By: Dawda Baldeh

Archbishop Professor Sam Zuga, a Nigerian business tycoon and founder of Zuga Coin Cryptocurrency, has said the only identity Europe has for Africa is poverty, adding that is why young Africans are dying in the desert trying to leave the continent in search of greener pasture. Professor Zuga made this remark during his visit to Banjul at the opening of the International Society of Diplomats’ chapter in Gambia.

The 51-year-old businessman said it is time for Africa to become re-independent, adding that the available opportunities in Africa are ignored.

“Some of us grew up to discover that we are being dictated to by the West on what we do. Everything we need must come from them. A lot of young Africans are dying in the deserts trying to leave the continent for Europe in search of greener pastures simply because of the wrong way Africa is portraited by the West.

We feel that the only way we can make it is when we leave Africa. We also underrate ourselves and believe that whatever is made in Africa is not of high standard,” he explained.

Professor Zuga disclosed that during the trans-Atlantic slave trade, Africans were sold in exchange of gum-powder, mirrors among other items.

Speaking further, the business tycoon bemoaned the Africans mentality of believing that whatever is made in Africa is inferior while things made in Europe are superior.

“If people wear African dress, we look low upon them but if they wear European dress most of us will celebrate them because the dress is made in Europe.”

The Zuga Coin owner said Africa has gold, diamond and many other natural minerals that the continent can rely on to standout, but noted that the continent import almost everything and export little or nothing.

“Poverty is the only sickness that Africans are struggling with. Everyone considers us as poor people and they see us as good customers for their medicines.

They come to donate us medicines because they see us as sick and poor people. Anytime they are showing pictures of wealthy people they show the other parts of the world but anytime they are talking about poverty, pictures of African children and women begin to fly.”

He added that Africa needs to recover its lost dignity and becomes truly independent. “The problem is that we don’t believe in our potentials, and we believe black men and women cannot do anything of high standard.”

Sheriff Baldeh, a pan-African, spoke on opportunities in having African digital currencies.

“We have all the necessary minerals in Africa that will stand and lead the world by getting well-backed digital currencies that could be inter traded worldwide,” he said.

By: Haddy Ceesay

The Kanifing Municipal Council under the Kanifing Environmental Transformation Programme project has started a tree planting exercise which aims to plant 190,000 trees across the 19 wards within the municipality. The project is said to mitigate the impact of climate change in the country.

Representing the Chief of Defense Staff of the Gambian Armed Forces, Lieutenant Col Kuluteh Manneh said people living at Fajara Baracks are responsible for taking care of trees.

“It is our responsibility to make sure that taking care of the trees is not underrated. We must make sure that they stand alive,” he added

Tablib Ahmed Bansouda, the Major of Kanifing Municipality Council, disclosed that they will plant ten thousand trees in every ward to green their municipality.

Bansouda stated that the major considerations of the project are waste management, resource mobilization, wider environmental improvement, and technical and governance capacity building.

“We intend to plant over 190,000 trees within the municipality by using our ward system,” he added.

Aliue Njang, Director of KETP project, explains the significance of the project, addings that he believes the trees they are going to plant will be looked after.

He added that the tree planting exercise contributes to national development.

“We are trying to generate a sustainable city,” he said.

Tree planting is the process of transplanting tree seedlings, generally for forestry, land reclamation, or landscaping purposes.

By: Muhammed Lamin Drammeh

Literary writing in the Gambia is a challenging adventure that many tried but failed to succeed in. It has led many into succumbing to sharing their literary works for free. For the few that ventured into it, they have shouldered some financial burden, especially beginners.

Young published authors, Ismaila Saidybah and Kebba S. Juwara have been struggling with the challenges Gambian writers face; high literary content, and low sales. In this exclusive, the two young writers bemoaned the low sale of their books after publication in The Gambia.

Mr Saidybah, the author of Sins Of A Father and Dreams of An Ophan, said The Gambian Literary market is very tough. The award-winning young writer and the founding coordinator of Writers Space outlined the high cost of publishing a book and the financial rewards after publication.

