By Nelson Manneh
Honourable Musa Cham, the National Assembly Member for Serrekunda Constituency, raised pressing issues affecting his community during the recent adjournment debate in Parliament.
Honourable Cham began his submission by addressing the issue of street gambling. He recounted a recent encounter with a group of young people engaged in street gambling, who claimed they had been registered by the council to operate. However, he questioned whether such activities should take place in public spaces.
“For us as members of the community, we feel it is very wrong for individuals to be given permits to gamble within our community. This, to me, will encourage other youths to engage in social vices,” Cham stated.
He also revisited a previous question he had posed to the Minister of Regional Government regarding the disorderliness in Serrekunda. He highlighted the congestion of vehicles and street vendors, questioning whether councils, despite their financial autonomy, should be collecting daily fees from these vendors without addressing the disorganization.
“This is not politics. We commend the government for its efforts, but we will equally task them to be more proactive. The Local Government Act, under Section 18, gives councils the power to regulate vendors and the erection of stalls in our communities. But if you walk through Serrekunda, you will see that there is no space for commuters,” he said.
Cham further pointed out that the only health facility in Serrekunda, the Serrekunda Health Centre, is often inaccessible due to the overwhelming presence of vendors around it.
“My question was about how the council is working with the central government to address this issue. It is the responsibility of the council to regulate such activities and ensure easy access to health facilities,” he stressed.
Turning to education, Cham questioned the lack of inclusion of national languages in the school curriculum. He noted that currently, only one local language is prioritized and sought clarity on whether the implementation of the national languages policy is supported by the government or external organizations.
He also raised security concerns at Serrekunda Primary School, stating that the school does not have a night watchman. “We have engaged the Minister for Basic and Secondary Education about this issue. At night, the school is used as a sanctuary. We need the line Minister’s intervention,” he urged.
Diaspora Voting Debate
On the issue of Diaspora voting, Honourable Cham said the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) found it necessary to include Diaspora voting in election laws. However, he argued that the absence of a proper framework led to its removal by parliamentarians.
He emphasized that there is no constitutional conflict regarding Diaspora voting, citing that the 1997 Constitution guarantees the right of every Gambian of full age and capacity to participate in elections.
“The issue of demarcation of constituencies lies in the hands of the IEC. Even if we enfranchise Diaspora voting, it does not mean we are taking it outside The Gambia. It will be incorporated into the system because that is the norm. I don’t think there is a problem with Diaspora voting if there is political will,” he asserted.
Clarification on Attestation Process
Addressing the controversy surrounding attestations, Cham argued that the process is widely misunderstood. He clarified that it is not the duty of an Alkalo (village head) to issue attestations arbitrarily.
“During the drafting process of the 2020 Draft Constitution, we proposed that every Alkalo be given the responsibility to register births and deaths within their community. If we adopt this system, there will be no issues regarding the issuance of attestations,” he explained.
Honourable Cham’s remarks reflect ongoing concerns about governance, public space management, education, electoral processes, and community welfare in Serrekunda, urging both local and national authorities to take proactive measures.
