Africa-Press – Gambia. The Gambia’s Minister of Information, Media, and Broadcasting Services, Dr. Ismaila Ceesay, said it was unfair to hold the government responsible for the killing of a young foreign exchange bureau worker over the weekend, arguing that a single criminal act should not be used to assess the country’s overall security situation.
Speaking in an interview with West Coast Radio, Dr. Ceesay said public reactions to the death of Isatou Fatty, who was stabbed while at work, had unfairly shifted blame to the authorities.“I think people are unfair to the government in blaming, also kind of making an assessment of the country’s entire security situation when there is an incident,” he said.
Dr. Ceesay also rejected criticism directed at President Adama Barrow, warning against politicizing violent crime. “What is unfair is to blame President Barrow for such unfortunate incidents. We cannot politicize everything,” he said.
He said that no government is capable of preventing every crime, noting that violent incidents occur even in countries with advanced security systems. “You cannot prevent every crime; it is not possible; no country does that,” he said.Drawing comparisons to incidents abroad, he argued that responsibility should be assigned carefully and not generalized to an entire nation’s security framework.
“Today, recently in Australia, you saw what happened in Bondi Beach. I mean, people were killed. Did the Australians, were they blaming Albanians to say that the security situation is poor? No, the blame was that he didn’t protect the Jewish community, but not saying that because of this incident, Australia is insecure,” he said.
Dr. Ceesay said the killing should prompt broader discussions about preventive measures, particularly at workplaces that handle cash, such as foreign exchange bureaus. He emphasized the need for stronger security infrastructure, including alarm systems, surveillance cameras, and reinforced building materials.
“Now it is time for us to have a debate on the security of these financial institutions. You could make sure the infrastructure is solid, have an alarm system and CCTV, and put iron bars and strong glass so nobody can access it from outside,” he said.
He added that, “You cannot have a police officer in every house, every shop, every street corner; some crimes will happen. What we could do is reform to reduce the tendencies of those crimes,” he said.
He called for collaboration among government agencies, industry associations and other stakeholders to improve safety standards at financial institutions. “In this case we need to sit together now as all stakeholders to make sure that financial institutions, the forex bureaus are safe and secure spaces for those who work there,” he said.Dr. Ceesay also expressed condolences to the family of the victim, describing the killing as a tragic loss. “It is sad for a young life to be lost in those circumstances, waking up from your house leaving your parents at home going to fend for yourself and your family and you get killed in the process. Nobody wants to end their life in that way,” he said.
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