“It is extremely hard. The Sins of a Father took me almost two years to publish. I first reached out to Fulladu Publishers and the first quotation I got was D48,000. That was too expensive. I also reached out to Gambia Printing and Publishing Cooperation and the cost was almost the same,” Saidybah explained.

Sins of a Father was published in 2019. However, according to the young author, he printed six hundred copies but not more than one hundred copies have been sold.

The Gambia literary scene is inundated with a good number of unpublished writers. Publishing a book in the Gambia has been a nightmare for many due to the cost involved. With only a few publishing houses in the Gambia, many Gambian writers are left with no choice but to self-publish at their own cost.

Another young author, Kebba S. Juwara, who published The Spilled Beans this year, echoed similar frustrations to The Fatu Network. The zealot author said he preferred publishing his book abroad but finance hindered his dream. He had to self-publish in the country.

“Publication is generally cumbersome, both financially and effort-wise.

It took me so many consultations to compile and edit my work. I had to get a proofreader to do proofreading; I was lucky to get it from my mentor, however, it is most costly if charged.

Then I needed to contact publishers. It’s expensive both at home and abroad. I preferred abroad but the company I contacted took so much time to respond, so I published on Amazon, self-publishing style,” Juwara pointed out.

The 2020 Covid-19 Short Story Winner, Saidybah, who, despite the low sale of his debut novel Sins of A Father, has not given up on writing. In 2021, he published his second book, Dreams of the Ophan through Suba Kunda Publishing, which published the book for free.

He called on the government of The Gambia through the National Centre for Arts and Culture to create a special budget line for those in the creative industry so that young writers will be encouraged to write. He explained that many young writers are having complete manuscripts but could not go further due to enormous financial challenges in publishing a book in The Gambia.

By: Ousman Saidykhan

Dam Gaye, a Senegalese has been arraigned at the Kanifing Magistrate Court for allegedly “willfully” breaking the windscreen of a motor vehicle owned by one Gibril Jaiteh. The windscreen is valued at D5,300.

The accused was charged with Malicious Injury to Property contrary to Section 312 of the Criminal Code Cap 10.01 Volume 3 Laws of The Gambia which attracts a punishment of up to two-year imprisonment term.

He pleaded not guilty to the charge. “It was not done willfully. The car knocked me and my elbow hit the windscreen – then it got broken,” the accused, Dam Gaye said.

The Complaint and first prosecution witness, Gibril Jaiteh narrated that he was driving his Benz, whose registration numbers is BJL 3565 R, from Serekunda to Senegambia on the day of the incident.

“When I got to Tippa-garrage, I saw the accused person fighting with another boy. I decided to slow the vehicle for fear that I might hit someone.

The other one whom the accused was fighting with crossed the road while the accused jumped on my windscreen and broke it,” the witness told the court.

He continued that he stopped the vehicle and took the accused to the police station where complainant gave statement.

The accused person told court the witness hit him and fell in a stagnant water along the road. However, the witness said he hit the accused but he (the accused) did not fall.

As opposed to the D5,300 indicated in the particulars of offence being the value of the windscreen, the witness, in his evidence, said the windscreen is valued at D4,500.

The accused was granted bail on the sum of D10,000 with a Gambian surety.

The case was adjourned to the 25th August 2022.

By: Karimatou Jallow

Some Gambians within the Kanifing Municipality have expressed dissatisfaction over the prices of commodities in the market and called on the government to control the prices of basic commodities in the country.

“Commodities have become very expensive and these are commodities that we need in our daily life. I urge the government to take responsibility for controlling the prices of commodities in the country if not we will all be affected,” Mariama Joof said.

Joof said people are from different backgrounds and not everybody will be able to afford these expensive prices because for others no matter how expensive it becomes they will be able to survive while others will not survive. She called on the government to take responsibility for controlling prices in the country.

“Commodities are expensive in the market because the government is not doing their job as it should be, that is why everything in the market is expensive.

“Am not gaining much profit in this business. I am just selling because I have no other thing that I am engaged in. Moreover, my children are also helping me to solve some of my needs, but this business alone will not sustain my needs. I call on the government to build factories so that Gambian youths will be employed,” She added.

