Thanks Haruna, 

For your congratulatory messages and I apologise for replying late, as I seem to have problems replying with window mail. 

Ta, 

Kejau



On Fri 25/12/09  6:39 AM , Modou Nyang [log in to unmask] sent:
> Foroyaa Editorial: The Complaints have Started to Come on Citizenship
> and Access to ID Cards, Is the Government Listening?
> 
> Citizenship is a very sensitive issue. The introduction of Biometric
> Identity Cards means that all Gambians above 18 would ultimately have
> to renew their Identity Cards or get one if they have never had any.
> It is amazing that after 44 years of Independence we are yet to have
> a system of registration of citizenship which enables each to know
> their status. Every time there is change of National Identity
> documents, immigration officers who conduct interviews usually turn
> away tens of thousands of people who approach them for ID Cards. Some
> of these people have been born in the Gambia . Others have lived here
> for half a century and have children and grand children in the Gambia
> .
> The contradictions become rife when a person born in the Gambia is
> deprived of an ID Card only to witness another villager who came to
> the Gambia in his or her presence being given an ID Card.
> 
> This is a source of tremendous frustration and alienation. The Rights
> NGOs are failing to look into the grievances of such a huge number of
> stateless persons currently resident in the Gambia . The most amazing
> experience is to have a relative in the immigration Department while
> one is questioned about one’s citizenship. Many are tempted to
> point accusing fingers at people in position of authority and accuse
> them of having the same origin as they have but hardly have their
> citizenship status questioned.
> There is need to look into the Law on citizenship with a view to
> promoting reform so as to bring it into conformity with the current
> trend of linking citizenship to birth and providing possibility of
> naturalisation to those who have been legally resident in the
> country.
> 
> The establishment of a biometric identification system is not
> sufficient to ensure proper allocation of National documents to those
> who deserve them. This requires proper registration of births and
> proper reform and sensitization of citizenship laws.
> 
> The international Community should focus on this issue if we are to
> eradicate the number of stateless persons in the country, avoid a
> Cote d’Ivoire type scenario where some are considered to be
> Gambians because of the position they occupy while others of the same
> origin are treated as aliens in their country of birth.
> The NGOs should take this matter up as a peace promotion agenda.
> National sensitisation should be done on who is a Gambian under the
> current law and recommendations for legal reform should be instituted
> and prosecuted until it is done so that all those who are born in the
> Gambia and all those who have been resident and have children in the
> Gambia who want to naturalise would not face any obstacles to their
> attainment of citizenship status. This is urgent if a biometric
> system is to be of any relevance.
> 
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