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Momodou
Denmark
11786 Posts |
 Posted - 02 Apr 2010 : 12:28:51
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Dailynews Editorial: Baffling Times Indeed!
Apr 01, 2010
Our Honorable Parliamentarian cannot be more right here when he said that he was baffled by the statement of the President regarding security of citizens. He is right in this regard since there are ample instances capable of making one having such doubts about security of persons. It is no secrete that our security apparatus are indeed very pro-active when it comes to security matters relating to protecting government or its machineries.
The country is indeed endowed with peace; and in the same vein citizens should enjoy security if what the constitution requires is applied to the letter. Many times in the past five to six years, disappearances of people occurred without trace. It leads one to wonder why and how these are happening in our dear motherland. This is the country regarded as the safest in the region when it comes to peace and security. How one relates this to disappearances of innocent citizens without trace, beats the imagination of many!
"People are disappearing since 2006 and are still disappearing ….," said Sedia to his colleagues at the Assembly. Sedia said he does not feel secure, and so many others. His fears are well founded, considering the instances. To add to this "disappearances", we would add to the list, "unsolved" shootings of other innocent Gambian citizens such as Deyda Hydara. A hero of Gambian journalism, it is amazing that security apparatus of the state are incapable of bringing his killers to book! As if that is not enough for Gambian and international journalists, another young journalist and bread winner of a whole family in the person of Ebrima Chief Manneh, also disappeared in thin air without any trace.
Another case is that of a leading lawyer Ousman Sillah who was shot shortly after the beginning of a trial process of his client, Baba Jobe. As a trained and retired officer, Lawyer Sillah was "lucky" to be alive even after his "professional" shooters lodged bullets into his body. Unlike Deyda, Sillah happened to use his security experience to dodge other bullets aimed at him. Thank God, he is alive after being evacuated to Dakar for emergency treatment. The list can go on and on, dating back to 1994/5 when another young man in the name of Ousman Koro Ceesay, then Finance Minister of the AFPRC government was found burnt in his official car. Investigations revealed that he had gunshot wounds on his body, allegedly before the burning of his body in that car.
These are examples of cases that are capable of sending shivers down the back of anyone who cares about his/her own security. There have never been worse times of insecurity than these in the annals of our recent history. To be sure about this, talk to anyone on the street or in offices and homes about "government this or that" and you will get a gnaw in response. Nobody dares talk about issues affecting their lives openly as if there is some angel of death that will pounce on you when you speak. Why are people feeling threatened?
To know the effects of insecurity on governance or the economy, talk to economic experts and they will tell you "the image of the country will suffer" – tourists will be running away, investors will be scared of investing their monies on businesses, etc. Governance will equally suffer when people are afraid to talk about issues that affect their lives or those that dare speak are sent to jail or "disappeared". That is why we are of the view that these are indeed baffling times.
Source: Dailynews
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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