Things are becoming very hard in the country. Commodities are very expensive in the market and those expected to take control of the prices of commodities in the country are silent. Moreover, we have no choice but to buy them at any cost because they are needs that we cannot do away with but the authorities are fully aware of the price hikes in the market and are urged to come up with a solution if not this suffering will not end,” Mariama Colley said.

Colley said this problem is all over the world, however, she said that should not be an excuse from the government, saying that every problem has a solution. She called on the government to build factories so that goods or commodities can be manufactured in the country, instead of exporting them from the outside country and also employment will be available for the youth.

The rest also gave the same statement, saying that the government should address the situation instead of keeping silent because silence will not solve the problem.

By: Ousman Saidykhan

A young Senegalese man, Abubacarr Sillah is standing trial before Principal Magistrate Jabang for allegedly stealing two phones equivalent to D37,500.

The two allegedly stolen phones are; iPhone 11 Pro and Samsung A20 valued at D30,000 and D7,500 respectively; belonging to one Fatoumatta Erma Mook and Fatoumatta Jammeh.

Sillah was accused to have committed the act at the Senegambia Palma Beach on 11^th June 2022.

“We were at the beach playing football. A little while later, I went to where our bags were and found them open. I could not see our phones. Then I called Erma,” the 3rd prosecution witness, Fatoumatta Jammeh told the court.

She narrated that before the phones were stolen, the accused came and greeted her and Katty, her friend and sat opposite them but she (the witness) was not playing football at that time.

He told the court that the accused asked her to go join her other friends to play. “I told him I was tired,” she said.

The witness continued that the accused was wearing two trousers, one of which he forgets at the beach after stealing their phones.

“We found a number in a pocket of the trouser and called the number. A man answered and told us he was the accused’s friend,” the witness told the court.

On the contrary, the accused person told the court he never saw the witness, not to mention talking to them at the beach, apart from when she was giving her statement at the police station.

“How can someone who has never seen you tell you to go and play football?” the accused asked during cross-examination.

“Well, we have seen each other at the beach until you asked me to go and play football,” the witness replied.

Baboucarr Sillah is charged with stealing, contrary to Section 252 of the Criminal Code. If found guilty, the accused may be sentenced to up to a seven-year imprisonment term.

By: Modou Touray

Ousman Bah, students’ president of the Gambia College-Basse Campus, has disclosed to The Fatu Network challenges faced by students on campus.

He said some students on boarding at the Basse campus develop Ulcer due to insufficient diet. He added that no feeding program is available for students instead they contribute to feed themselves.

According to experts, getting the needed food and nourishment for health and growth is essential for effective learning. Without good nutrition, people grow weak and sick thereby hampering the required mental and physical strength for effective learning.

The Gambia College, Basse campus was built to enhance decentralization in higher education. The college is in Basse, 3-4 kilometers away from the town centre.

“Feeding is our main challenge at the campus. Students struggle to contribute to cook their daily meal. In fact, the contribution only caters for the breakfast and lunch,” Bah explained.

He added that the money students often collect is often insufficient to give them three square meal, noting that some even go to bed hungry while some work to the town centre in search of food.

Experts say insufficient or poor diet can affect one’s health, learning, and psychosocial behavior. Malnutrition can result in long-term neural issues in the brain, which can impact a person’s emotional responses or reactions to stress, learning disabilities, and other medical complications.

It is also said that such condition leads to a significant drop in energy, lack of focus and being able to perform well mentally.

“Some students can’t even afford the contribution because the campus comprises both in-service and pre-service students (i.e those in the teaching field and are receiving salaries and new in-take who have not yet graduate),” Bah said,

The students’ president further stated that the health conditions get severe due to lack of utility vehicles for students hence the distance from the campus and town centre is far.

“Sometimes, if a student is seriously sick, it’s challenging to take that person to the health facility. The only vehicle at the campus is the administrative car which is not always available.”

Having a comfortable physical space where students are able to sit comfortably, see and understand what their teacher says, as well as socialise with their fellow classmates, is a major component of a conducive learning environment.

