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Momodou
Denmark
11634 Posts |
 Posted - 18 Sep 2009 : 19:09:22
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Minister ‘Misinforms’ NAMs
By Saikou Jammeh
The National Assembly Member for Wuli West Hon. Sedia Jatta is of the belief that the information given to the National Assembly by the Minister of Interior, Mr. Ousman Sonko regarding the prisoners’ condition was wrong information.
Reacting to an answer given by the Interior Minister regarding a question raised by the Hon. Member for Kiang West Momodou L K Sanneh as to whether there is any group or person responsible for monitoring the conditions of prison activities especially their health and nutrition. Hon Sedia Jatta said he would limit himself there, but what the Minister told them was misinformation.
He therefore urged the Assembly Committee on Health to go there and find the facts for themselves.The minister told members that a visiting committee comprising a member from the Supreme Islamic Council, a Probation Officer from the Social Welfare, former prisons officer, a legislator and Director General of prisons are all part of the visiting team with the mandate to look into the welfare of prisoners’ day-to-day activities throughout their jail term.
He further said that there is an experienced medical practitioner who is assigned to the prisons that visits and treats inmates regularly. This information according to Sedia is wrong, saying there is somebody they called “medic”, who is not necessarily a doctor or a nurse.
He cited a case in point in which “a prisoner fell sick on his third day of internment”. He reported the matter but was not attended until his 26th date. The minister had also told members that the food is in conformity with recommendations from National Nutrition Agency and is standard, properly prepared and served on time.
“The Minister said the food is standard, what is standard food?” Hon. Jatta quizzed in reaction to the minister’s information. “We know that when we say the food is standard it has carbohydrate, protein, vegetables. But when you go to Prison, you have boiled rice with Bonga. Is that standard?”
“Some of us here are not strangers in prison so when we speak we know what we are saying,” he said.
Source: The Daily News
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