By: Modou Touray

The Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs, Mr Seedy Keita has said that the Russia-Ukraine war adversely affected the country’s growth prospects resulting in rising global commodity prices, falling remittances, a fall in international tax revenues and an increase in financing pressures.

Keita explained that the Government revised the 2022 approved budget in July to reflect the shocks in the macroeconomic conditions during the year.

“The new direction of government development policy will support recovery in light of the adverse impact of the Russia -Ukraine war and the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2023 Budget is prepared with minimal new revenue measures in order to give respite to the private sector following the outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic and the devastating impact of the Russia-Ukraine war that affected businesses across the country.

“More emphasis will be placed on improving compliance in tax administration to ensure that what is lawfully due to government is collected and on time,” the finance minister stressed.

He added that due to the hike of food and energy prices coupled with other risk factors such as currency depreciation, an adjustment in transport fares and pump prices, headline inflation reached 13.3% in September 2022 up from 11.7% in June 2022 and 8.2 per cent a year ago.

“The inflation pressure will continue to increase in the near term. This is a result of global inflationary pressures. The medium-term, inflationary pressure will ease and return to its long-run trend by next year in response to the tight monetary policy stance of the Central Bank of The Gambia and easing of global supply chains,” he revealed.

Seedy Keita, Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs, made the statement on Monday while presenting the 2023 Estimates of Revenues, Recurrent and Development Expenditures for The Gambia, saying the Gambia in 2022 registered low revenue compared to what they were anticipating.

He tabled the 2023 national budget estimate for consideration and approval by the National Assembly. The 1997 Constitution and the 2014 Public Finance Act make it mandatory for the finance minister to table the budget estimates before the National Assembly. Section 152 (1A) of the Constitution makes provision for the National Assembly to consider and approve the Estimates of Revenues and Expenditures within 14 days.

“On agriculture, it is projected to continue on the growth path reaching 6.6 per cent in 2023 – primarily supported by crop production and fishing and aquaculture. The growth prospects for the industry sector are estimated to increase to 6.9 per cent in 2023 up from 6 per cent in 2022 – mainly supported by electricity and mining and quarrying activities. On the service sector, he said the recovery in tourism, transport and storage, finance and insurance will enhance growth, with the sector growth projected to reach 4 per cent in 2023 from 2.4 per cent in 2022,” he highlighted.

By: Ousman Saidykhan

A Banjul High Court judge has warned supporters to avoid his court if they have no business in the civil lawsuit involving renowned businessman Abubacarr Jawara and outspoken politician Momodou Sabally; the plaintiff and defendant respectively.

“Anybody that is not directly or indirectly interested in this case should stay out of my Court,” Justice Bakre said on Monday 14th November 2022 at the High Court annex in Banjul.

The judge’s warning was precipitated by a statement from the plaintiff’s counsel, Drammeh Esq, alleging that some supporters of the defendant make statements likely to undermine the integrity of the court.

“When a case is before the court, they are not supposed to be disrespectful…” Counsel Drammeh said.

The counsel for defendant, A. Fatty Esq told the court he is not aware of any utterances that will undermine the integrity of the court. But the Judge emphasized, looking at the crowded court, “if you are not a party to this case, stay out.”

Meanwhile, the case could not be mentioned today because the defendant is yet to file his defense to the summon. They still have about 10 days to do so. The case was adjourned to next year, 17th of January 2023.

Momodou Sabally, the defendant, was served with a writ of summon last month to answer to a lawsuit filed by Jawara. The plaintiff, Abubacarr Jawara seeks D8 million being damages for defamation and slander.

By Lamin Njie (Ministry of Transport)

Apart from the ongoing OIC project, the Ministry of Transport, Works and Infrastructure is currently implementing another important road network project in Kiang West, covering a total distance of 87km, funded by the government of the Gambia.

Construction work on the first phase of the project, which is to cover 39km, is progressing smoothly, starting from Sankandi junction to the interior of Kiang.

The ultimate aim of this first phase of the project is to connect major districts in Kiang, such as Kemoto, Tankular, Joly, Jali, Manduar, and the rest of the other settlements in the hinterland of Kiang, in a bid to bring them closer to the main south bank road of The Gambia.

When completed, the SanKandi–Karantaba road project will link Kiang and Foni along the Bintang bolong.

Again, the project is expected to connect thousands of communities in that part of the country in terms of trade, access to health care services, education, and agriculture among other issues.