According to Bah, students struggle to buy cash power and each student boarding on campus pay D300 per month as accommodation fee.

When contacted for his reaction, the coordinator of Basse campus Matarr Ceesay said the Gambia College is only running programs. He clarified that students are responsible for their own feeding and accommodations.

The establishment of the Basse campus was to make education accessible to the rural communities.

The Gambia College is a Gambian tertiary institution with campuses located in Banjul, Brikama, Bwiam and Basse. Its was formally called the Yundum Teachers Training College which was founded in 1952.

By: Modou Touray    

Dr Omar Bah, a former reporter for the defunct Daily Observer newspaper in the Gambia has expressed interest to contest for the United States lawmaking house, US Congress. If elected, Dr Bah says he intends to be a steady advocate for the working class thereby ensuring that their rights are protected and free from marginalization.

“I arrived in the US as a refugee in 2007 after being declared a wanted man in The Gambia for being a journalist who criticized the [Jammeh] government and advocated for human rights. Since then, I’ve helped refugees by founding the Refugee Dream Center. The Center has assisted thousands of people in finding jobs and advocated for refugees and survivors of torture. We need people in Congress who defend democracy, advocate for people, and help the community.”

Dr Bah seeks to represent Rhode Island’s second district. Rhode Island is the smallest state in the union and is one of the most densely populated and heavily industrialized. It is about 37 miles wide and 48 miles long and its shoreline on Narragansett Bay in the Atlantic Ocean runs 400 miles.

“I wish to contest for Congress to serve Rhode Island’s 2nd District. Our democracy is in peril and now more than ever we need leaders in Washington who have demonstrated courage to stand up for what they believe in and who understand the daily struggles of regular people. In this regard, I am uniquely qualified.”

Each congressman or congresswoman is elected for a two-year term to represent the people of a specific congressional district. The number of voting representatives in the House is fixed by law at no more than 435, proportionally representing the population of the 50 states.

The United States law provides that a person may qualify as a Representative if he/she is at least 25 years old, has been a United States citizen for at least 7 years, and is an inhabitant at the time of the election of the state in which he/she seeks election.

In addition to his advocacy for refugees, Dr Bah sees climate change as a key priority on his agenda.

“Tackling the climate crisis is imperative to save our planet. Congress must act swiftly to pass a reconciliation bill to invest in renewable energy and jobs tackling climate crisis.”

Dr Bah believes in the principles of democracy good governance and the rule of law.

“Elect a leader who knows how to defend democracy. I stand up for what I believe in. We need in Congress more leaders who are willing to take a radical approach to defend American democracy and freedom as we have come to know it,” he emphasizes.

The former Gambian journalist and founder of Rhodes Island Refugee Dream is the first Gambian to express bid for the US lawmaking body.

Dr Omar Bah is a native of Mbolet village in the Lower Nuimi District, North Bank Region. In addition to his primary and secondary education, Dr Bah attended the media training center, GRTS complex and the African Virtual University among others.

By: Modou Touray

Sait Mbye, a 30-something-year-old Gambian who once harboured the desire to embark on an irregular migrant to Europe — a term known in The Gambia as the ‘Backway journey’ — but later on changed his mind and stayed back, has disclosed to the Fatu Network that he has ventured into rice cultivation to enable his extended family to store enough food for home consumption.

Mr Mbye is a youth farmer in his mid- 30s and is a native of Cherr-Madado village in the Central River Region (CRR).

“If all of us who should help the elderly in the fields left, it would be difficult to grow rice on a large scale. Elders struggle with work on farms but when youths are around, the work is faster and more efficient,” Mbye said.

Mr Mbye and his extended family now enjoy the fruits of their labour as rice cultivation has become very industrious for them. Irregular migration has a negative impact on the labour force of the country. The youthful population that provides the bulk of the labour has embarked on the risky journey, where they had to cross the Mediterranean Sea in desperate need of greener pastures in Europe.

