By Binta Jaiteh
Honourable Sainey Jawara, the National Assembly member for Lower Saloum has expressed disappointment with the Ministry of Interior (MOI) over the negligence of Faraba Bantang incident for four years, as the Minister yet again said he will update the assembly.
He said this during the questions for oral answers between the lawmakers and different ministers on Wednesday.
He stressed that as representatives of the people they need to protect their people adding that this issue was at the court of law but was dismissed.
Lamin J Sanneh member for Brikama south asked the minster to inform the assembly about the time the ministry will update the assembly because it is long overdue and Honourable Muhammed Kanteh member for Busumbala was also concerned if the officers involved are still working and receiving salaries.
Honourable Sayeka Sonko, Minister of Interior said he is sharing the information that is given to him, and with the concern of the member he will update the assembly regarding the issue. “Matters under proceedings or investigations remain in the court until the court decides as a ministry we cannot dictate the court to dig into the case before them,” he said.
He explained that peacekeeping matters are International interventions that are introduced into the country due to political crises thus the coming of the ECOMIG soldiers is the result of the 2016 political impasse.
He said they are concerned with the Security of the country and for that being the case the Ministry is appealing to the general public to assist the police in information sharing when the need arises rather than saying the police are not operating to standard.
According to him, the Ministry has got the police to go out in all areas of the country as the police are trying to help in minimizing this incident as the issue of arm robbery in Sami is not a sequence in their daily report although there was a recent robbery reported in Karantaba sometimes in June 2022. He added that after this incident they have not received any robberies reports in Sami district. The ongoing community engagements in the two communities have minimize robbery similarly there are plans to post PIU at Karantaba.
However, he said the Ministry is aware of the logistical problems they are facing in terms of mobility and vehicles and that the Ministry is concerned. The construction of the Baja Kunda Fire and rescue service has been completed and in operation since May 2022 and the facility at Baja Kunda station consists of a solar and a borehole, he said.
However, concerning the issue of the Faraba incident, the Ministry will make a follow-up and update accordingly.
Momodou Lamin Samateh, Minister for Health said the Ministry of Health has plans to renovate all health facilities across the country, Basse and Bullock will be part. But how soon can be a challenge but the process is on.
According to him, a thorough assessment of the needs will be looked at, and as far as health human resource is concerned and the country and the government is doing a lot “that is why we are expanding the school of nursing to Mansakonko and Bansang.
‘’The Tallinding ambulance had an accident and we don’t want to use an ambulance that will cause loss of lives to the people but there will be a replacement as they are part of the proposals’’ he said