QUESTION OF THE DAY
A declaration of a state of emergency is simply a way of alerting the whole nation that COVID 19 is a threat to Public Health. Is there any Gambian who disagrees with this assertion that COVID 19 is a threat to health and life?
If we agree that is the case, one must ask what measures are to be taken to combat it. This is why an Emergency Powers Act is necessary to indicate the powers a President should have in taking measures to combat the threat.
The powers come in the form of regulations that must be reasonably justifiable to combat the threat. Gambians as a whole must pin down the executive and members of parliament to explain the measures that are taken so far, what they agree or dis agree with and what measures are appropriate to address the threat.
They must be challenged to explain what they are doing to work together along with the councils to ensure that measures are appropriate and further affirm the appropriateness of the mechanism for their effective and efficient implementation. Anything short of this is empty chatter that no right thinking person should entertain.