“I initially got the zeal to go for greener pastures in Europe via the irregular migration route but I never regret abandoning the decision. I jointly grow on a few hectares of land with my family and the harvest is stored for home food and a portion is also taken to the market for sale.”

Food Security means that all people, at all times, have physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their food preferences and dietary needs for an active and healthy life

The Central River Region, where Mr Mbye’s village is located, normally grows rice in swampy areas and he said this allows them to cultivate constantly.

“The amount of money spent on imported rice is huge and is becoming unbearable for an ordinary rural household. Rural communities need to engage in aggressive farming of food crops to attain household food security. Retail prices of basic food commodities increase sharply daily and if alternative measures to feed ourselves are not put in place, a potential hunger will loom. The swampy areas retain water for a longer period which enables us to carry out our rice cultivation constantly.”

According to experts, the ideal harvest time for rice lies between 130 and 136 days after sowing it late, 113 and 125 for medium, and 110 days for early-maturing varieties. For dry season harvesting, an optimum time is 28 to 35 days after heading. In wet season harvest, the optimum time is 32 to 38 days after heading.

In 2020, rice paddy production for the Gambia was 28,000 tonnes. Though Gambia rice and paddy production fluctuated substantially in recent years.

By: Muhammed Lamin Drammeh

In what was supposed to be a fierce debate between the two Gambia Football Federation (GFF) Presidential candidates — and as anticipated of his opponent putting up a no-show — Sadibou Kamaso, last night, stood on the podium alone at the Kairaba Beach Hotel, and in his bid to convince the seated football stakeholders of why he is the right candidate for the GFF Presidential office, pledged to fix the perennial problems that have befallen Gambian football in recent years.

Regardless of the fact that the debate is unprecedented in the annals of the country’s football election, the incumbent Lamin Kaba Bajo, as communicated prior, did not show up and thus, gave his opponent an easy ride to tell football stakeholders what he will offer if elected as the head of the country’s football governing body.

“I am the future. I know what your problems are, and I know how to fix these problems.  When we go into the office, it will be a thing of the past for us to be crying about sub-standard pitches, lack of funding or players not having the necessary support,” the 42-year-old promised.

Answering a wide range of questions posed by the moderator of the event, Sadibou Kamaso repeatedly emphasised that, in a Kamaso-led executive, monies meant for football will be spent on football.

He further stated that infrastructural development in the Gambia under his reign as the President of the GFF will be of international standards, adding that he will invite ex-national team players aboard; promising to create funds for them.

Speaking on what he has in store for women’s football, the outspoken GFF presidential candidate promised centre stage and relevance to women’s football in his administration, noting that having Chero Mbenga as his 2nd Vice President clearly manifests his team’s willingness to give a new breed of life to women’s football.

“We are bringing the women to the decision-making table. We are going to increase the participation of women and we are going to advocate for women’s football clubs to have the same franchise when it comes to the general assembly because for far too long their votes have been confided to only three votes.”

According to Kamaso, it is the first time in the history of GFF elections that a women vice president is being presented.

The Commission on Political Debates (CPD) came into the nation’s football political frame for the first time to organise a debate between the two people vying for the utmost post at the football house.

However, incumbent Lamin Kaba Bajo declined to participate in the debate, thus turning it into a town hall meeting for Sadibou Kamaso as he mounted the podium alone to eloquently communicate what his team has for football stakeholders.

The GFF election is scheduled for the 27th of this August, 2022.

By: Sarjo Brito, Foreign Press Centers U.S Midterm Elections 2022 Reporting Participant

As the US midterm election draws closer, experts continue to dissect recent Supreme Court decisions and their effects on the midterms. One of those is the Supreme Court’s ruling to overturn the longstanding 1970s ruling that legalised abortion for almost five decades in the United States. While conservative Americans celebrated the reversal of the 1970s long-settled law by the Supreme Court, demonstrations quickly spread across some US cities, protesting the decision of the Court.

A decision that election experts say will influence the midterm election, especially the female voters; a demographic described by political analysts as the golden key to the results of Congressional elections.

