Mrs. Sheila Keetharuth, the new Executive Director of the Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa (IHRDA), on Tuesday paid a courtesy call on the Vice President, Dr. Ajaratou Isatou Njie-Saidy at her office in State House.

Speaking to reporters shortly after her audience with the Vice President, Mrs. Keetharuth said her mission to the Vice President was to introduce the new management of (IHRDA) and the new issues that the institute is working on. She added that the visit was also conceived to look at how to open channels of communication with the Gambian authorities.

Mrs. Keetharuth also revealed that the Institute is working on issues such as economic and social rights, advocacy works for human rights issues, ranging from citizenship rights, rights of refugees, among others.

She enthused that the Vice President has assured them of her office’s support on the issues that the Institute has identified.

In a separate but related development, the vice president yesterday received in her office Mrs. Pamela Cole, the National Network Coordinator of the West African Network for Peace building (WANEP).

In an interview with reporters after her audience with the vice president, Mrs. Cole asserted that her discussion with the vice president centered on the symbolic destruction of 29 arms and ammunitions that were voluntarily surrendered following a massive sensitization campaign.

According to her, the destruction of the arms and ammunition would take place on Saturday, 21st April in Koina, URR.

“For the past two years, WANEP has been working on an intensive sensitization campaign programme aimed at sensitizing the public about issues of security, particularly in the community,” she added.

In yet another engagement, a delegation from Tabakoto, headed by the majority leader and National Assembly Member of the area, the Acting Mayor of KMC, the Managing Director of NAWEC, among others, paid a courtesy call on the vice president. According to the visiting delegation, the purpose of the visit was to express their heartfelt appreciation to the president for the D50, 000 donations to the area towards the bid to draw electricity supply to the area.