By Omar Bah
The Gambia Action Party (GAP) has appealed to the government to re- open places of worship so that believers can jointly seek divine intervention in the battle against Covid- 19.
The party secretary general, Musa Batchilly told The Standard yesterday it will be ‘monumental” for Gambians when collective prayer is allowed in mosques and churches again. “N’losques and churches fulfil a vital spiritual dimension in the lives of Muslims and Christians and its re-opening will play a huge role in and providing a memorable flame of hope to the country, ” he said.
Batchilly said if markets are allowed to operate, mosques should be allowed to reopen with appropriate safety measures to minimise risks.
“The markets are filled with people with no social distancing being observed. There is no justification for closing the mosques, ” he said.
He argued that the Barrow administration must free itself from foreign influence. While expressing his party’s overwhelming gratitude to those who fought for Gambia’s freedom from British rule, Batchilly argued that the West African country under the leadership of President Adama Barrow is gradually becoming a puppet for foreign actors.
” GAP vehemently rejects the current stance of the government on our foreign policy,” he said. Gambians stranded in Lebanon The GAP leader called on the government to expedite the repatriation of Gambians stranded in the Middle East.
Gambians in Lebanon and elsewhere in the Middle East have raised an alarm detailing their suffering and demanding the government to return them home. “We are deeply troubled by the Gambia government’s inaction in addressing the dire conditions of hundreds of Gambians stranded across several countries in the Middle East.
We urge the Government to come to their aid in the quickest time possible as their lives are in danger,” he charged. The party also appealed to the government to henceforth desist from appointing foreign nationals to serve as the country’s consuls.