Distinguished Professor of Political Science and published Author Dr Ross Baker says overturning Roe v. Wade by the Supreme Court is one of the actors in the political climate Americans will have to contend with in the November 8th elections.

“Americans had become habituated to the fact that abortion was, in most instances, readily available.  So, this is a decision that affects women mostly. And female voters have always been the kind of golden key to the results of congressional elections. And suburban women, who tend to be well-educated, relatively prosperous women, the kinds of people who might be expected to vote Republican, are also very sensitive to having removed from them what they consider to be a fundamental right. And the Supreme Court basically said to American women abortion is not a fundamental right.’’

Dr Baker further explained the influence of the female voters and how this demographic turned very strongly against former President Donald Trump, resulting in the 2018 success of the Democrats in the 2018 midterm election.

“The question of female voters has always been a pivotal question both in presidential elections and in midterm elections.  There have been various terms that have been coined to identify this demographic.  ‘Soccer moms’ was a popular phrase used in the 1970s and 1980s. And these are women in their 30s, 40s, and 50s with families, and they proved to be pivotal in the 2018 success of the Democrats in that midterm election.  They turned very strongly against President Trump and resulted in the election of several Democratic women some of which were referred to as national security Democrats – a very interesting collection of female candidates who had backgrounds in national security.’’

As Democrats continue to speak against the decision of the Supreme Court, Dr Baker says the Biden administration’s decision to speak on the subject a week later shows the issue of low morale among Democrats who are PRO-ROE.

“The President waited for more than a week before he spoke out on the subject, which, of course, is of great importance to American women who tend to – those who tend to be Democratic.’’

After the Supreme Court’s decision, which upended nearly 50 years of abortion rights, and with mid-term elections due in November, the Democrats are tip to use the abortion issue as a playing card to persuade pro-choice women to vote for them.

By: Dawda Baldeh

Honourable Rohey John Manjang, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change has said Gambians need an attitudinal change in their fight against climate change, as it is a key component in combating climate change; the negative impact of which is being felt by the country in recent years.

During an exclusive with this medium, the Environment Minister said people need to modify their attitudes in order to succeed in fighting against climate change.

“We need to change our attitudes towards climate change. If we don’t change our attitudes, we can’t combat climate change and we will continue to feel its negative impact,” she emphasized.

The honourable minister was speaking to The Fatu Network after the devastating flash floods that hit the country in the last days of July, making families welcome August with grief.

“We have seen the impact of climate change in the country in recent years. We need to do the needful to combat climate change. People are not planting trees which is very important in combating climate change. Deforestation is getting higher on daily basis and we need to plan more trees to cover the soil so that they can help us.

Trees are very important in our lives because they give us oxygen, which we cannot live without. Many people are not taking early warnings very seriously. Climate change is real and we need to respect that.”

Ms Manjang further buttressed the need for people to avoid settling on waterways, saying it risks flooding.

She added that if people can change their attitudes towards climate change, the fight to combat it will be easy.

“Today we are facing all these problems because of climate change and yet people are not taking it very seriously,” she added.

The environment minister urged people to be vigilant and adhere to the advice of experts to prevent themselves from the reoccurrence of such disasters that has not spared many parts of the country.

However, a situational report from the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) has revealed that eleven people (11) have died in the recent flash flooding.

By: Modou Touray

The residents of Brikama Borehole and Daru Power Station have frowned at the indiscriminate dumping of waste on the roadside, saying it exposes them to health risks.

The outcome of indiscriminate disposal of solid wastes exposes humans to environmental degradation such as flooding, drainage obstruction, widespread infectious diseases, cholera, diarrhoea, fever, and waterway blockage which leads to the infestation of flies, ticks and breeding of mosquitoes that cause malaria.

“Vulnerable groups such as children are at increased risk of adverse health outcomes. Poor waste collection leads to environmental and marine pollution. Children always play around open dumpsite and sometimes collect items there. It is not safe for them and metals can injure them as well,” Burama Sanyang said.

Most of the residents around these areas who spoke to The Fatu Network vowed to mobilize a vigilante group to confront the perpetrators.