This landmark project will not only benefit the people of Kiang and the Lower River Region but The Gambia as a whole. Gai construction company is the contractor.

By: Modou Touray

Ousman Manbureh disagrees with the common notion that school dropouts are failures, justifying that he is a successful electrician. Ousman decided to learn electrical skills after dropping out from school. He attended Jamisa Upper and Senior School in Brikama and was in grade nine at the time of dropping out.

“Success is not confined in the classroom; I am a grade nine dropout, but I decided to successfully undergo apprenticeship in practical electrical training, and I am now successful, having built a house, taking care of my family and financing the schooling of my kids and also training other young people to become practical electricians. If you cannot make it in formal classroom, switch over to informal skills,” he explained.

After his formal education desire crippled at grade nine, he took the risk of dropping out from the regular academic system to undergo an informal apprenticeship skills training in electricity. Against the wish of his family, he was determined to actualize his self-reliant dream.

“My father initially objected to my proposal but was latter convinced. He was sick and there was no one to give me financial support. In stress, I walked on foot to get to the National Water and Electricity Company sub-station at Farato were I attached myself to a mentor unofficially.”

Mr Manbureh asserted that opportunities for youth employment are minimal, forcing him to acquire practical skills at an early stage. A high number of the country’s labor force is without work or meaningful engaging for their livelihood.

Mr Manbureh’s family house in Brikama is almost 5 kilometers away from Farato. He occasionally gets a free ride to get there hence his family were more attentive to his father’s detoriating health conditions than his welfare.

“It was hard, but I pushed on to this level. I now operate my own business called Ous-Tech Solutions. Thank God because I get minor contracts of electrical and CCTV installations, house alarm bells, vehicle tracking devices, plumbing and other services. I cannot say I have succeeded hundred percent, but a lot has been achieved,” Ousman noted.

He said his slogan was to employ himself if the government could not employ him, a determination which he said has been realized. His current major challenge is securing major contracts from government and non-governmental institutions.

“I used to go around to offices, companies and institutions to tell them about my skills and gradually people started recognizing me. I manifest my skills well in electrical installations and CCTV camera operations and other practical skill.”

By: Dawda Baldeh

28-year-old Gambian judoka Faye Njie, who made history as the first Gambian athlete to ever win a silver medal at the Commonwealth a few months ago in Birmingham, is calling on the government, NGOs, philanthropist to support him to cover his traveling cost as the 2024 World Judo Championship gets closer.

Since 2015, Njie has been representing Gambia in several international judo competitions.

The silver medal winner confirmed to The Fatu Network that he is only relying on the Olympic Solidarity Scholarship which helped him to be integrated into France to be a full-time athlete.

“I’m grateful for that opportunity as it’s vital to be a full-time athlete at this level. The qualification for Paris 2024 Judo Championship lasts for 24 months and includes a lot of qualifying tournaments all over the world.

Traveling to these events costs quite a lot of money. My scholarship is meant to cover my living and training costs in France. Any support towards traveling to these qualifying events as well as to some international training camps is needed,” he emphasized.

It appears that the Judoka has not received any support from the Gambian authorities despite representing the country.

Recently, Njie took part in Baku Grand Slam Tournament in Azerbaijan and lost his first-round fight against his Belgian counterpart.

“I lost my first-round fight against my Belgian opponent. He was able to get a score at the end of the fight. Eventually, he won the bronze at that tournament. In my category, there were 36 athletes from 23 countries,” he explained.

Despite losing the fight, Njie said the overall performance was “not that bad.”

“I just made a critical mistake at the end of the contest which concluded the fight. Of course, I’m disappointed as I was expecting a better result, but at this level, mistakes can be unforgivable.

I should have been more aggressive to be able to get my attempts to score and prepared well my attacks. I will focus on getting rid of my weaknesses in order to get some versatility to my fighting,” he added.

The Gambian judoka assured that he will continue to work hard for his long-term goals which are to qualify for the 2024 Olympics and make the best performance of his career.

By: Dawda Baldeh

The Media Academy for Journalism and Communication (MAJaC) has graduated about 40 students who completed their academic requirements from the advanced diploma level in its maiden graduation ceremony held at the OIC conference centre, Bijilo.

MAJaC was established in 2010 by The Gambia Press Union to strengthen democracy through broad-based and high-quality professional training for media and communication specialists.

