The committee on Tuesday met Bara Police Force and Fire and Rescue Service, Njongon Military Camp and Kerewan Police Station officials in North Bank Region.
The committee is mandated by the 1997 constitution under section (109) to embark on a nationwide tour to meet security institutions, interact with them and gather first-hand information on their activities, achievements and problems.
Assistant Commissioner Dembo Trawally at Barra Fire and Rescue Service Division said they serve as a multi-purpose center that accommodates Gambia Police Force, Gambia Immigration Department and Drug Law Enforcement Agency, The Gambia therefore making the center very congested.
He stated that their main challenges are mobility and accommodation which he described as fundamental for security institutions to work effectively.
“Sometimes we cannot go out on our normal patrol duties because the vehicle available to us is not good. We find it difficult to respond when the need arises”, said Trawally.
Omar Joof, Station Officer Barra Fire and Rescue Service said they have only one toilet that is not fit for human use.
Officer Joof added that the station’s building is old with cracks all over the walls. He said they also lack furniture which makes their work difficult.
“Our firefighting truck is old. We do not always have enough fuel to operate effectively. The only available truck covers only from Bara to Kerewan which is a huge area”, he explained.
He therefore appealed to government through the committee to provide them a proper station and mobility to ensure effective service delivery.
At Njongon Military Post, Warrant Officer Class One and Commanding Officer of the military post, Mankamang Kujabi told the committee that electricity is their biggest problem as they depend on a rented generator from the community.
“The structures here are not adequate for us as we live in dormitories”. He thanked the post’s previous commanders who demarcated the buildings in order to create some privacy within houses.
We are soldiers but we are human beings as well, thus, we need at least a decent living which is not the case here in Njongon” he stated.
The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) through the Department of Fisheries recently donated fish preserving materials worth about two million dalasis (D2, 000,000) to workers at Banjul fishing port.
Talib Ahmed Bensouda, the Mayor of Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC) recently laid the foundation stone for the Bakoteh Community Park worth 1.6 million dalasis at a ceremony held at the Bakoteh Football Field.
The Francis Degaulle Njie Foundation (FDNF) last Friday adopted a new strategic plan to guide its activities from 2022 to 2025. The event was held at the Christian Council premises along MDI Road, Kanifing.
Hon Kebba K Barrow, National Assembly Member for Kombo South Constituency is currently in Lome, Togo attending the Delocalised Joint Committee meeting on Public Accounts, Administration Finance and Budget, Macro-Economic Policies and Policy Research, Trade Customs and Free Movement. The meeting is under the theme:
