(JollofNews) – The Gambia’s minister of the Interior Friday vowed to come down heavily on people using democracy as an excuse to undermine the country’s peace and stability.Mai Ahmad Fatty said the Gambia is a nation of laws and the regime will take all necessary steps to safeguard the country’s peace.
He added that Gambians voted for democratic change in December 2016 and the Interior ministry will not allow anyone to hide in the name of “New Gambia and democracy” to muddy the well fought change for pluralistic democracy, and respect for human rights.
“You changed the government. You also changed the system. The police are here to uphold and enforce the law,” Mr Fatty aid.
“This new government will not shy away from holding you accountable. Some individuals have been breaking the law in the name of democracy. It happens in Bakau, where some youths attacked drug enforcement officers along the beach for merely executing their duties.
“The New Gambia doesn’t give you the license to smoke weed and use cocaine. The Gambia is a nation of laws and all citizens are expected to abide by the law. An attack on the police will not be tolerated anymore. The police should be respected. The New Gambia comes with new responsibilities. You must protect and defend the law.”
Reacting to Tuesday’s riot in Farato Village where local youths pelted stones at police officers and set fire to a bulldozer and vehicles trying to demolish some houses, Mr Fatty described the incident as mindless violence and unacceptable.
“It was an act of mindless violence meted out to members of the Gambia Police Force in the due execution of their duties,” he said.
“I am not taking it. It is an act of mindless violence against law enforcement. It is not acceptable and I am not going to take it.
“Those who break the law must be dealt with. Such acts are unacceptable. You cannot attack law enforcement for doing their job. We will wage a war against indiscipline and lawlessness.
“We will not condone acts that will undermine the peace and stability of this country. This is a nation of laws. The laws must be enforced. We will not apologize to the citizens and the people Bafalloto for enforcing the law. We will not apologize to anyone. What the police have done was not initiated by this New Government. They were out there to enforce a court order.”
Stern words:
All Gambians must or at least Should Support the Minister of the Interior, Mai Fatty in this Specific instance of Restoring and Enforcing Law and Order that apparently Brokedown at Farato and Baffoloto Villages. Democratic Dispensation or Dividend does not equal or Mean Lawlessness or Hooliganism of any kind. With Democracy comes Responsibility toward Each other and Property. In an ideal World, a Government is Paradoxically a Voluntary and Involuntary Association of all Individuals and Groups within a Defined Georgraphical Area. This is by way of Shared and different Values, Needs, and Wants. Citizens Agree to Disagree, yet live within Acceptable Social Norms that are Operationalized in the form of Promulgated Laws, Ordinances, Rules and Regulations. This is what Political and Social Scientist call “Social Contract”. By Social Contract, it is meant that the Citizens Consent to be Governed in Exchange for the the Government to Provide Certain Level of Security, and the General Well-being of the Citizens. However, Social Contract also have an implicit Understanding that Empowers the Citizens to Resist, Protest and even Remove a Government that Violates the Tenents of the Contract, just as much as the Government has a Legitimate Privilege and even Right to Safeguard the Peace, Security and Tranquility of the Country. The tension inherent in this view of Government and Democracy is that the Citizens’ Consent is Not Open ended, nor the Government’s Right. They are all Constrained by the Circumstantial and Situational Nature of Events that both the Citizens and the Government have little if any Total Control over. Thus, it is very important for both Parties to respond to these Events in a Measured and Equally Appropriate Manner that does not Clamp down Desent or appear to. The Law Breakers or Offenders Must be responsible for their Acts or Behavior. While the Government as the Representation of the Citizens Hold Law Breakers or Offenders Accountable Under the Weight of the Proscribed Laws of the Land in a manner that is within the Existing Laws, Ordinances, Rules and Regulations. The Government should endeavor to Articulate, Comnunicate, Inform, and Publicise Its Intent of any Action or Deed for a Reasonable Time or Period, Utilizing all Appropriate and available Means of Communication. Community Meetings or “Bantaba” need to be held at Different Intervals, Times, and Over a Reasonable Period to Achieve Maximum Participation or Critical Mass Response from those Affected. This is what the Essence of Participatory Democracy is all about. It is not just Voting For or Against, or Protesting For or Against a Certain Issue. Nor is Participatory Democracy the Mare absence of Authoritarian or Authorcratic and Despotic Acts by Government Officials or their Surrogates in or Outside of the Government. Law and Order and Meaningful Broad Based Participatory Democracy and Governance go Hand in Hand. They are Identical Twins With a Difference that should be Nutured and Maintained with a Delibrate Sustained Effort and Input by All and From All. One Gambia, One People, One Destiny.
It is going to be different from “that 22years” you think should be forgotten about. Mai Fatty and all those in that capacity must try to see to it that law is properly enforced but not by smoking muzzles wielding over dead bled human beings.
Law and order is possible when jobs are created and citizens are invested and engaged in productive and happy existence. You cannot legislate good conduct, you provide an environment that allow people to want to live in peace and harmony. Interior job is particularly challenging due to our peculiar circumstance. God help and guide our leaders .
