By: Alieu Jallow

The Speaker of the National Assembly, Fabakary Tombong Jatta, has provided clarity on the controversy surrounding the purchase of 58 luxury Toyota Prado vehicles for 2.5 million each to the National Assembly, noting that the purchase of these vehicles was necessary for the effective functioning of the Assembly as an equal arm of the government.

The purchase of these vehicles had sparked public debate and media scrutiny. He emphasized that the purchase was done fairly and transparently, with 50% of the cost being shared equally among the NAMs and the other 50% being paid by the National Assembly.

“Honourable Members, it is just understandable today that some of the brilliant initiatives taken by National Assembly authorities receive backlash from the public, however, this Assembly being a democratic institution takes note of all opinions and concerns raised by the citizens and indeed constructive public opinions are the most supreme means of accountability,” Speaker Jatta.

The Honourable Speaker emphasized that since Independence, the parliament has been at a disadvantage in performing its functions and taking its rightful place in the governance architecture. The Speaker noted that the parliament must be equipped with the necessary resources, and the assembly is committed to making that happen.

Following the announcement of the purchase of the 58 luxurious Toyota Parado at the cost of 2.5 million, the National Assembly Members have come under public backlash which slammed them as selfish amid the rising cost of living and unemployment.

However, the MPs have defended the purchase of the vehicles, saying it is part of a trust fund bill passed by the House during the tenure of the last parliament.

According to reports, the MPs will only pay half of the money for each vehicle while The Gambia government will pay the other half of the vehicle.

By: Alieu Jallow

On Saturday, September 2nd, the Amnesty International Kanifing Municipality chapter trained over 150 participants. The training aimed to build a more inclusive and compassionate society by promoting awareness of human rights and conflict resolution among the residents of Kanifing Municipality. The sole objective of the capacity-building exercise was to foster a greater understanding of fundamental human rights and promote peaceful resolution of conflicts.

Muhammed Hydara, the president of Amnesty KM group, said the training aims to promote understanding of basic human rights principles within communities with low awareness of violations.

“So, we deem it necessary to organize a training where we train our participants on four thematic areas on human rights and how to address violations because in our society violations have become a tradition, which is becoming a challenge so young people understanding these issues will enhance our human rights advocacy in society coupled with peace conflict resolutions,” Hydara said.

Priscilia Yagu Ceesay, a co-founder and trainer at WAVE, emphasized the organization’s commitment to promoting and protecting human rights through its training programs. She noted that the training is crucial in bridging the gap in knowledge and understanding of how to promote and protect human rights. Many state actors are not aware of their responsibilities as rights bearers, and there is a lot of impunity with little action taken to address violations. Therefore, WAVE will continue to introduce and reintroduce human rights training to help address this issue.

“So, when there is impunity and accountability, then the circle of violence and violations continues but I believe when there is accountability for right violations then that would contribute to stemming the scotch of the violations”.

Mansour Jobe, the Director of Legal Affairs and Investigations at the National Human Rights Commission, highlighted that the training is appropriate as it involves young people who are critical in advocating for human rights and helping to shape society.

Mr. Jobe underscores the significance behind building the capacity of young people, underlining the country’s past human rights records.

“There needs to be more awareness creation, people and civil society need to empower so that they can hold government accountable but also the government needs to be responsive to the needs of the ordinary people to ensure the rights of individuals are respected and protected, and of course not limited to civil and political rights but also economic, social and cultural rights”.

Gassamading Dampha and Siaya S Sanyang, all participants, are hopeful of being upgraded to enhance their understanding of fundamental human rights and how to address rights violations in society, especially among their peers.

Amnesty International is a human rights organisation established in 1970 with a focus on advocating human rights issues in the world and the organisers are optimistic that capacity-building programs like this will help to shape a just society and restore the lost glory after the post-Jammeh era.

By: Muhammed Lamin Drammeh

The councillors, both elected and nominated, of the Brikama Area Council (BAC) have condemned the charges of sedition and contempt of court brought against Yankuba Darboe, the Chairman of BAC, by the Inspector General of Police in March 2021.

