21/04/2024
FREE MARR NYANG AND FELLOW CITIZENS!
It is now confirmed that Marr Nyang, Omar Champion Cham and some of their colleagues have been arrested in both Banjul and in Nuimi and taken to Police Headquarters because they merely manifested their grievance over the poor ferry services between Banjul and Barra. They had applied for a permit to protest today Saturday April 21 which the IGP rejected citing the OIC Summit which is scheduled for 4 – 5 May.
Notwithstanding, Marr and colleagues decided to peacefully go to Memorial Arch at the gates of Banjul to sit at the pavilions which is a right they have under the 1997 Constitution. Just for that, the Gambia Police Force deployed riot police to the place and then eventually arrested him and some colleagues in Nuimi also.
I wish to call on the IGP to unconditionally release Marr and all those arrested immediately and refrain from any actions that will violate the rights of citizens as guaranteed by the Constitution. Citizens do not need a police permit to peacefully sit at any public place in the Gambia to show their disagreement in how the ferry services are being run.
I wish to alert the National Human Rights Commission, The Gambia to this blatant abuse of power and infringement of the fundamental rights of citizens by the Gambia Government.
I wish to call on the National Assembly, all political parties as well as Gambian civil society and citizens in general to condemn this unprovoked and unlawful harassment of innocent citizens by the Police and demand their immediate and unconditional release.
I wish to remind the Government of the Gambia that they have a constitutional duty to defend and uphold the Constitution and abide by the rule of law and democratic principles and standards. This action against Marr Nyang and fellow citizens is a total violation of the Constitution and those officials and security officers responsible for illegally arresting them must be held to account.
I call on the President to hold the Minister of Transport, Works, and Infrastructure, the Managing Director of Ports, and the General Manager of Ferries accountable, and not torment innocent citizens who are protesting the incompetence, inefficiency, and unprofessionalism of these officials and their institutions. Because of lack of ferries and the general poor ferry services the Gambia lives are put in pain and being lost while opportunities and livelihoods are put in jeopardy. We cannot abandon our citizens in favour of a few officials who fail in their duties to the public.
For The Gambia Our Homeland
Note Sabally Momodou are the youths happy