By Fatou Sillah
In an interview with Kerr Fatou, Seedy SK Njie, the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly and Deputy Spokesperson of the National People’s Party (NPP), stated that President Adama Barrow is not abusing his powers regarding The Voice Newspaper. Instead, he is adhering to due process as an ordinary Gambian citizen. Njie clarified that President Barrow did not call for the newspaper’s closure but contacted his lawyer to address the issue.
“The president is not abusing any power, he believes in Democracy, he believes in due process and the rule of law. He is following steps that are 100% democratic principles. He contacted his lawyer, even though he is the president he did not contact anybody or called for the closure of any Newspaper. He said as a citizen I will not abuse my powers as a president, but I’m going to use the laws vested on me as an ordinary citizen of this country, I will go through my lawyers and ask them to follow due process the lawyers follow due process by writing to the Newspaper.”
Njie emphasized that both the president and the NPP are committed to due process, similar to any other individual. “We have seen many people go through the same process of civil litigation,” he added.
Addressing concerns about press freedom, Njie stated, “There is no repression, there is no Anti press freedom, there is no Anti Journalism or Anti Freedom of speech, There is an action in holding people accountable in accordance with the 1997 constitution as per their actions. I stand by my party leader as you are doing with your colleague, every genuine and well-meaning Gambian Must hail the action of The president to say that he is a Democrat, he said.
When questioned about the involvement of the Gambia Police Force, Njie said, “The Gambia police force is mandate by law to act on their constitutional mandate to, where they feel, suspected, or they believe, a crime may have been committed or is about to, or is being then they intervene,” he said.