(JollofNews) – Gambia’s Information Minister Demba Ali Jawo has said the government will consider the three-child policy proposal that parliamentarians from Ecowas, Mauritania and Chad have agreed to help pioneer in the coming years.
“Ecowas has made a suggestion for such a policy. I can assure you that the government is going to consider it,” he told journalists during a presser held on Thursday at GRTS building on MDI Road.
Over the past decades, West Africa has witnessed an exponential population growth that experts fear could hamper efforts to bring prosperity within the subregion.
Burkina Faso’s National Assembly speaker Salifou Diallo is playing a lead role in the campaign. The move is expected to restrict by 2030 every woman to have only three childs.
Minister Jawo said as a member state of Ecowas, it is very likely that the Gambia will adopt any policy that Ecowas will try to implement.
“The government has to take a decision which it has not done yet,” Jawo added.
However, there are fears that the regional bloc’s three-child policy will spark concerns among Muslim and Christian communities.
The Serrekunda West National Assembly Member Halifa Sallah, who spoke on Thursday to a group of reporters, said Ecowas parliamentarians have the right to initiate any policy they feel necessary. But he was quick to warn against turning social legislation into crimiinal legislation.
“Whatever you cannot transform into criminal legislation, that is really a very bad law,” he stated.
Sallah, who also double as special adviser to President Barrow, suggested that the right approach is to conduct a sensitisation campaign in order to make sure the populations adhere to the project.
“Campaigning to solve populations problems is much better that social legislation.,” said Halifa Sallah.
Oh! Dear !
This is an acknowledgement that African leadership, have no policies to increase Economic growth, Industrial regeneration, Career Opportunities, and socio economic mobility or uplift family incomes.. Again we see government restriction on what is the fundamental freedom >>> to go forth and multiply. Imposing law on social and family freedom, is to make a crime out of the propagation of life. We must ask, what is the purpose of democratic government ? For we know the purpose of family and birth.
Brilliant, Mr Scales should have more time on that. His precise respond is clear enough.
Smaller sized families are a reasonable proposition today for ECOWAS member states, given the scarcity of resources, but any policy aimed at achieving this must be well thought out, and once again, Mr Sallah is sounding the right notes.
Education and sensitisation to change perception and create awareness is the best approach, as highly educated couples are far less likely to raise large families, than uneducated ones.
Serious thought must also be given to developing economies that increase the economic activities of populations, as this will lead to life style changes. The more ecomically active people become, the less time for child upbringing and the more likely to aspire for smaller families.
God Bless the uneducated ones. Again according to Bax>>they get the blame every time. So if they have a job they don’t have time to get it on. Hahahahahaha !!!!
Well bless my soul <<<<<
Its not a blame game. Societal changes lead to behavioural changes too. People in developed countries do not opt for smaller sized families for fear of prosecution. They do so due to the realities of family pressures and conflict between child upbringing and career development. And Nah, I didn’t mean it that way….you know, about work and getting it on…
To implement such a policy on a 3 child family legally, the ruling government must consider giving free contraceptives to those partners who intend or must comply with the new legislation. It will not work otherwise.
I guess that was exactly why we have had family planning introduced in our British standard curricula back in those days. No doubt BS syllabuses are well fitting masterpieces when it comes to contraceptives.
Reality !!!! How many back street abortions will be entertained when being pregnant for the 4th time is a criminal offence >>.
How many Mothers will suffer hemorrhages and die in a pool of blood, to leave children and husbands without the kindness and care of the adult carer?
It is not known of the true number of Chinese females who died in secret at the introduction of the one and then two child policy>>but estimate put it in the hundreds of thousands.
In any case Christian and Muslim teachings speak with one voice on this matter.
It is an offence against the word of God. Such laws are made my senile who’s life and sperm does not swim anymore>>so why should they care.
Sorry;” Such laws are made by senile old men”:
But you get my drift.
Somethings just make me laugh. Seriously this is the best these imbeciles can do. You cannot come up with better than to legislate procreation. Shame on you.
God Help us. They are making Ignorant Jammeh look like a village headmaster.
I have a lot of respect for ECOWAS but for this one no.The United states has the biggest birth rates in the world and yet still they never dare mention such proposal. Africa has one of the largest unhabitted landmass in the world.So a 3 Child policy in this sense doesn’t make sense. Our problem is having a single currency for both the English speaking and French speaking countries. ECOWAS must also stop France from collecting the so-call colonial taxes from French speaking African countries. With that tax money there should not be any fear of population growth
This is a non-starter, with all due respect to Minister Jawo and his government. ECOWAS should get its priorities right. Secure unanimity on Presidential term limits first, increase intra-ECOWAS trade by building appropriate infrastructure (roads, rail lines, reliable air links, etc.), secure our borders to stop the types of carnage we’re seeing in Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Burkina Faso and Mali, establish a common currency (what happened to the Ecu?) and create a more solid oversight electoral body or, better still, a common independent electoral commission to stop electoral frauds often perpetrated by incumbent governments. If Minister Jawo and his colleagues decide to adopt the policy being advocated, then they should remember that when China introduced a one-family-one-child policy they backed it up with very repressive laws, arrests and incarcerations. Is that what we want for our people?
the end of the government is near
This is a very very stupid policy ,I will make even more and more children and see who da hell will talk to me about it,stupid fools ,this nonesense . If you don’t have better policy the Africans so be it,but don’t come with your stinky and nonsense policy to insult us .
Say again very stupid and incompatible with our culture and traditions the west force us to copy china anyway this is the consequence of having unexplained team to run the nation , Shame
Super Woman;>>> you sound just like the British working class. A banner you should raise on high. Good Luck with the next gambian soccer team you attempt to make. I am sure with your firebrand of education…they will win many trophies. xxx
Go forth and multiply; Its the word of my God.
Jack quite right : The older British imposed on others around the world, to which they did not even attempt to do to our own British working class. Instead they gave the excess unable to feed babies, from poverty>>into the arms of church charities who sexually abused and beat them. Incarceration was mostly for most of their lives.
The recent scandals in the UK of abused girls from troubled backgrounds, being groomed for sex, is a warning that the authorities still fail to protect and care to those most vulnerable in our communities. The best defence against abuse is the family. Any further stress upon the poor, is aggressive policy. Gambia does have the most competent and well funded Family Planning organisation.I was very impressed.
No, the best defence against this abuse is an end this PC nonsense; authorities did nothing, fearful they would be branded racists.