By Tabora Bojang
Police chief Seedy Touray had to step in yesterday trying to diffuse a cross fire of heated comments that followed a decision to caution one of his officers ASP Binta Njie, over her comments in response to a supporter of the governing National Peoples Party.
The officer had condemned the NPP supporter Baboucar Bahoum’s comments about Kiang as dangerous and detrimental to peace.
Bahoum, accused by many of habitually insulting political opponents, had come out to apologise for calling the people of Kiang ungrateful after they rejected the NPP’s Massembeh ward candidate in last Saturday’s by- election, He said he did not intend to hurt anyone.
However the people of Kiang, and indeed many others including ASP Njie who comes from Kiang, are not impressed. She took to her Facebook to express her concern as a private citizen, describing the comments as, among other things, ‘offensive and fostering resentment that can erode social cohesion and stability.’
This did not go down well with her superiors who reportedly called her for administrative cautioning
“The Gambia Police Force is regulated by various instruments like the Police Act, the Code of Conduct and the General Orders of the Civil Service which does not permit serving members of the police to talk or interfere in internal politics of the nation, and even though every officer has a right to be affiliated with a political party but this ‘must not be manifested,” IGP Touray told a press gathering yesterday.
He also stressed that at no time was ASP Njie intimidated.
On the conduct of the NPP supporter, IGP Touray said Mr Bahoum’s comments are uncalled for and very unnecessary and he personally does not agree with the remarks.
“However, every human being makes mistakes and I want to believe when Mr Bahoum realised his mistakes, he brought down the write up on social media and had profoundly apologised to the people of Kiang and to the entire nation. I consider that apology a goodwill gesture from him,” IGP Touray said.
The IGP’s statements too attracted criticisms from some commentators.
Rights activist Madi Jobarteh wrote: “How can the IGP say Bahoum made a mistake? How can the IGP say Bahoum deleted his post as a mark of goodwill gesture! Clearly, the IGP is protecting and defending Baboucarr Bahoum to continue to insult.”
Zakaria Kemo Konteh wrote: “If IGP Touray could have an opinion on Baboucarr Bahoum’s vitriol, calling it unnecessary and uncalled for, how does that differ from ASP Binta Njie’s objective take on the same issue?”