The problem in this, or sevearal other less violent instances, seems to be related to the chronic land management failures of the last two administrations, and this administration must tread carefully, if the 22 year pent up anger of the people, is not going to erupt on its watch, into chaotic situations that could derail our progress towards our goals of building a stable, secure nation.
Whether this action was in execution of a court order or not (a court order that may have originated from a period when we doubted the independence of the courts), the Interior Minister, in padticular, and officials of the New Government, as a whole, have to understand that home demolitions are divastating, hurtful, humiliating, disruptive and very traumatic for the affected, especially for the children and young adults. Many of the affected, often, are those who have worked very hard and invested every save-able butut to put up modest habitable structures they call home.
Tough talk is no doubt necessary, to convey government’s uncompromising stance on lawlessness and law enforcement, but establishing the root cause of this problem and clearly mapping out how the new government wishes to tackle and resolve it, must be the priority and take precedence over any other enforcement actions, if conflict is to be avoided.
For a start, I think it is sensible to say that all demolition orders must be suspended, until proper investigations into the land dispute problems, as well as, broader consultation and impact assessment are fully carried out by a competent and properly constituted body, before a sensible and an amicable solution can be found to address this thorny issue, once and for all.
In my view, as part of tackling this chronic problem, the new government has to have the willingness and courage to implement both the letter and spirit of the constitution of The Gambia, which (I believe) designates non residential and non farm land, as State Land.
In other words, any land in The Gambia that is not someone’s (state) recognised home or farm is state property and no lenght of “possession” or “ownership” claim over it, should change its status.
Unfortunately, due to the non enforcement of the law by the PPP Administration in particular, certain families throughout the country, have now got used to the idea that they own vast areas of land in their habitat (villages & towns), sometimes even extending to the neighbouring habitats. Ominously, members of these families specialise in land dealing as a means of livelihood, and sometimes, members of the same family would sell the same piece of land to different buyers, hence constant land disputes and conflicts between individuals or neighbouring communities.
I remember being embroiled in an argument about land ownership during a staff training workshop in a school in Kombo South. A staff member and a native of Kombo South, was arguing about how almost all of the land in his particular village and parts of a neighbouring village belonged to his family and when I queried about how this was so, he claimed that their ancestors set the bush on fire and let it burn itself out, and that all the area burnt becomes their land. I remember telling him sarcastically that his ancestors should be sent to jail for arson, if they were alive.
Whatever the strange claim of ownership or entitlement to land in The Gambia may be (and believe me, there are many), the fact is that, as a small country with a rapidly growing population, the infrequent land disputes of today will become the major catastrophes of tomorrow that could make or break our country, as more and more pressure is put on a very, very scarce resource.
And our failure to act decisively today and finally solve this potential powder keg, once and for all, will constitute an abdication of duty on our part and a cowardly postponement of responsibility to solve a problem of our own making, for future generations to grapple with.
If we are willing and courageous enough, we should embark on a revolutionary land reform exercise, and based on the premise that ALL LAND BELONGS TO THE STATE, the Land Commission, or whatever body is set up for this purpose, must redefine Land ownership and usage and establish attendant conditions for continued right to ownership; redemarcate and reallocate land to individuals, families and communities based on need, and rightfully protect all remaining lands as STATE PROPERTY.
Once this is done, the state would then be in a position to plan future land distribution, future settlements and even replan some current ones to cater for such needed facilities as recreational grounds, parks, well spaced roads that could accommodate pavements, etc, thus putting the land to a good and environmentally friendly use.
Until recently, the state of Gambia’s major towns does leave one wondering whether the concept of town planning was known to our officials of the past.
In any case, whether it’s for town planning or preservation of a vital resource, we must face up to the fact that the state of a readily available but scarce resource of The Gambia, like land, cannot be left unresolved and unregulated any more.
Bax: Your insight as always is rewarding to the viewer. Sounds like a big mess leading to localised anger. Needs a full explanation from government with a look at existing policy.
What about the People who lost there homes and belongings how much property was teared down by the former goverment with no excuse.. so where is the new Gambia which give People shelter and hope and not tearing it apart.. dint get me wrong .. squattering is not legal, but every Family Needs a home.. so build it up and dont tear down peoples hopes and visions… because the man in the Benz might not be the rightous owner… in the eyes of ancestors… if faratoto dont find a solution , there is no hope for the future…
Same gentleman again?? This man seems a liar, instead of protecting the population, he is using his post to threaten? Who do you think is Jammeh2?
=peace#
There is a difference between threatening and being firm in executing your duties and responsibilities diligently. If the new found freedom people are enjoying now is being abused by some to foment instability and lawlessness, then its the duty of the interior minister to remind those individuals that law of the land are there to be obeyed by all. There can never be any meaningful development in a lawless society. I found your argument contradictory as you intimated that the man’s job is to protect the population but you have a problem with him doing just that by reminding citizens not to break the law. Our country don’t need anonymous keyboard cowards who have no ideas but insults to meted out to those who are trying to make a difference.
God bless our below nation.