By Landing Ceesay
Lamin King Colley, the Commissioner of the Mobile Traffic Unit of the Gambia Police Force (GPF), has issued a stern warning that individuals found guilty of “illegal” encroachment on public roads will be prosecuted.
Commissioner Colley also warned that anyone attempting to rebuild previously demolished structures on public roads will face legal action.
“Those who know that during the first phase of clearing the roads, we have cleared their areas, and they are rebuilding there, anybody that is found wanting will be taken to court. We are going to take you to court this time around. We are going to make sure that any structure we have demolished and moved you away, and returned, if you are found there we are going to arraign you before a court of law.
“Gambia is a law-abiding country, and we are governed by the law. By the Constitution, by the Act, by the Legislation, so whoever is found wanting we are going to take you to court. That’s why you don’t see sister agencies. You only see the security agencies doing this enforcement. This enforcement is entirely in the hands of the security agencies. And we are going to leave no stone unturned. This is just to give warning,” Commissioner Colley stated.
The Task Force, established to remove illegal encroachments on public roads, has initiated the second phase of its operations.
The first phase focused on dismantling illegal structures on public roads within Kombo and the Greater Banjul Area.
In this second phase, the Task Force aims to prevent the reconstruction of the structures that were previously demolished.
The Task Force began this phase in Senegambia, one of the country’s busiest commercial areas.
In an interview with the media, Commissioner Lamin King Colley of the Mobile Traffic Unit of the Gambia Police Force explained why Senegambia was chosen as the starting point for these operations.
“This is the second phase of Operation Clear the Roads. Now the second phase is called enforcement of all the structures that were moved. Today we started it with the African Centre for Democracy and Human Rights Studies in the Gambia. When you say African Centre, we don’t say Gambian Centre. This structure belongs to the entire Africa. The Gambia is lucky to be the host.
“So you have these structures around this Centre, and they can’t perform their duties very well. Because people turned this Centre to be a commercial area which they have been complaining about. They wrote so many articles to the office of the National Security Adviser, to the office of the Inspector General of Police, to the office of the Lord Mayor of the Kanifing Municipal Council. Then a directive came to us to make sure that we make a start off with this one. From there, we will go and make an enforcement,” Commissioner King Colley explained.
Commissioner King Colley emphasized that the government has invested significant resources in these operations, underscoring the importance of maintaining clear public roads.
“Government cannot spend a huge amount of money in making sure that our people are given comfort for the smooth movement of the pedestrians and vehicles while others are encroaching on the roadsides. We are not going to accept that. Today the 20th of August 2024, we started the second phase of operation Clear the roads, and it is going to continue. This will just serve as a warning.
“Those on the roadsides, please let them leave there. Those who were moved, and they are back, please let them go. Because anybody finds wanting, we are going to arraign you to court. I am not going there to make an argument, and I am not going there to make slot statements, my statement is for those who were moved away from the road, and whose structures were touched, let them please remove them and then move away from the road. This will continue as long as people obey and abide by what we said or from the directives of our senior commands,” he said.
In the coming days, weeks, and months, the Task Force will continue its efforts across the Kombo and Greater Banjul Area to ensure public roads remain free from encroachments.