By Nelson Manneh
Fabakary Tombong Jatta the Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC) party leader held a press conference yesterday the 6th of November 2018 in his resident in Tallinding.
He asserted during the press conference that no foreign power can ensure security on a foreign land. The APRC party leader said that the security risk of the Gambia should be put into consideration by the government.
He said one young Gambian was attacked and knocked down, beaten and tied up by the Senegalese forces in Sibanor Village in Foni. He described the young man as a driver who was carrying wood logs. He added that according to the MP in that area the driver fainted and was then taking to the hospital.
He said as a party they seriously condemn this behaviour of those forces in the Gambia. “They have no right even if someone is wrong to bit him or her.”
He claims that APRC is unquestionably the single biggest party in The Gambia as manifested by their recent rally.
Jatta said that their convoys are always attacked whenever they pass through Busumbala village. He added that when it happened before, the government established a commission of enquiry but nothing came out of it.
He said as their last rally progressed they heard rumours that the people of Busumbala were planning another attack on their way back. The general mobilizer contacted the police and they said that they are aware of it and they are putting a mechanism in order to prevent it.
“Then nothing happened at the end of the day, but the government should put up mechanism to prevent crisis not to wait until they occur,” he said.
“We deserve to hold on rallies in any part of the country as far as we have the permit to do so,” he asserted.
He asserted that it is the same force that killed Haruna Jatta a peaceful protest in Kanalai Village. He called for this particular issue that involved this driver to be properly investigated.
He asserted that there was an MOU between Jammeh and the AU, EU; ECOWAS to facilitate Jammeh’s peaceful departure in 2016, but that the MOU is no more respected.
He expressed his dissatisfaction with the manner the Janneh Commission is conducting its inquiry.
“We believe that the commission of enquiry is there to establish the facts and present it to the government and it is the government that is to determine what to do. It is this same Commission that sold out the properties of the former president Jammeh; his bulls, his cows and other things were sold,” he said.
He added that the government should maintain those properties until legal decisions are taking as to the way forward.
The APRC party leader also opined that the allegation made by the social Security staff most of them are credible. He called on President Barrow to look at the issues again and the staff representative should not be panelized because he was there for the staff as they are the ones who elected him to represent them.
Regarding the donor conference and the pledges that were made Jatta asked how much have they received as at now.
With regard to the frequent deportation of Gambians from Europe Jatta said the government should not agree for it citizens to be deported. They did not commit any crime, so they should not be deported, he argued. “Every government should take responsibility and protect its citizens in every part of the world,” he asserted.
