By: Sulayman Waan
Dr. Amadou Scattered Janneh, political activist on Tuesday September 17 donated materials worth over D75, 000 to Mile II Central Prison aims to improve the living standard of the inmates.
The donated materials includes 50 bags of materials, 20 boxes of soap, gallons of cooking oil, sanitary materials for women, tooth paste among others.
In his presentation statement Dr. Janneh described 17 September as his birth and liberation day, saying he was born and free from prison on this sunlight hours after fifteen months of imprisonment by the autocratic government of former President Jammeh.
Dr. Janneh was charged with treason over printing and distributing T-shirt indicating ‘Coalition for Change’. He was sentence life imprisonment in 2011 and later released in 17 September 2012 due to a pressure on former the government by the United State of America.
“Seventeen years ago, I was pardon and taken out of the country; therefore, this is a significant day for me. “Staying here (Mile ii), Bambadinka and Jeshwang prison and the confinement for eight months. I know exactly some of the difficulties that prisoners as well as prison guard are facing,” he said.
The renowned political scientist further said the prison’s visitors may not know how dilapidation of some facilities in the prison but for him he knew that, while saying in this new Gambia he can’t just forget about the pride of prisoners, prison officials and the prison system as a whole.
He noted that there is need for prison reform that includes changing the mission of the prison as accommodation for inmates and now to transform it to rehabilitation centre for prisoners, which he means is the central element of the prison’s policy.
“Also there is no excuse for maintaining the prison act we inherited from the colonial era,” he warned.
Rohey Malick Lowe, Lord Mayor of Banjul expressed gratitude to Dr. Janneh and his team for the gesture. She described the donation as complement to government as well as the Banjul City Council.
Ansumana Manneh, director general of Gambia prison services commended the philanthropist for the gift.
According him, when he handled this position his principal concern was to turn the prisons to a rehabilitation centre instead of a place for punishment.
Manneh revealed the ongoing development in the Mile ii prison saying many inmates are doing vocational training such as tailoring, plumbering, painting among others in the prison to ensure they have professions before ending their prison terms.
Earlier Commissioner Lamin Sowe, operation commendation in Mile ii portrayed the prison as a very important institution, stating that it’s made to reform and integrates persons back to the society.
Conversely, Commissioner Sowe revealed that the prison have dilapidated structures which were built since the colonial era.
