By Binta Jaiteh
Honourable Maryam Jack Denton, Speaker of the National Assembly, has blasted nominated member, Honourable MaJanko Samusa and accused him of blatantly flouting the proceedings of the house.
This came Wednesday as a lawmaker for Central Badibou read out a statement on last month’s clash between MFDC rebels and Senegalese soldiers under Ecowas Mission to The Gambia.
Then Honourable Majanko Samusa quickly interjected to say “such statements should not be entertained, people cannot try to politicize questions to play with the Gambians in my view, this is a rubbish statement.”
However, Speaker Jack Denton asked him to withdraw his statement but refused.
“This action of the nominated member is out of hand and I cited clause (22) of the standing order that; if a member show disrespect to the authority of the chair or abuses the proceedings of the assembly by persistently and obstructing the assembly or otherwise, the speaker shall direct the attention of the assembly to the incident. A motion is then move by speaker shall put the question the member will be suspended from the assembly,” speaker Maryam Jack Denton affirmed.
Meanwhile, Honorable Sulayman Saho member for Central Badibou revealed that the agreement between the Gambia and Senegal is a threat and it ruin the reputation of the country, adding “this recent problem between the MFDC and the Senegalese soldiers who are either on ECOWAS mission under a bilateral agreement between the Gambia and Senegal have indeed threaten the long-standing period and reputation of our country.”
According to him, the security of any country is a fundamental right to its progress and development. The Gambia has for so long known as a peaceful country in the sub region.
Honourable Suwaibou Touray member for Wuli East said exporting timber from the country illegally is unlawful, adding this issue is definitely threatening the security of the country and therefore if we have a member who has the thinking to raise such a concern he should be commended.
“We should thank the defense committee and if a report is being made it should be shared to all the members in chambers stressing that we should not get into any reciprocal agreement where there is no capacity to act,” he said.