Hamat Bah has stated people see President Adama Barrow and do not know who he is declaring, ‘he’s a fast learner, the man reads a lot’.

The President is a high school graduate but according to the Tourism Minister, the president is smart and intelligent.

Speaking at the president’s meeting in Ebo Town, Hamat Bah said: “God rewarded us with an outstanding leader, a leader who has learned so much on the job with such a speed beyond human imagination.

“The man is smart and intelligent. The man reads a lot. If you see Adama Barrow, you don’t know Adama Barrow. He is a fast learner.

“He catches up with issues so quickly. A pan-Africanist, development politics who loves his country so much.”

An 18-year-old Gambian woman has been detained at the airport in Turkey after she jetted into the Asian country on transit.

The Gambian woman (name withheld) was travelling to Germany when she transited in Istanbul, Turkey. She was held after officials concluded she was travelling on a fake Swedish residential permit, according to the foreign ministry.

The spokesman of the foreign ministry Saikou Ceesay explained: “On the 28 December 2020, a Gambian lady bearing the passport name XX* was travelling to Germany on transit to Istanbul and at the Istanbul airport, the Turkish immigration police realised that the Sweden residential permit document she was travelling with to Germany was fake and they therefore put her under immigration control.

“During her stay at the immigration, the immigration personnel realised she was eight months pregnant and took her to hospital. When examined they realised that her condition is critical and advised her that there is need for her to undergo operation in order to save her life and that of the child which she refused on the ground that her delivery period is not yet due.

“It was there that the Turkish immigration police returned her to the airport and the following day her conditioned worsened. They put her in an ambulance and while on their way to the hospital she delivered inside the ambulance. The baby was in a critical condition and it was rushed to a more sophisticated hospital to save her life while she was admitted in a different hospital.

“It was there that the Embassy officials in the person of Serign Modou Njie ambassador designate to Turkey flew to Istanbul to have first hand information about her state of affairs. He visited her as well as the baby and took photos of the baby. He had discussions with the Turkish officials and the Turkish immigration officials were officially engaged by the Embassy for Ms X* to be given temporary stay in Turkey until such a time when the baby and Ms X* will be fit for travel and that has been happily granted.

“The ministry of foreign affairs will continue to protect Gambian citizens wherever they are through its embassies and representatives around the world because this government is very much concerned about welfare of Gambian citizens wherever they may be.”

The woman however told The Fatu Network security at the Istanbul airport told her her documents were not ‘correct’ and would have to be deported back to Gambia.

She explained, crying: “They brought me to the deportation centre. I was pregnant and my stomach disturbed me the following day. I told the security because I was locked inside a room.

“They checked me and said I should be operated and I told them no because I didn’t have much time in the country and I would also need to contact my family.

“But then on Thursday in the morning my stomach ached to the point I could no more bear it. They took me out and I delivered in the ambulance while they were taking me. I wanted to take a photo of my child but they refused. Because I felt I might not see my child again.

“When we got to the hospital, they said I have blood pressure and that the baby was premature. They took the baby to another hospital and held me in that hospital.

“I then contacted my family who contacted the embassy and Mr Njie came to the hospital and I explained everything to him. Mr Njie told me he was going to that hospital after he finished visiting me.

“The police were always coming to the hospital to ask the doctors when they’re discharging me. And day before yesterday, they took me down to the first floor. They brought me a document to sign to discharge me. I refused as I told them I didn’t understand Turkish.

“I called Mr Njie who spoke with the police. I still refused to sign and after one hour a police vehicle came and the hospital said I have to leave the hospital. I got out and entered the vehicle. I connected my phone to the car’s radio and after it got some charge, I called Mr Njie and told him they were taking me and I have not seen my child. I’m at the airport right now and anything can happen.”

By Sarjo Brito

GMC leader and former Presidential adviser Mai Ahmad Fatty has issued a warning to non-Gambians to stay away from the country’s politics, especially the upcoming elections slated for December 2021.

The onetime Interior Minister during his press conference on Tuesday January 5, 2021 said he is urging anyone that is not Gambian to desist from taking any part in Gambia’s upcoming elections as it is for Gambians to decide.

