Gambia: Sunday 14 June | Omar N Darboe
Tijan Kebbeh a Gambian Professional Boxer in Sweden through his fans club in The Gambia, Team Kebbeh Boxing last Thursday presented food items to the Mile 2 Central Prisons in The Gambia.
Speaking on behalf of Team Kebbeh Boxing at the presentation, Momodou S Jallow thanked the Director General of Prisons and Prison Services for the warm welcome and time accorded to them in order to attend the presentation ceremony. Mr Jallow revealed that the food items are a small token coming from Tijan Kebbeh, a Gambian professional Boxer who lives in Sweden. He said that Tijan was in The Gambi at the start of the Coronavirus outbreak.
“During his holiday in the Gambia he felt there is a need to help by plaughinh back into his community. Back in Sweden, Tijan consulted some few individuals and his Team Members in the Gambia, and quickly mobilised the funds to purchase the food items to be donated to the prison.”
Speaking further, Mr Jallow explained that during the Pandemics like this, people with physical challenges and those in prisons are usually the must vulnerable. “As government cannot do it alone, Prison is a challenge and these kind of intervention would definitely help Prison services and prisoners who are behind bars. Initiative like this is the first of it kind from Team Kebbeh Boxing and we hope that this is not going to be the last and will be the start of collaboration between Team Kebbeh Boxing and Prison Department and hope that these little materials will be put into good uses. “
On the historical condition of the prison and prisoners at Mile 2, Mr Jallow stated that this donation comes a day after testimonies at the TRRC about some serious issues at the prison and hope that such rights violations of prisoners will not happen in our new dispensation.
“We are confident that under the new leadership of the Director General, a lot of things are going change and are hopeful that the materials will reach the intended direct beneficiaries.
For his part, Mr Alpha Jallow of Jam Production informed this medium that his association is a wrestling Team partnering with Team Kebbeh Boxing in order to help the youths so as to reduce the crime rates as well as to help them promote peace and stability in The Gambia. We understand that many people in the prisons.
“We are very much previlged to meet Director General himself for the simple reasons that he is trying to accept the the positive initiatives coming from the population to help our brothers, sisters, mothers and fathers behind the bars. We really appreciate Tijan Kebbeh as an inspiration to youths in the Gambia, we hope that the donations will go a long way in establishing and fostering collaboration between Prison Department and the two groups Team Kebbeh Boxing and Jam Production.” said the Jam Production boss.
Mr Ansuma Manneh Director General of Prison Services informed the gathering that he made an appeal at the TRRC not as an individual but because of the role and responsibilities bestowed upon him as DG of Prison and prison services in the country. “I thank Team Kebbeh Boxing as first to respond to this appeal for coming out with this valuable support as Government alone cannot do it, they need individuals, institutions and philanthropists to come to their aid for the prison reformation.” DG Manneh said he has travelled widely in the subregion and have seen how other individuals, institutions and philanthropists are contributing to their Prisons that led him to believe that not only the central government that can make our institutions to our desire. “Having you coming up with such help now in the Gambia makes me believe that our Prison is also heading to that direction. Prisoners are our own, they came from us and they are going back to our society after their terms, nobody knows who will be the next victim so doing good for the prison is a collective responsibility.” Mr Manneh concluded by urging Gambians to continue to compliment government efforts in reforming and making things better for every Gambian. He continued: “Sometimes we tend to forget when we say that the government failed to do this and that, we need to ask ourselves who is the government as we are all government. You as a genuine Gambian and patriotic citizen having muscles to help, why can't you come on board to help?” “During the past administration, people with good intentions always like to give support to the prisons but have blocked due to poor administration. Now tha the prison services is very independent wirh no executive interference with the present administration, our doors are open for all who want to help the prison Services.” DG Manneh thanked Tijan Kebbeh, Team Kebbeh Boxing and Jam Production for the wonderful support to the Prison Department.