30/04/2021
LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT
Dear Mr President,
We are worried and our safety is at stake. The crime rates of this country is overwhelming nowadays: The killing, the robbery, the kidnapping till when.
The past Wednesday, a school boy has to grip my hand because he was so terrified and to me he wanted to cross the road but then when I helped him crossed, he told me that I am going to tipper garage and luckily I was heading on the same route. The traffic was blocked and the young boy told me let's not take taxi because I am afraid then I told him let's go and take a Van. Even though I was boarding off at saffiding Junction but I had no choice than to enter the Van and accompanied the school boy.
Moreover, The Gambia is at a crucial stage heading towards elections and this should have been a catalyst to have a crime free nation. Nobody knows what could happen in subsequent months. But then Your Excellency sir, you are silent about it and it is killing us. If you kindly reference from other countries the killings of their citizens, their heads of states usually empathise with them by releasing statements or by addressing their nations.
Subsequently, the past regimes despite everything the crime rates were lesser but now most of the bandits within the sub regions are here in The Gambia. Not forgetting our own Gambian thugs too.
There are lots of implications for not addressing these issues with immediate effects:
1. Investors could run away
2. Tourists may be terrified to come to The Gambia
3. The business could collapse
4. Up risings may emerge.
All these could revolve around the intimidation of high crime rates.
Where is our most celebrated attribute which is "The Smiling Coast of Africa". Are we turning into the "the Fearing Coast of Africa".
Repeated exposure to crime and violence may linked to an increase in negative health outcomes. For example, people who fear crime in their communities may engage in less physical activity. As a result, they may report poorer self-rated physical and mental health.
Kudos to the Operation Zero Crime you are doing a great work but let the operations be more intensified.
Finally, It is of its urgency for a rescue in this matter your excellency🙏🏾because you should not worry only about your personal security but also the security of the entire Gambians.
Yours faithfully,
BJ🇬🇲