‘’And I am telling people that are not Gambians to stay away from our politics and elections because our elections will be decided by Gambians and not non-Gambians. Those who are non-Gambians and are in this country, I will join you to fight for your rights to citizenship by following due process,” Fatty told reporters.

Mai insists that he is in no way trying to make life difficult for people who were born in this country to non-Gambian parents as he takes the issue of documentation seriously. The former Interior Minister has some two years ago convened a sub-regional meeting where other Interior Ministers from West Africa were invited to discuss matters relating to statelessness and documentation. Mai Fatty also condemned comments made during Barrow’s nationwide tour by one of his supporters, suggesting borders should be open so non-Gambians can participate in the upcoming elections.

‘’I condemn that statement too. If you are living around the frontiers of The Gambia and you are not a Gambian, keep away from our elections. Because I will tell you 2021 there is going to be changes and anybody who unlawfully tries to influence Gambian elections we will know because whatever government come in will look at the voters’ register again. It is an offence under Gambian law and if you commit it, we will go after you,” he said.

Singer One Pac has broken his silence about his sacking by Mame Diarra Production at the instance of QCell.

One Pac brought trouble to himself when photos of him appearing on the cross were published online. He was supposed to feature in a concert organised by Mame Diarra Production with QCell as sponsor.

Mame Diarra Production pulled the trigger on him after QCell asked the promotion agency to fire him or it will withdraw its sponsorship.

“I’m having Muhammed Jah’s number… I deemed it fit and satisfying by the Christian community which has to be reaching to him directly and being promised they will let go of the ban or the so-called sanction.

“Well I don’t care about QCell or QCity. I got the stadium in my town in Bakau. I’m bigger than QCell and QCity,” One Pac told journalists on Tuesday.

And end to the row over who leads the Supreme Islamic Council appears to be in sight as the council meets to elect a new leadership.

The SIC has been in the headlines in the past months amid a bitter row with a breakaway group over the Muhammed Lamin Touray-led leadership. The group later set up their own Supreme Islamic Council.

The Rawdatul Majalis-backed group had insisted Touray and Co overstayed in office and have refused to call a congress for a new leadership to be elected.

But the SIC in a statement on 4 January its congress will be held across two days, between 9 January and 10 January.

Essa Faal told Ousman Sowe to answer questions ‘more’ directly as the duo come face to face for the first time.

Sowe has been the head of the National Intelligence Agency – referred to in government quarters are State Intelligence Service – since the Barrow government came to power.

Evidence before the TRRC suggests the NIA was the ground where nearly all of the human rights abuses and violations of the 22 years rule of former President Yahya Jammeh took place. Sowe worked at the institution for a very long time before becoming its director general.

He began his testimony before the TRRC on Wednesday morning with counsel Essa Faal accusing him of trying to just speak on ‘generalities’.

“You want to just dwell on generalities and avoid particularities. If we do it like that, this hearing would be very long and we would not achieve the objective,” Mr Faal told Sowe who was being questioned on the NIA being used by private persons to come after other people. Sowe had said he could speak on what were being generally said and not the specifics.

But Faal told him more: “These are notorious facts and it would not portray you in good light if you try to stray away from them or try to say them in very nuanced language.

“And your staff are to come and testify, you are setting the tone. Some of them may try to adopt your approach. That would not be helpful to this hearing.

“It would not give me pleasure to sit here to try to cross-examine you on issues that are definitely banal.You will be well advised to answer these questions more directly.”

Tallinding National Assembly Member Fatoumatta Jawara on Tuesday evening held brief for Seedy Njie as a member of the National People’s Party.

Njie is accused in some quarters of nearly taking the nation to a civil war over his role in the 2016 political impasse when he insisted throughout that Jammeh will not leave office.

He accompanied the former leader to Equatorial Guinea and later returned to the country. He is now a respected member of President Barrow’s National People’s Party.

MP Fatoumatta Jawara defended him on Tuesday saying he has not done anything more than what Momodou Sabally has done.

