By Binta JaitehChairperson of the National Assembly Select Committee On Human Rights and Constitutional Matters Madi Ceesay will summon the Attorney General and Minister of Justice over the challenges outlined by the Gambia Center for Human Rights Violations.
The center appeared before the committee,lamenting the numerous challenges they were faced with, including shortage of funding to pay rent, lack of mobility, lack of sexual gender based violence unit , lack of funds for provision of medical and educational among others.
According to the chairperson, the committee is established for anyone whose right has been violated. ‘’We cannot fight for rights, if we don’t hear from the victims’ center because they are the umbrella body of people who are victimized,’’ he remarked.
“The entire population is victimized directly or indirectly” Ceesay asserted.Lamin Ceesay, member of the committee also said victims center does not have a legal backing or framework that should allow government to put an allocation for them in the national budget.
He stated that until that is done, that area will be very difficult. He says if they are established under an act of parliament or a piece of legislation that recognize their existence will be helpful.
‘’As a center, if you want to be independent, you need to strategies and make sure that government does not control you at some point if they do government will now put control over you which you may not like,’’ Ceesay said.
He suggested that, to every government that comes this organization must stay as long as Gambia stays to make sure that the rights of the victims are recorded.
Emphasizing on the D50 million fund for thevictims, Ceesay says until something is clear, they will remain being skeptical about it with respect to whether there is transparency on how the money is spent.
He stresses that is a resource that must be accounted for and to ascertain that victims are looked after.
He explained that members on numerous occasions did shout at the floor of chambers shouting about the issues of the victims. ‘’But if we don’t speak to you directly, we may not know all these challenges. The committee chairperson was even victimized and the trauma impacted on him and his family,’’ Ceesay added.