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CDS Drammeh pays courtesy call on GRA boss

May 20, 2020, 12:53 PM

The Gambia Armed Forces Chief of Defence Staff Yankuba Drammeh on Tuesday 19 May 2020 paid a courtesy call on Yankuba Darboe, commissioner general of The Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA) at his office in Banjul.

CDS Drammeh was accompanied by a high powered delegation of senior army officials.

The purpose of the visit was to strengthen the already existing good working relationship between the two institutions, CDS Drammeh told reporters.

Drammeh said they have been enjoying a cordial working relationship with GRA which they aimed to strengthen.

He called on them to nurture the peace and tranquility known in the country.

He stated that since he took command on 17 March 2020, he deemed it fitting to pay courtesy call on heads of institution across the country.

CDS stated that his priority was to transform the Gambian army and make the armed forces reorganised globally.

“We want to ensure we have an armed forces that is legitimate, professional, highly trained, mobile, subordinate and accountable to the authority,” he said.

He added that they wanted to have an army that is sensitive to the needs and aspiration of every Gambian and non-Gambians alike but also whose actions fall within international best practices, respects human rights as well as efficient and effective in discharge its constitutional mandate.

Commissioner General Yankuba Darboe in turn expressed gratitude to the CDS and his team for the visit, describing it as timely and a worthy course.

He stated that GRA’s mandate is to collect revenue, adding that they cannot collect revenue in the absence of peace and tranquility.

Commissioner General Darboe assured them of his office’s unflinching support, saying working hand-in-glove is the only way to promote peace and tranquility in the country.

He explained that the meeting focused on a wide range of issues aimed at promoting peace and stability in the country.

The GRA boss advised people to nurture the culture of team work, peace and stability, saying no single institution can bring peace to all and sundry.