On September 1st, the council members unanimously expressed their condemnation of the court case against their chairman, Yankuba Darboe. They conveyed their message of solidarity to him and called on organizations and international institutions to support their cause. The council members stated that they stand against all forms of injustice and are steadfast in their support for Yankuba Darboe.

“… Calling on individuals, GALGA, organizations, political parties, decision-makers, influencers and the global community such as ECOWAS, AU, EU, UN, DIPLOMATS and all our partners to join us to act swiftly and decisively to send their message of condemnation, show solidarity and avert all form of injustice against chairman Darboe.”

“We are against all forms of injustice, especially on the arbitrary court case instituted under magistrate ML Thomas by the IGP and the Ministry of Justice, Minister Dawda Jallow, and Chief Justice Hassan Jallow at the Banjul Magistrate Court.”

“Hon. Chairman, you have compatriots from the twenty-eight wards of WCR [West Coast Region] and the entire country at large. We are with you as council members in these extremely difficult moments,” the council said.

The charges brought against Darboe include sedition and contempt of court. The prosecution claims that on 10 February 2021, Mr. Darboe made a derogatory statement against the president of the Gambia, Adama Barrow and the judiciary.

On the 31st of August, Yankuba Darboe was set to begin his defence before magistrate M L Thomas, but his defence lawyer, Lamin S. Camara, requested the adjournment of the case.

The court then granted his request. The case returns to the Banjul magistrate court on the 7th of September 2023.

By: Dawda Baldeh

The Mayor of Banjul City Council, Rohey Malick Lowe, presided over the launch of the Youth Volunteerism Project yesterday, at a ceremony attended by hundreds of young individuals and dignitaries in Banjul.

The project aims to enhance the vocational skills of youths, promote youth volunteerism, and facilitate their knowledge exchange through skills acquisition outside of The Gambia.

The project is being implemented by REFELA The Gambia in partnership with the United Nations South-South Cooperation (UNOSSC).

“Annually, for a period of five years, approximately five hundred or more youths will have the opportunity to tour Europe, Asia, Scandinavia, and Africa to learn and improve vocational skills that will create employment opportunities for them,” stated the Mayor during the project launch yesterday. More details will be provided soon.

By: Alieu Jallow

Bintanding Jarju, a traditional birth attendant in Jakoi Bintang, shared with The Fatu Network an incident in which a woman in labour lost her baby on the way to the hospital due to the poor road network connecting Jakoi Bintang and Kelly.

“There was a time a woman in labour lost her baby while I was escorting her. As we reached Kelly, the woman gave birth, but the baby couldn’t make it. It is sad [for a pregnant woman] to lose [a baby] due to the poor road network,” Bintanding said.

Bintanding learned how to assist pregnant women from her mother who had that skill. However, she faces a major challenge due to the poor road network in her area. She said escorting women in labour is extremely difficult because there are no proper means of transportation available, except for ox or donkey carts.

“Sometimes to hire a vehicle becomes seemingly impossible because our road is inaccessible and even with the available ambulance, they will always report of fuel shortage,” Bintanding explained.

Mariama Jarju, a heavily pregnant woman, shared her difficult experience accessing healthcare services. According to her, attending antenatal services is a big struggle as they have to pay an exorbitant price for a motorbike. Due to poor road conditions, they often miss out on these important services.

“I fear for my life sometimes because if you are in labour, you will hardly have a car to come to pick you up. In fact, last month, I missed out on my day all because of lack of transportation and poor road,” she said.

In the Gambia, traditional birth attendants are responsible for assisting with 60-70% of births, particularly in rural areas, despite the rapid expansion of Western-style health services.

Unfortunately, the infant mortality rate in the Gambia remains high, with 38.178 deaths per 1000 live births recorded in 2023, representing a 3.37% decline from the previous year. However, due to poor roads that deter drivers from accessing the village, Bintanding and expecting mothers still fear for their lives.