“We will not complain anywhere but anyone we caught, we will force you to pick it up,” Fafoday Komma stressed.

“They walk while eating food and also carry their water along. So, as soon as they finished eating, they just throw it anywhere,” Lamin Dampha, another resident, told the Fatu Network.

On August 11 2022, four boys were seen littering leftover food and were confronted, which led to a mild fracas.

Most residents of Bafuloto and other nearby settlements trek due to the short distance between the settlements, however, nearby residents along the roadside expressed their frustrations over the attitude of travellers on foot.

Unlawful disposal of waste in undesignated spaces such as open or vacant land, bodies of water, and other areas are common in most settlements in urban areas.

The principal hazard of indiscriminate domestic sewage disposal can contaminate our soil, groundwater, emission of offensive odour, breeding of mosquitoes and flies, environmental degradation, food contamination, unsightliness and unsustainable environmental development.

“It is difficult to apprehend anyone because they normally throw rubbish around if they don’t see anyone,” Abdoulie Colley revealed.

Although, the issue of indiscriminate solid waste disposal is a global one. Modernization, high standard of living, increase in population, technological innovation and excessive urbanization over the years have drastically contributed to the generation of municipal waste, through industrial and domestic activities.

Environmentalists believe that the more emissions that we produce due to how much trash we generate, affect us long term. One can develop diseases such as asthma, birth defects, cancer, cardiovascular disease, childhood cancer, infectious diseases, low birth weight, and preterm delivery.

Improper disposal can lead to adverse health outcomes, for example through water, soil and air contamination.

Vulnerable groups such as children are at increased risk of adverse health outcomes. The poor waste collection leads to environmental and marine pollution.

Indiscriminate waste dumping is punishable under the Anti-Littering Regulations.

By: Dawda Baldeh

Following the tragic incident that led to the death of four State guard soldiers on Thursday 11 August 2022, the opposition Gambia Democratic Congress (GDC), has sent their fervent condolences to The Gambia Armed Forces and the families of the deceased for the loss of lives.

The State Guards were travelling as the rear party of the presidential convoy heading to Mankaman Kunda, the home town of President Adama Barrow when they got involved in an accident that claimed their lives at Ndemban village in Foni.

In a press release, GDC leader Mamma Kandeh described the incident as tragic and a loss to the nation.

“The Gambia Democratic Congress (GDC) register its fervent sympathy over the loss of Gambia Armed Forces State Guards Battalions in a very fatal accident that has resulted in the loss of four (4) soldiers,” the GDC leader grieved.

He added that the loss of the gallant soldiers is a tragedy to the nation. “We would like to extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased and by extension to The Gambia Armed Forces for this unfortunate loss that has befallen all of us as a nation.

The loss of able-body men is heart-breaking and we are sending our profound condolences to their Commander in Chief President Barrow for the passing of these young soldiers.”

However, only one Ndedeh Bahoum survived the incident, GDC, also wished him a speedy recovery as he is reported to have been battling with his life at Bwiam hospital.

“I know there are no words that can ease your pain as families of the deceased but we pray to God the Almighty to forgive them for their shortcomings and grant them Jannatul Firdausi,” Kandeh prayed.

The incident has been described as tragic to the entire country as it left Families, friends, the Armed Forces and the country grieved. May Allah Forgive their shortcomings and grant them Jannatul Firdaws.

By: Ousman Saidykhan

Justice Sidi K Jobarteh of the Banjul High Court has denied the defence counsel’s bail application seeking the unconditional release of their clients, Sainabou Mbye and two others with condition that the State must file their bill of indictment on or before the 19th of August 2022.

“In light of the foregoing, I hold that the application of the applicant at this stage lacks merits and their bail application is accordingly refused.

“Nevertheless, the state has been mandated to file a bill of indictment within two weeks, which duration elapses next week,” Justice Jobarteh ruled.

Sainabou and Co were charged with Manslaughter, a charge that is not bailable as per the laws of the Gambia. The trio were first arraigned before the Kanifing Magistrate Court before the case was transferred to the Banjul High Court for lack of jurisdiction.

