Vice President Alieu Badara Joof has asked the new ministers of Defence and Interior to immediately help tackle the growing insecurity in the country.

“The second challenge is the security situation in this country. Again, the same challenge goes to the minister of Interior, to the minister of Defence, to the security outfits of this country and see how best we can address those things so that this place is safe for everybody, is safe for infrastructure, it is safe for tourism,” VP Joof said yesterday at the official swearing in ceremony at State House. 

“We need to have immediate strategies to address those challenging issues. To do that we have to work as a team and to work as a team, we need to consult, we need to cooperate, we need to dialogue. 

“Let’s work as a team to move the development agenda of this country. To fulfil the aspiration of the person who appointed us to these positions and by extension to fulfil the expectation of the Gambian people.” 

President Adama Barrow presided over the swearing in ceremony of the Vice President and other cabinet ministers at the State House in Banjul. 

He told the new cabinet to take a zero-tolerance stance on corruption and protect the country’s resources. 

“I assure the in-coming cabinet of my support, but we must take a zero-tolerance stance on corruption. We are responsible for the state resources in our custody, and should not be found wanting,” the president said. 

Reporting by Adama Makasuba