Ousman Gibba, the deputy police chief, in delivering the keynote statement on behalf of the IGP, said: “We perceive this project by Access Bank as an achievement that is relative to the wider effort we have been making in order to bridge the gap that exists between the police and civil society. This new office complex for a commissioner of police of the Gambia Police Force has edged us closer to accomplishing our five-year development plan enshrined in which, is to ensure a conducive working environment. Such an environment is to enhance effective and efficient service delivery. Lack of adequate cooperation and support had been precipitated by the lack of trust and confidence the public had in the police. I want to encourage the Commissioner of Kanifing Region and his personnel to continue building a cordial relationship with the inhabitants of this region. That way, the police force will derive the much-needed support from the public which is not limited to giving tip-offs, but also complementing government efforts in upgrading the standard of the force.”
Dapo Fajemirokun, the managing director of Access Bank applauded the Gambia Police Force for its hard work in creating a peaceful environment for development. He said it was important that the community works closely with the police on efforts geared towards increasing national security.
“This new office complex is made possible through Access Bank given the fact that there is need for the community including the private sector to work closely with the police to boost security. We should not take it for granted that crime does not exist in The Gambia. It is only because of the hard work of the Gambia Police Force that it appears to seem that there is no crime in the country. Every society in the world has basic elements of crime including the Gambia, but because of the vigilance, proactive thinking and all other efforts by the Gambia Police Force, crime is effectively monitored and controlled. This is truly commendable but the community also needs to show interest in terms of supporting the police in monitoring crime through vigilance in our environment and report any suspicion of crime. What we are doing here today is therefore part of our corporate philosophy and the bank is linked to several organisations across the world.
“Access Bank was incorporated in Nigeria 21 years ago and we are present in nine countries including the United Kingdom. We have been granted approval in China and very soon we will start operations there. We are a socially responsible corporate member of society and recently in The Gambia we have been embarking on other projects that made us subject to final year auditing. The bank has also succeeded in becoming the most capitalised bank in The Gambia.”
Also speaking at the ceremony, Malamin Ceesay, the commissioner of Kanifing police region, said demographic trends show the region as the most densely populated resulting in serious economic and social challenges which have led to criminal activities such as money laundering, theft and drug abuse.
“Crime is a growing concern not only for countries that are at war but those including The Gambia whose economies are growing steadily. In the past, prevention and detection of crime was viewed to be a sole responsibility of the police but today, individuals, communities and private institutions have started to realise that this function is too important to be left in the hands of the police alone. As such, members of the public especially those in the private sector should be encouraged to form partnerships with the police with the ultimate aim of curbing crime of all forms. This will further create and maintain an enabling environment for economic growth to take place.”
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