Since its establishment, the school has been producing outstanding students in the areas of journalism and communication.

Professor Pierre Gomez, the Minister of Higher Education Research Science and Technology told the graduates that journalism is a noble profession and that the work of journalists helps transform the country.

Prof. Gomez added that the solution to the new generation for rapid development in TVET.

He reiterates his ministry’s commitment to making the Gambia heard in the subregion.

“Journalism is a noble profession that helps you inform people. Today you are all going home with the knowledge that you can use to help in the development of the country. The skills you acquired are very important.

You have the knowledge and skills that are needed in the journalism field. My ministry will continue to support TVET in the country. You should continue to work hard to achieve your desired goals,” Prof Gomez told the graduates.

Sang Mendy, the Managing Director of MAJAC, congratulated the graduates for completing their academic training. He tasked them to strive harder to make their dreams a reality.

“We are here to celebrate these young men and women who have completed their professional training and are ready to join the field of journalism and communication,” he said.

Mr Mendy stated that the school has continued to produce journalists who are working to strengthen democracy.

“From 2015 to date, the school has produced students who are occupying key positions in the media and communication specialists. Some are editors, senior reporters, and media owners,” he added.

He noted that half of the school staff are products of the school. Mr Mendy tasked the graduates to be the ambassadors of the school.

“MAJaC has given you much that you cannot fail. We will continue to monitor your professionalism. You must endeavour to achieve greater success. You must keep our flag higher.”

Mr Mendy urged the government through the Ministry of Higher Education Research Science and Technology to support TVET education in the country.

Modou Joof, the Secretary General of The Gambia Press Union, explained why MAJaC was established a decade ago.

“The Gambia Press Union began a pilot project to train professional journalists and it graduated about 12 students two years later. The purpose was to help strengthen democracy.

“Since 2018, four sets of badges have completed their advanced diploma courses. These are award-winning journalists in the areas of investigative, human rights, political, women and children, sport…,” Joof said.

Mr Joof urged media chiefs to sign the GPU collective bargaining paper to empower journalists and enhance quality journalism.

Muhammed S Bah, the President of the Gambia Press Union said the graduation marks a journey of hard work, dedication, and sacrifices by students and staff of the Academy.

“MAJaC is the only journalism school that produced [Gambia’s] first-ever female editor-in-chief. The Gambian media is MAJaC. There is no media house in this country that does not have MAJaC students. Remember to always comport yourself to the highest professionalism.

It is up to our generation of media practitioners to change the narrative that journalists are poor people,” he said.

Mr Bah further stated that journalists can change the narrative by maintaining the highest standards of professionalism and consistently telling stories that matter to people.

Various speakers commended the graduates for completing their course and implore them to push hard and report stories that are of public interest. Several graduates were awarded certificates to recognize their outstanding work during their studies.

By: Modou Touray

Fatou Fatty, the wife of Bakary Bojang whose house was recently devastated by a fire outbreak has told The Fatu Network that his husband doesn’t have a bank account but adopted the traditional way of keeping bulky cash in the house which was entirely burnt.

The fire outbreak was blamed on a faulty electrical socket. The house, which is within the Bojang Kunda compound, is situated in Brikama Nyambai.

The victim’s wife, who spoke extensively to his medium, confirmed that his husband’s exact damages could not be quantified due to improper recording of assets and cash in his house.

“It will take years to recover from the devastating fire because everything including the unknown [amount of] cash is destroyed. My husband deals in vehicles, he even sold two vehicles recently and that money is also kept in his house. He has his own saving box which he controls. Normally, he saves money there and other amounts entrusted to him for safekeeping. It’s important to save your money at the bank, it is safer there and for situations like this,” said Fatou Fatty, Bakary Bojang’s wife.

She added that materials including chairs, vehicle spare parts, clothes, refrigerators, suitcases and other utensils and valuable household materials were destroyed.

“Some litres of fuel were kept by my husband for emergency use since the upsurge in fuel prices and scarcity. This magnified the fire thereby inflicting devastating damages on his family who struggle for years to purchase the necessary fixtures and fittings in the house and built it to standard. This is very severe, and the recovery process might take time.

“My husband is a traditional healer who cures people. His medicines were also destroyed. He keeps many materials related to his work, but all are damaged. The materials were brought from faraway bushes. Those undergoing treatment has to be delayed because psychologically he is not prepared to continue with their treatments. The damage really traumatizes him, Fatou stated.

