By: Kebba AF Touray
The Minister of Interior Ebrima Mballow, said his Ministry is concerned with the rate of murder cases in the country.
Mballow made these assertions at the National Assembly, while responding to a question raised by the Member for Banjul Central, Muhammed Ndow.
Mballow added that they have increased Police Patrols and that the GPF shall apply all powers within the Law, to fight violent crime.
“We intend to reduce violent crimes and murder through the implementation of community policing techniques and the involvement of citizens in crime preventing efforts. Increased monitoring and intelligence gathering will be intensified, as well as strengthening joint security patrols at night,” Mballow said.
In a supplementary question on what his Ministry was doing to restore the confidence of Gambians in the internal security of the country, raised by the Member for Sabach Sanjal Ousman Touray, Mballow responded that he does not think Gambians are losing or have lost confidence in the Law Enforcement Authorities and the Internal Security of the country. “I can assure you that we don’t have any out of control situation anywhere in the country. Our Law Enforcement Agencies are ready and capable to successfully employ tough enforcement practices if necessary, to quickly establish order in any out of control situation,” he added; that they know the hideouts of the bandits and will deploy substantial resources, personnel and equipment to troubled hot spots, to identify, arrest and bring them to justice.
In another question on what is responsible for the delay in the issuing of National I.D cards by the member for Sabach Sanjal, Mballow maintained that ID cards is a statutory requirement for every citizen of the country and noted that Government was judiciously working to ensure that the contract for the production of ID cards, is normalized.
“The issue of the ID Cards will be a thing of the past,” Mballow assured.
18 Million Fire Service Station For Baja Kunda:
In a similar development, Interior Minister Mballow told deputies that an eighteen million, eight hundred and seventy three dalasi (D18, 873,000) Fire Service Station project, has been secured for Baja Kunda Village in Wuli East District of the URR. This disclosure was made by the Interior Minister Mballow, while responding to a question from the Member for Sandu, Muhammed Mahanera, on the plans the Interior Ministry has in establishing a fire service station in that part of URR North particularly Sandu.
Minister Mballow said the project is funded under the Rural Infrastructure Development Project and will be implemented by GAMWORKS Agency; that construction will begin any time soon.
The Member for Wuli East, Suwaibou Touray, in a supplementary question, asked Interior Minister Mballow to state clearly the timeline of the construction and whether the Ministry would consider having the youth of Wuli employed in the construction of the Fire Station in Baja Kunda.
In his response, the Minister said that is entirely left to the contractor to determine who should be employed.
He however expressed optimism that the contractor would be better off to employ people in the area, to reduce cost. He also promises to give the Member more information regarding the time frame of the said construction.
The Member for Basse, Muhammed Magassey, said the problem of Base regarding Fire Service is the lack of fire hydrants and asked the Minister the plans of his Ministry in multiplying the establishment of fire hydrants in each of the districts of the Upper River Region, to ensure effective Fire Service delivery.
Mballow responded that this is part of their plans and understands that only two hydrants are located in Banjul and Janjangbureh, throughout the country. He assured the Member for Basse that they have taken note of the issue and promised to look into the matter.
