By Seedy Jobe
The Business Councillor at the Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC) and a member of the Unite Movement for Change (UMC), MC Cham Jr, has cautioned against complacency following The Gambia’s recent ranking as one of the safest countries in Africa.
In a statement, Cham welcomed the recognition, describing it as a fair reflection of the country’s long-standing culture of peace and coexistence. He noted that the ranking acknowledges the discipline and restraint consistently demonstrated by Gambians over the years.
“The ranking of The Gambia as one of Africa’s safest countries is welcome and rightly reflects our long-standing culture of peace and coexistence, but it should not distract from pressing governance issues,” Cham said in a statement. “The ranking…rightly reflects our long-standing culture of peace and coexistence. It acknowledges the discipline and restraint shown by the Gambian people over many years.”
However, he warned that peace and stability should not be used by those in authority as a shield against accountability and scrutiny. According to Cham, stability alone does not resolve the country’s pressing socio-economic challenges, including unemployment, rising living costs, and the declining standards in health, education, and basic infrastructure.
“Too many Gambians continue to face unemployment, rising living costs, drug abuse, and declining standards in health, education, and basic infrastructure”.
Cham urged national leaders to move beyond celebrating peace and focus on translating it into concrete improvements in the lives of citizens.
“Leadership must be judged by how responsibly power is exercised and by how effectively peace is converted into opportunity, dignity, and tangible improvements in the lives of ordinary Gambians. Anything less is a failure of governance, not a success of peace”, he concluded.
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