According to the wife of the fire victim, the fire was difficult to contain due to different types of materials which were not properly arranged. This makes other materials easily catch the fire. It took time for the Fire and Rescue Service personnel to reach them.

According to his wife, youths attending a nearby entertainment show at the Brikama Jokor rushed to the scene. The extent of their rescue was minimal hence there were no proper means of putting out the fire.

“Most of the people residing at home here are females. We could not do much to put out the fire. It nearly burnt the next house, but we were quick with the help of other youths from outside to stop that,” Fatou told TFN.

The victim of the fire outbreak Mr Bakary Bojang looks emotional and could not directly narrate his ordeal: “I believe in what God destined,” he said.

Currently, Mr Bojang stays with his family in a tiny house pending the reconstruction of his damaged house.

By: Hadram Hydara

The World Bank has reported, according to statistics from The Gambia Poverty and Gender Assessment 2022 report, a 53.4 per cent climb in the poverty rate in the Gambia largely due to the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the report, the national poverty rate declined from 48.6 per cent in 2015 to 45.8 in 2019 before the COVID-19 crisis.

However, there is a great disparity between rural and urban poverty in the country, with almost seventy (70) per cent of rural inhabitants being poor as opposed to just thirty per cent (30) among urban dwellers.

“Poverty rates remain more of a rural phenomenon — 7 out of 10 rural dwellers are poor; compared to 3 out of every 10 urban dwellers. However, the larger share of poor people lives in urban areas in the more populous Southwest, mainly in Brikama.”

The report further states that to mitigate the pandemic’s effects, some households resorted to migrating from urban to rural areas and splitting large households into smaller sizes as observed during the pandemic’s peak in the second and third quarters of 2020.

“It is important to note that there was significant progress registered prior to the pandemic in improving key indicators of welfare such as school attendance, maternal and child health, and access to water and electricity. The report provides insights to inform the recovery agenda from the COVID-19 pandemic as well as mitigating the spillover effects from the ongoing war in Ukraine,” said Feyi Boroffice, World Bank Resident Representative.

Although, despite the surge in poverty rate, the report states that there are already signs of recovery which can be maintained with strides in improving the quality of education, maternal and child health, etc.

“… Preliminary estimates indicate that per capita GDP growth recovered, from a decline of 2.4 per cent in 2020 to growth of 1.2 per cent in 2021. Projections suggest that this could have reduced poverty rates in 2021 from 54 per cent to 53 per cent. According to the report, the recovery can be sustained if The Gambia makes strides in improving education quality, maternal and child health, access to water and sanitation, electricity, and school attendance.”

The report urges investments in agricultural productivity, recommends resilience to weather shocks and increasing river salinization, and supports the tourism sector by improving infrastructure, diversification, etc. This, it states, will help mitigate poverty and help the poor.

The report further added: “The report outlines the necessary reforms to leverage The Gambia’s youthful population and discusses gender differences in health and learning outcomes as well as in access to labour market opportunities to inform the design of well-targeted reforms to uplift the lives and livelihoods of the poor,” said Sering Touray, World Bank Poverty Economist.

By: Ousman Saidykhan

A pressure group dubbed ‘Coalition of Progressive Gambians’ has on Wednesday 9th October 2022 cancelled their scheduled November 11 protest; instead, they will now embark on dialogue with the government after series of consultations with Supreme Islamic Council and other bodies.

“…the general public is hereby informed, the planned November 11, 2022 peaceful demonstration is postponed with the commitment to continue the dialogue between the two parties,” a joint statement of the pressure group, Supreme Islamic Council and different government institutions reads.

‘Coalition of Progressive Gambians’ planned to embark on a nationwide protest demanding the government to address the high cost of living, promote transparency amongst others.

Another group called ‘Gambia for five years’ had since reached to the Coalition’s plan. They said in a statement that they would also take to the streets on November 12 to counter planned November 11 demonstration as they believe all the countries are facing hardship.

The Supreme Islamic Council (SIC), who were the main mediator said they were concerned about the group’s plan of conducting the demonstration throughout the country which was why they intervened to solve the problem.

“Their demands are important; but demonstration is not the only means to solve it. It can be solved through dialogue and consultation,” Supreme Islamic Council’s President, Essa Darboe told journalists in a press conference at SIC headquarters.

