Musa Yali Batchilly, leader Gambia Action Party (GAP) has urged the government of President Adama Barrow to usher complete strategic in the areas of defense, security review and assess the emerging threats revolving around the nation.
“We are all responsible in ensuring that the peace in the Gambia doesn’t wane away or land in an unwanted terminal. We now, challenge the government to usher complete strategic defense, security review and assess the emerging threats revolving around the nation.
These things have to be put in place to effectively ensure that the government’s security reform agenda is not futile,” he said in a statement made available to The Voice on Wednesday.
He added: “We have to emancipate our mindsets from conflicts and its ideology and transform it into winning as a nation. Only by doing so, we shall have the right trajectory to mould better futures for the Gambians as generations unfold.
We have seen time without numbers when there were security lapses in the Gambia since the birth of the President Barrow’s administration when a gas station was attacked in a broad day light to the attack of a bank in Farafenni for the first time in the history of our motherland in the provinces.”
Batchilly, said series of personal attacks or confrontations followed suit which led to the loss of dear ones and vandalized properties.
He stressed that The Gambia doesn’t deserve this at all cost, calling on the government to review the security systems, methods and tighten up the security to ensure effective and efficient conducive environment.
“How far have they gone with the security review sector which they launched? The government needs to clearly define their stance on the security sector reform and effectively embark on proper consultations,” he pointed out.
According to GAP leader, The Gambia’s security should not have to be limited to the checkpoints along the roads asking for the drivers licenses and I’D cards but has to be restricted to ensure a smooth round the clock manning of our borders and strategic locations in the Gambia with effective tools, personnel and the required training for intelligence agencies in an information gathering based on facts and not just smearing or mere allegations.
“By all accounts, all the hard works would have been otherwise during an unprecedented period when our nation was struck with tragedy. There were people who thought our better days were gone but we have proven them wrong in all possible ways.
To the men and women in uniform who did not abandon our ideals, our commonalities, hopes or trusts as security forces. We are proud of you all for not betraying your loyalties against the nation with renewed hopes.
To the men and women in civilian clothes who were calmed down to ensure that peace continued to take its cause in the Gambia as we are known to be a peaceful nation,” he said.
He also said canvassing for votes or busy on searching for terms that are yet to come and the present not properly executed has to be aside with all absolute certainty, saying that gone are the days when the people were in foolery or caged to satisfy needs.
He further said, “When the Gambia Action Party takes over as a government, will give zero tolerance to the peace and security of the Gambia.”
“Our government shall introduce a vigilant state security apparatus and system that will protect the lives of all the citizens and their properties, the foreigners and equally safeguard the business men and women as the party is cognizant of the fact that every live matters geared towards development of a country.
We shall remind the Gambians that peace, security, human rights and public health institutions are fundamentally interconnected.
When these fundamentals are violated, the center for our institution no longer holds and would lead us to a reverse land that no creature on earth would want to live in,” he noted.
Batchilly stressed it rest on the premise that no single nation is secured unless all the people and their properties are secured, noting that the primary agenda of every government is to provide, protect and defend her citizens within the territorial jurisdiction of the nation and even outside world when the need arises without which everything is doomed to failure.
“Whatever the government of the day chooses to do, this must be part of the government’s reform agendas since day one whilst lip service is being given the idea of security in the Gambia.
We are aware of the nation’s we can take as examples today how divisions and conflicts destroyed them, their economies and their peaceful coexistence in order to avoid such scenarios and better shape our own futures as the sovereign people of the land. We in the Gambia Action Party strive for unity as it’s one of the most precious assets a nation can hold on.
Cognizant of the fact that, our businesses are operating, our children are going to schools, we travels all year round in the country, tourist’s visits the Gambia year in year out amongst other things are all down to peaceful environment and cannot be exercised in a conflict zone atmosphere,” he said.