Hon.
Sulayman Saho, the National Assembly Member (NAM) for Central Badibou has
frowned at the security, saying it’s disheartening to see young people leave
the coast of Barra going to Europe by sea without the notice of the security.
“A
lot have been invested in the security sector reforms but it’s disheartening to
see that young people leave the coast of Barra going to Europe by sea where
almost 60 Gambians drown. This tells us that we have security lapses in the
country,” he said during the National Assembly adjournment debate.
He
added: “Where were the Fire Services and the Police in Barra? That’s the
question we need to ask ourselves. So, when we say security reforms we do not
only mean taking guns and arms from security men then say we are secured; or
when there’s no demonstration and protest in the country we are secured,” he
emphasised, saying this are fundamental issues we need to look at.
Commenting
on the issues affecting his constituency, he said there’s need to have a proper
structure at the Mandory Lower Basic School, adding that the current structures
of the school is own by a Madrassa, hence the Ministry of Education should look
into the issue.
He
said Dobo Lower Basic School which is 9km away from Salikenne needs to be
upgraded to a Basic cycle school in order to avoid children taking the risk
going up to Salikenne.
According
to him, students of the UTG are given scholarships but they lack the necessary
educational tools. The scholarships government is giving, he went on, lack the
necessary educational package such as laptop and other materials.
The
government of the day including the parliament, he said, took actions to make
sure that human right commission is launched in the country in ensuring that
people’s rights are protected in the country.
“Mentally
ill people are human beings, thus they deserve the right to be protected. There
is only one psychiatric centre in the country and there is no protection in the
centre. In fact, the centre should be decentralised to ensure ease access.”
The
mentally ill people, he said, deserve better live. “They don’t need to be
treated like people who’re not socially important again. I believe if they are
supported they can recover because every one of us here is mentally affected,
either ceremonially or other issues.”
He
added: “Climate change is real and we have seen that our little forest cover is
threatened by hackers or forest butchers in the name of so-called economic
gain; thus it need to be stopped. The Ministry of Environment needs to come up
with holistic approach in order to ensure that the forests that are destroyed
are being recovered.”
The
Dobo Forest in Central Badibou, he noted, is all cut down and “we are almost
left with a mere bushes. In fact, we don’t even have any forest cover in NBR.”