A meeting of Coalition of Progressive Gambians’, SIC, Peace Network and government institutions such as the Ministry of Interior, Office of the IGP, Ministry of Information and others revealed there was consensus on two points.

The first one was assurance given by the government that they are willing to dialogue with the pressure group and the second one was that the SIC and Peace Network would continue being the mediators between the coalition and the government.

By: Dawda Baldeh

Staff of Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA) have undergone training on transfer pricing in revenue collection. The training was conducted by GRA in partnership with West Africa Tax Administration Forum (WATAF) and United Nations Department for Economic and Social Affairs.

The training intends to build the capacity of GRA staff on the fundamental principles of transfer pricing.

Yankuba Darboe, the Commissioner General of Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA), underscored the process and significance of the training.

“A very careful selection was made for the trainees. We expect those who are lucky to be part of the training to take it seriously so that they are well-equipped with the understanding of transfer pricing.”

He urged the participants to emulate Marry Sarr, who according to Commissioner Darboe, is a hardworking, dedicated and ambitious staff whose efforts have been recognized by the GRA board.

“Marry is a young man that I admire because he has dedicated all his life to GRA, and I pray that he achieves his dreams.”

Commissioner Darboe asked the trainees to share the knowledge gained with their colleagues who were not fortunate to be part of the training.

Babatunde Oladapo, executive secretary of WATAF, said the objective is to build the capacity of tax officials in West Africa.

“Gambia is a key member of WATAF and its chairman is the Commissioner of GRA who is serving his second term. One of the objectives of this is to develop Gambia tax officials so that they can appropriately collect tax for national development,” he said.

Mr. Oladapo disclosed that the training came after a request from GRA to train its officials on transfer pricing.

“The world has changed with how we do business and now we are doing business with multinationals. If you want to retain your fair share of the tax revenue, you need to be abreast with current tax practices.

Transfer pricing is one of the keys that you need to upgrade yourself. Tax officials need to be sufficiently empowered with skills to be able to track transactions. Sometimes, multinationals are advised by their tax advisors to avoid paying tax,” he added.

He further stated that there are issues of trade mispricing by companies setting up businesses. “You need to have specialized skills to be able to track such business operators,” he advised.

Ms. Emily Muyaa, chief of Capacity Development Unit at the United Nations Department for Economic and Social Affairs, said the training has come at a better time. She expressed optimism that the training will effectively help the tax officials in their daily work.

“Transfer pricing continues to be a key critical area for developing countries. This training will help the tax officials to understand more about tax pricing and share the knowledge with their colleagues,” she explained.

By: Muhammed Lamin Drammeh

The Coalition for Progressive Gambians Chairman Seedy Cham and Secretary General Modou Jane have said that the government of The Gambia has only today, November 8, to accept the demands by the group, or they will proceed with their planned protest on Friday.

Speaking to The Fatu Network, the leadership of the group outlined that the government has to come out with a press release accepting to address their demands otherwise they will proceed with the protest.

“Today is the last day. They have to accept our short-term demands by releasing a statement to meet our demands on price control, the investigation into the 2017 audit report and justice for the AKI victims,” said Seedy Cham, chairman of the group.

According to the Secretary-General, Modou Jane, the group will be having a final meeting with the government including the mediators Supreme Islamic Council, Gambia Police Force, SIS and Peace Network in finding ways to have a solution to the problem.

The Fatu Network understands that The Coalition for Progressive Gambians have been engaged by the state on the 13th of October. Yesterday, they had a meeting with groups including Supreme Islamic Council.

According to them, the protest will only go ahead if the government fails to accept and release a statement addressing the hike in the price of commodities and investigate the 2017 audit report and the recent Acute Kidney Injury tragedy in the country.

The group, whose main purpose is to fight corruption in the country, said they will protest with or without a permit from the police or if the government fails to accept their short-term demands today.

By: Modou Touray

The outspoken former chairperson of the National Youth Council, Dembo Kambi, has disclosed that he has forsaken the chance to be naturalised as a United Kingdom citizen and returned to the Gambia to bid for the Brikama Area Council (BAC) chairmanship for the national interest.

Mr Kambi who once also served as the regional youth committee chairperson of the West Coast Region pointed out that effectively contributing to the socio-economic development of his country is a top priority for him.

