killers are and yet we have intelligence in the country which is not helping in anyway. Are you going to convince me that when you create more intelligence services, that is going to help eradicate such acts in the society. How many people have been killed and up to this day you don’t know who the culprits are” Honourable Jatta enquired. The Wuli West NAM added that individuals have disappeared and that there are people who witness the arrest of individuals and nothing has been said or done about such people.
The Vice President and Secretary of State for Women Affairs, who tabled the bill before deputies at the National Assembly, said that “the national security agencies bill, 2008 has the objective to bring together military intelligence agency, military police agency, criminal intelligence agency and specialize service agency under the centralized command of his Excellency, the president of the republic.” The vice president added that once the bill is enacted, the provision of the resolved security agency Act shall prevail over any other law, particularly any provisions found inconsistent with these Acts
She noted that the bill is geared towards promoting the security of the state of the Gambia and its people and their properties. She called on NAMS to consider the bill as an important instrument worthy of enactment.
Source: Foroyaa Newspaper Burning Issues
Issue No. 41/2008, 9 – 10 April 2008
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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