Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, The Gambia) – The Gambia’s Information Minister, Dr Ismaila Ceesay, says he would return to a student protest if he believed his presence could help calm tensions, despite being booed and manhandled by angry students during Monday’s demonstration in Kanifing.
Speaking to West Coast Radio’s Peter Gomez, Dr Ceesay said he went to the protest peacefully, hoping to engage students over their grievances, which include concerns about services at the University of The Gambia (UTG).
The minister, who also lectures in political science at the university, said he felt a responsibility to intervene because of his longstanding relationship with the students.
“UTG is home to me, it’s in my heart,” he said, adding that he believed lecturers and senior members of the university community should help calm students when tensions rise.
Dr Ceesay rejected suggestions that the students’ reaction reflected the position of rejection of the entire student body. He argued that the actions of a few hundred protesters should not be taken as representative of all 7,000 students.
He said several students had contacted him to condemn the treatment he received, while others had expressed their disapproval online.
The minister also said he was not angry about the incident, describing the hostility as part of the risks of political life.
“As a politician, I’m not angry. I accept that it goes with my job,” he said.
However, he maintained that disagreements and frustration should not justify mistreating anyone, regardless of their position.
Dr Ceesay said he deliberately went to the demonstration without his security detail because he did not want his presence to be seen as provocative. He said he wore a white outfit to convey peaceful intentions.
Peter Gomez challenged Dr. Ismaila Ceesay over his previous comments on police handling of protesters, including activists from the Gambians Against Looted Assets (GALA), questioning whether his position on the treatment of demonstrators was consistent.
Dr Ceesay maintained that the situations were different, arguing that his visit to the university students’ protest was peaceful and intended to encourage dialogue.
Despite the reception he received, the minister insisted that he would not hesitate to return if he believed he could make a difference.
“If it happens again tomorrow, and I believe that I can make a difference, I’ll still go because I believe in this country,” he said.
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