Jawara, speaking at President Barrow’s Ebo Town meeting said: “When we talk about betrayal, we point at people like Seedy Njie. Seedy Njie laid down his life saying Yahya Jammeh will not leave until he got three days as minister.

“But what has Seedy Njie done that Momodou Sabally didn’t do? Momodou Sabally can be in UDP but Seedy Njie should not be in NPP?”

Tourism Minister Hamat Bah said on Tuesday evening in Ebo Town those insulting President Barrow will be punished by God in one year.

The president on Tuesday held a meeting in Ebo Town as part of his nationwide tour.

And speaking at the meeting, Hamat Bah who has been by the president’s side since the start of the tour last month insisted a humiliating fate awaits the president’s critics.

“Let me tell you: those who are insulting Adama Barrow, give them one year down the line and check their whereabouts. I bet you that God will punish them. It will never fail,” Bah said.

The minister of health Dr Ahmadou Lamin Samateh has announced a new set of rules travellers must live by in a fresh bid by the government to stop the spread of coronavirus.

A new COVID-19 strain that looks to be more contagious was seen in the UK last month and has begun to spread around the world.

The government in its bid to prevent the new strain from arriving in the country has now introduced new rules.

The health minister in a statement on Tuesday said the new rules will go into effect on 9 January and they will target travellers.

“These travellers must undergo mandatory quarantine at their own cost,” the minister said, adding they will also have to undergo new COVI9-19 test upon their arrival in the conuntry.

The travellers must also have certificates that show they’re COVID-19 negative four days before their travel into the country.

Twenty-five countries have been listed and people travelling from these countries will be affected. United Kingdom, Belgium. Italy, US, France, Spain and Sweden are all part of the list.

President Adama Barrow has withdrawn the appointment of Oreme Joiner as deputy chairperson of Independent Electoral Commission.

The Fatu Network confirmed on Tuesday the presidency wrote to the IEC last week informing it of the hiring of a fresh hand in former Trust Bank top official Oreme Joiner.

A huge public outcry erupted on Tuesday as news of Joiner’s appointment emerged – amid reports he is a member of the National People’s Party.

The chairman of NPP Banjul Bubacarr Gaye told The Fatu Network Oreme Joiner was indeed a members of his executive but was removed from the executive amid his appointment to the IEC.

But government spokesperson Ebrima Sankareh in a statement on Tuesday evening said Joiner’s appointment has been rescinded by President Barrow in ‘the wake of emerging evidence’ which contradicts his appointment.

It preceded condemnation by the UDP who in a statement branded it illegal.

The United Democratic Party (UDP) has said it has ‘registered with utter dismay’ the notice of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) for the indefinite postponement of the voter registration of The Gambia’s 2021 Election process scheduled for 14th January 2021.

“The UDP vehemently condemns in the strongest term possible this abrupt decision and notice and demands that the IEC provides clear and justifiable bases to all political parties and the general public the reasons for the postponement of the voter registration process,” UDP said in a statement.

The party in its statement signed by leader Darboe added: “UDP is aware that that IEC had enough time to prepare for this process more than a year ago. Coming up with a notice that indicates “……. due to logistical challenges beyond our control…..” is totally unacceptable.

“The Elections are a matter of public interest and any logistical challenges must be communicated to the general public in full details.

“It is totally unacceptable that changes to the electoral process are being shifted without due process and not in consultation with political parties and relevant stakeholders.

“In the same vein, it has come to the notice of the UDP the appointment of Mr. Oremi Joiner as Deputy IEC Chair.

“The UDP condemns the illegality of this appointment as a violation of and contravention of Section 42 (5) (c) of the 1997 Constitution of The Gambia.

“We demand for the revocation of this appointment with immediate effect. It is an open secret that the said Mr. Oremi Joiner is a co-opted member of the National People’s Party’s (NPP) Banjul Regional Executive Committee.

“The UDP calls on all patriotic Gambians to condemn these acts of illegitimacy and demands the IEC further explains the reasons for such unprofessional and unconstitutional actions being taken when we have only months to go to the Presidential elections of The Gambia.”

