The Minister of Information, has condemned those he said are using the deadly “backway” journeys for political point-scoring, as the country mourns victims of yet another tragic boat capsizing.

Speaking on the issue, Dr Ismaila Ceesay painted a grim picture of the human cost of these dangerous journeys.

“I have seen among the victims of the capsized boat a seven-month-old pregnant woman and a two-year-old baby,” he said.

“How can a responsible parent fund your child to take on the backway?”

He stressed that the nation should be focused on the real tragedy, the loss of innocent lives and the desperate conditions that push people to take such risks.

Yet, he warned that some groups are choosing to politicise the issue instead.

“This is what we should be discussing as a nation, but they would not do that, because they want to politicise the backway and blame the government,” he said.

Dr Ceesay’s remarks come amid growing national concern over the rising number of women and children undertaking the perilous journeys in search of better opportunities abroad.

H3 called for a united, non-partisan approach to addressing the root causes of migration, urging families, communities, and government bodies to work together to protect vulnerable citizens.

“This is a national tragedy that demands serious attention and action, not blame games and political manipulation,” he said.

By Adama Makasuba