By Sailu Bah
Calm, in terms of checks, has finally returned to the capital city of
Banjul following the tense security climate which prevailed in the
aftermath of the reported 30 December 2014 foiled armed attack on
State House.The military checks or searches which were mounted both within and
outside the city are still in place but have significantly reduced in
number and intensity.
Residents have also observed fewer armed soldiers patrolling the
streets of Banjul now.
However, the commuters using the Banjul-Serekunda highway have
observed that the 4 military check points on the highway, although
fewer now, do sometimes lead to long queues and delays as passengers
are asked to produce national identity cards and some vehicles
searched.
A regular traveller from the North Bank Region who comes to the Kombos
often explained that he nearly missed the last ferry from Banjul in
one of his visits due to the delay he encountered when he was returning home.
Alieu Ceesay, a resident of Banjul, said he always moves about with
his ID Card as failure to do so can lead to inconvenient encounters
with the Immigration officials and soldiers as well. He applauded the
security for their work, adding that check points are necessary as the
security of the people is paramount and should always be ensured by
the government. He however lamented the numerous checks that people
encounter while traveling. He noted that the lesser the check points
the better.
“I am therefore appealing to the authorities to reduce the check
points to facilitate easy movement and enable people to transact
businesses on other missions on time,” he said.
He added that these delays can have negative economic implications on individuals and businesses.]]>