By Sarjo Brito

Leader of Gambia Democratic Congress Mamma Kandeh has since responded to President Adama Barrow following serious allegations from the Gambian leader that some party leaders are dealing with criminal businessmen to sell Gambia. He is the first political leader to do so.

The GDC leader stated that President Barrow’s claim is an indication he has failed as a president because any serious leader would have used the law against anyone who wants to sell the country they are leading.

‘’Barrow has failed already. Who’s Gambia’s President today? Its Adama Barrow. Who should protect Gambia today? Its Adama Barrow. If he has seen party leaders dealing with criminals and wants to sell the country he is leading, and did not take a step instantly but instead saying he will do the talking later then he has failed,” Kandeh told The Fatu Network News Review.

President Barrow while making the extraordinary charges disclosed he has documents in his possession to prove the criminal act.

The President furthered that he would do the talking when its time for politics but Mama Kandeh said: ‘’If some party leaders are working with criminals to sell the country you lead and you are the President and knows it but would not respond until election period, then you are using it against somebody and that is not serious.

“If he were serious then we would expect him to act now because we expect President Barrow to protect and defend the integrity of this country. He needs to make sure Gambia remains a sovereign state. No one should sell Gambia and if there is anyone with that intention, the President should not wait.”

A photo of a White man and a woman donning African attires bearing photos of President Adama Barrow has set tongues wagging on social media.

The White man and the woman attended President Adama Barrow’s Sanyang meeting over the weekend.

An NPP official told The Fatu Network the duo might have been brought to the meeting by a private person.

NPP journalist Alagie Bambo Lem told The Fatu Network he saw the duo passing with a Gambian woman and took a photo of them after taking permission from the Gambian woman.

Oreme Joiner is the new vice chairman of the Independent Electoral Commission, The Fatu Network understands.

The Office of the President last week wrote to the IEC chairman informing him of the tapping of the former Trust Bank official. An IEC official confirmed Joiner’s appointment.

His appointment to the nation’s electoral commission comes amid claims he is a member of President Adama Barrow’s National People’s Party.

But the chairman of the NPP Banjul executive committee Baboucarr Gaye told The Fatu Network Joiner is no longer a member of his committee.

IEC has had its vice chairman role vacant since the departure of Malleh Sallah last year.

Babou Loum who testified at the TRRC on Tuesday on the independent witness role he played in the March 2006 coup has cautioned anyone who accuses him of anything he didn’t do will face the consequences ‘tomorrow’.

Loum had insisted he didn’t know if the coupists were tortured while their statements were being taken. He was the independent witness in as many as 32 separate cases.

“Babou, you amaze me a lot. Why do you amaze me? You were not an NIA, you were not a police officer, you were not a security man who does investigation. The lead counsel asked you how much they were paying you, you said they’re didn’t pay you anything. Then you’re a great man since you’re working for the state for free,” TRRC commissioner Amie Samba sarcastically told Loum when he insisted he was not paid for the information he was giving the state. He said he wasn’t a mole when the commissioner asked him if that’s what he was.

“No where Ndure was and where I was were not the same. But I know he had confidence in me in some aspect. Because there was one instance the IGP gave them one number. He told them to trace the person as soon as possible. The individual used to call him and insult him. I was the one that detected that person. So he relied on me a lot,” Loum said.

Loum then warned: “Whatever I know is what I am saying but if anyone also accuses me, the person will face it tomorrow. Because what I witnessed is what I can attest [to].”

Dr Ismaila Ceesay has called on the IEC to ‘inform’ the general about the logistical challenges prompted the commission to postpone voter registration.

The IEC was scheduled to commence registering voters on 14 January ahead of the presidential election in December. The commission has abandoned that date.

CA presidential candidate Dr Ismaila Ceesay called on the IEC to clarify as he reacted to the development on Monday evening.

He said: “This is a shocking development. The IEC must without delay inform the general public what these logistical challenges are. Transparency is vital for the integrity of the entire electoral process.

“We also urge the IEC to , without delay, announce a new and more realistic voter registration dates.

“You cannot postpone an important national project like this until further notice leaving the general public in limbo.”