By: Binta Jaiteh
The NAM for Busumbala constituency, Muhammed Kanteh, has stressed that the security concerns raised by the African descendants in The Gambia must be addressed immediately.
Last Saturday, the African descendants here convened a press conference to draw the attention of the Gambian authorities to their security situation as their community reeled from attacks that were seen in some quarters as targeted.
The Gambia Police Force (GPF) issued a statement this week, giving the assurance that the police would continue to work towards the maintenance of national security for the Gambian population.
However, the Busumbala legislator maintained that the issues raised by the African descendants requires immediate solution.
“The concerns raised by the African descendants need to be addressed ASAP to restore trust and confidence in the security sector and the IGP must ensure that citizens and non-citizens resident in the country are assured of their safety at all times,” Kanteh pointed out.
According to him, the prevalence of violent crimes of-late has galvanized responsible citizens to make a call for action.
“Of recent, the crime and criminality are prevalent in our communities which warranted responsible citizens and residents raise concerns about the safety of their lives and properties under the current leadership of the interior ministry and the Gambia Police Force,” he stated. “Data revealed that a significant number of deaths occurred during the years under review due to the increasing rate of crime and criminality,” he added.
Kanteh explained that the internal security of any country rests in the hands of its interior ministry and the departments under its supervision.
“The notable institution created by an Act of Parliament to protect life and properties of individuals and maintenance of law and order is the police force,” he explained.
The Busumbala NAM expressed the need for the successful implementation of the security sector reform project.
“Government must ensure that the security sector reform[agenda] is adhered to so that proper security institutions focus their energy on providing security to the community for safety and protection to restore trust and accountability mechanism,” he concluded
