By Amadou Jadama On Tour
Army Chief Lieutenant General Ousman Gomez has vowed to improve the living condition of soldiers across the country, revealing that lack of accommodation is the single biggest problem facing the force.
Gomez was speaking to journalists on Thursday evening at Defence Headquarters in Banjul as he wrapped up his nationwide tour of military installations.
He said though all the barracks he visited highlighted challenges of their own, the general problem raised is the issue of accommodation. “We are working on that with the Ministry of Defence under the directive of President Adama Barrow, to ensure that we have standard accommodation for our troops,” he said.
Reflecting on the tour, CDS Gomez said the trip gave him first-hand knowledge of the plight of the soldiers
“I am very much motivated because I came physically on the ground and I have seen their concerns and also feel their concerns. I am working with the Ministry of Defence to ensure that some of these concerns are addressed through medium and long term projects,” he said. The CDS called for greater improvement in the army’s development budget.
The CDS further charged his troops to remain professional, respect human rights and work with sister security services and the civilian population.
On his part, Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Defence, Momodou Bah, said the ministry has taken note of all the challenges and will use them to guide policy direction to come up with practical solutions.