Retired Col. Momodou Badgie, National Security Adviser has stressed that he is more concern with results than criticism saying that security sector reform is a process that follows its own trajectories either for short term, medium or long term.
He made statement in an exclusive interview on the sideline at the closing of national consultation on the security sector reform strategy at a local hotel in Senegambia.
He described security sector reform as a process that follows its own trajectories either for short term, medium or long term and security sector reform process entails needs assessment and in order to know the needs of the people by holding meetings with them to know their concerns.
According to him, after the launched of the national security policy by the President Adama Barrow in June, his office has embarked on a nationwide consultation by visiting all the regions of the country to consult with the people.
He said some of the issues discussed were what they think of the security situation, how they think we can improve the security situation of the country; what are some of the issues that they think could be looked at when we are doing the reform.
He also said after the regional consultations findings and recommendations were made, one among the concerns is the legacy of authoritarian rule, how security officers were employed during the past 22 years, how to address the concerns of the security institutions as well as the cross-cutting issues that includes respect for human rights, gender and the concerns of people who are not able to respect rule of law.
According to him, the report on the regional consultation and recommendations was hand over to the president in 2017 among which were the absence of the overarching security frames that includes policies, programs, Act, adding that it was out of such report and recommendation why the national security policy was launched on the 20th of June, 2019.
Badgie said in order to prepared the policy strategies the national security office deems it necessary to embarked on the drafting of two important national security documents thus the National Security Policy (NSP) and the Security Sector Reform (SSR).
He revealed that efforts are on course for formulating the national security strategy, defense strategy and the management strategy of the ministry of defense, adding that consultation and formulation of a defense policy and internal security policy that will take charge of the issues of the ministry of interior is also on course.
According to him, consultations on the national security policy and drafting of the National Security Policy (NSP) and the Security Sector Reform (SSR) involves all stakeholders including national assembly members, civic society organisations, Non-Governmental Organisations, security institutions among others and this is needed to in cooperate the views of all and sundry.
He disclosed that the drafters of the National Security Policy (NSP) and the Security Sector Reform (SSR) were not drawn from only from the security institution but from the ministry of justice to represent a national character that will be appealing to all Gambians by the end of the day.