Environment,
Climate Change and Natural Resources minister Lamin Dibba, has urged
environmental inspectors not to allow anybody to corrupt them in the discharge
of their responsibilities.
Presiding
over the presentation of certificates to environmental operators at the
National Environment Agency (NEA) office on Monday, Minister Dibba urged them
to understand their terms of reference and execute them to the letter and
follow the due process of the law.
The
environmental operators were trained on basic environmental law enforcement,
field work, interaction with people, evidence gathering, keeping and reporting
as well as self-defense in court.
Organised
by the National Environment Agency in collaboration with Gambia Police Force
and the Judiciary, the training was meant to build capacities of inspectors to
enhance their skills in law enforcement and their knowledge on environmental
law.
Minister
Dibba warned that they will not hesitate to take severe disciplinary action
against any individual who is found wanting. “We do not want blanket power but
will want you to observe the rule of law and follow due process within the
powers given to you.” he cautioned.
He
told the NEA executive director that henceforth,he does not want to receive
calls from people complaining of plastics and littering, warning that anyone
who is guilty of committing the offence of littering should be served no matter
who the person is, because no one is above the law.
He
further challenged NEA to regulate businesses, citing an example of the recent
fire outbreak in Kanifing. “Regulations must be followed and enforced by
enforcers but also adhered to by operators.”
Minister
Dibba further observed that the training came at a time when people thought
that when one government formulates a law and another one comes, that law is
naturally abrogated, describing such as a fallacy.
“State
always continuesand whatever the state does goes into the next generation
unless the legal instrument is amended by the same process that put it in
place. So far, there is no amendment to the plastic bag ban order or the
antilittering bill.”
He
also called on environment inspectors to be very strong and not to allow any
amount of pressure to make them dodge their responsibilities.
