By Ensa Ceesay
I gave up on the Gambia Police Force and other security apparatuses for philosophical perspectives. The Gambia Police Force (GPF) is a pseudo-political movement of the NPP party. The GPF continually shames every patriotic citizen who once wore the uniform and is not engaged in dispensing justice and upholding the rule of law, but instead pursues and advances the political agenda of the ruling NPP. Like it or not, there is infinite evidence to give credence to such assertions.
Suppose the police knew their jobs exceptionally well, they should not allow themselves to be dragged by personnel of the Baker’s Union into the premises of a man selling bread at a reasonable price to residents, which the government fails to do. The police must at all times conform to the law and not the other way around.
There is little or no respect for police officers in The Gambia due to how corrupt most of them seem to be, making citizens give them the generalisation of dirty cops without knowing that we still have decent and upright police officers. Since we separate churches and mosques from political discussions, police officers should have basic knowledge of loyalty to the state, loyalty to the head of state, or loyalty to the police command. Still, they should be loyal to the laws of The Gambia.
Essentially, their jobs should be uniquely distinctive in treating every Gambian justly under the law. The GPF should work on a specialised unit that will police the police force on all fronts to hold them accountable whenever they break the law. Police accountability must not be hidden in books but published in newspapers for the public to read and understand, to deter others from doing the same. Covering up for police officers whenever they violate the moral code of conduct and fundamental procedural laws is a validation of why police officers continue to violate the laws and abuse citizens with impunity.
Objectively, our nation is destroyed beyond repair, and gross incompetence, maladministration, and ill-egocentric complacency in not following the law and ethical standards have led us to where we are today. The sad thing is that it is worsening by the minute, making it untenable. If we are not careful, we will fall back into military rule, as the warning signs are so clear for the wisest to see.
The condition of The Gambia is not only tragic but suicidal and unlivable, and Gambians do not learn until disaster strikes. We are in a lawless state where anarchy will send an intense wave of rude awakening, since those who are the custodians of the law, protection of life, and property of citizens, choose to violate the same laws with a badge of honour. Such a country is a banana republic.
Our law enforcement officers, with as little pay as they receive as salaries, contributed to the failures of The Gambia regarding the rule of law and abuse of office. This is not because they lack capacity but because patriotism is lacking in most uniformed men and women of our country, and if we were to go with credibility and vetting processes of officers, many in uniforms, including their leadership, would be stripped of their positions. So, until the police force separates itself from politicians and does just law enforcement, citizens will continue to lose hope in them, which is a disservice to their sworn oath of allegiance.