“I have been to the United Kingdom and returned home with a valid visa and stayed with it for complete 6 months until it expired. When I went to the UK to re-unite The Gambia National Youth Council to the Commonwealth Youth Council, there were chances to stay and naturalize there but I decided to ignore the great opportunity which could have greatly transformed my status,” Mr Kambi stated.

He further highlighted that in electing leaders, they must be carefully vetted to gauge their level of selflessness and commitment to national duty rather than voting for people whose interest is to deplete the youths of their palatable future by embezzlement and other forms of unethical behaviours.

“There are people in government assigned for the overseas mission but upon their return, they usually tender their resignations to go back or never come back to the Gambia to report to the authorities. I am proud to raise my hands and say that I put the interest of my country at heart. When I was the chairman of the National Youth Council, I travelled to different countries but never stay there,” he said.

Mr Kambi spoke at length on the need for youths to take care of the country’s responsibilities hence they are the cream of society, and the development of any nation squarely depends on them while calling on the elderly to stay aside in the race for the Brikama Area Council chairpersonship.

“Our elders should pray for us but not for leadership, they need to give chance to younger ones. They must try to support us the young in delivering the West Coast Region we want. I was part of the team that designed, developed, evaluated and adapted the current strategic plan of the Brikama Area Council,” Mr Kambi stressed.

Responding to the question about the appearance of prominent United Democratic Party heavyweights for the BAC chairpersonship bid, Mr Kambi was quick to respond that there is no one heavier than him.

“They are mostly known in their constituencies and UDP, but I have regional coverage and prominence than them. None of them enjoys being a household name in this region than me who served my district Kombo central and my region West Coast Region as chairpersons of the grassroots youth committee before being elevated to National Youth Council Chairperson.,” Mr Kambi revealed.

Mr Kambi told this medium about his prior achievements which include serving as the district youth chairman for Kombo Central for 4 years, and chairman of the West Coast Region Youth Committee for complete 5 years and has made marks in all districts of this region.

“I have enjoyed and continue to enjoy responsive and cordial relationships with women and youth of the West Coast region,” he concluded.

By: Sarjo Brito, FPC International Reporting Tour Participant, Raleigh, North Carolina

It is barely 24 hours to what analysts say might be one of the most consequential midterms in the history of the United States.

As activists, minority groups, and experts among others share their opinions about the high-stakes election, Gambian Americans prepare for election day and discuss their political leanings amid growing fear of what could happen next depending on who takes over Congress.

Laye Jallow voted two weeks ago. For him, this midterm is the most critical given the recent extraordinary challenges facing democracy in the US in general. As a liberal Democrat, Laye fears the possibility of a radical shift in policy and law if Congress falls into the hands of the GOP. For Laye, election denialism, and radicalism make this midterm a do-or-die, especially for people who identify as Democrats.

“The liberal Democrat in me wants the Democratic party to hold onto both the Senate and House. I do not want to see what comes if Republicans gain a majority. Democracy will be doomed in America,’’ Laye said.

Dr. Omar Bah, a registered Democrat and former Congressional candidate in Rhode Island said a Democratic-controlled House and Senate will ensure the smooth passing of tangible economic policies, and immigration reform, among other things. Dr. Bah who is an immigrant himself and runs the Refugee Dream Center in Rhode Island believes Africans can take away a lot from observing how US politics operates.

“Despite the intense, often polarized atmosphere, US politics is issue-oriented. For instance, in these midterms, the US voters are most interested in the economy. The prices of everything from gas to groceries are exorbitant. Thus, many voters are not even necessarily stuck in the dogma of party divides. Rather, a Republican can vote for a Democratic candidate and vice versa, depending on who convinces them about solutions to such economic issues. I believe many African countries can benefit from this. In the US, the real power lies in the vote, and not some tribal affiliation, or aristocratic inclination,’’ Bah explained.

Modou Thomas lives in the State of North Carolina. He has always voted Democrat in past election cycles but the current state of affairs under the Biden administration and the politicization of issues by both Democrats and Republicans is making him question his political identity. Thomas fears the United States might have another recession if current economic issues are not addressed.

“My worse fear right now is a recession, and I am afraid it will happen. Economists are predicting that we might go through another recession before the economy comes back. This is part of the issues I want to see addressed,’’ Modou said.

Meanwhile, Tuesday’s election will decide control of Congress, governor’s seats as well as local offices. The outcome of the midterms will set the tone for the looming 2024 presidential race where former President Donald J. Trump is expected to make a political comeback.