Defence lawyers for Sainabou and others filed an application before Justice Sidi K Jobarteh seeking the unconditional release of their clients. They submitted that the state has no case since they have not filed any indictment. The defence believed their clients were being illegally detained at Mile 2 without charges, citing the “inhumane” conditions at the prison.

However, Justice SK Jobarteh held that the accused persons were legally detained contrary to the submission of the defence counsel, however, he ordered the State to indict the accused persons within time or they would be granted bail.

“The applicants cannot continue to be held in custody without being indicted at the High Court. Their continuous detention at remand after the expiration of the timeline stipulated by the Court will be unjustified,” the judge said.

Justice SK Jobarteh continued that the State would flout the court order if it fails to file the indictment before the 19th of August which will result in the granting of bail to the accused persons in the sum of 3 million dalasis (one million each) and three Gambian sureties (one for each).

“The sureties shall deposit with the Principal Registrar of the High Court the original copy of their title with respect to their property, freehold or leasehold,” the judge said.

She said each property shall not be less than 1 million dalasis and the evaluation must be done by a recognised governing institution.

By: Modou Touray

In a bid to combat the effects of desertification on agricultural production and food security, the umbrella body of farmers’ organizations in the Gambia mobilized their members to embark on tree planting at Kafuta on Thursday 11^th August 2022. Food security is a major concern to the farmers hence the imported foodstuffs are costly.

According to Mr Alieu Sowe, the National Coordinator of the National Coordinating Organization for Farmers’ Associations in the Gambia (NACOFAG), the tree planting service is prompted by the indiscriminate cutting down of forest trees, which he said if not urgently replaced would contribute to low productivity in agriculture, food shortages and further causes severe desertification.

“The aim of the exercise is for Farmers and Forest Producer Organizations (FFPOs) to contribute to the regeneration of the lost Forest and biodiversity for use by the generations yet unborn. The impact of climate change, land degradation, weakness of the soil fertility, and inadequate and poor rainfall system toward Crop and Forest products production, are all due to the changing nature of our natural resources endowments.”

Desertification is land degradation in typically dry areas resulting from various factors including climatic variations and human activities. It is also a process by which fertile land changes itself into a desert by losing its flora and fauna. In the Gambia, the north Bank region is largely affected by the loss of forest which affected Agric production in that area.

“The National tree planting exercise was conducted in five Agricultural and Forest Regions of the Gambia: Kerr Jarga Jobe, Jokadu in the North Bank Region, Jellan Bakadagi in the Central River Region, Sareh Madi Jendeh, Central River Region, Jarra Bureng in the Lower River Region and Kafuta Community Forest West Coast Region. This Thursday’s planting exercise is the final in this series.”

Provision of 3000 seedlings of various species including Gmelina, Cashew, Oranges, Mangoes, Guavas, Pawpaw and Lime among others.

According to Alieu Sowe, a total of 3000 seedlings of various species including Gmelina, Cashew, Oranges, Mangoes, Guavas, Pawpaw and Lime among others were planted. “The seedlings will also be provided to individual farmers and foresters at households for sustainable management ”

The planting of trees is a way of replacing the lost forest cover thereby minimizing the effects of climate change and to a large extent enhancing fertile land for agricultural production thereby boosting food security.

“In a desert, the soil is mostly Sandy which is not ideal for crop cultivation”

NACOFAG is the coordinating body of all farmers’ organisations in the Gambia. By organizing, farmers can easily access information needed to produce, add value, market their commodities and develop effective linkages with input agencies such as financial service providers, as well as output markets.

The basic mission of farmers’ associations is to represent farmers in order to ensure their participation in the formulation and implementation of policies and agricultural development actions amongst other things.

BY: Hadram Hydara

Dr Muhammed Ammar Al-Jafari, the newly reinstated Syrian Chief Medical Director (CMD) at the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital (EFSTH) has said he has had a long, successful meeting with the Minister of Health and Director of Health Services in which they put in place, among other things, a four-month “urgent plan” to acquire and add different unavailable medical apparatus and also embark on a “renovation” of the “private block” in the hospital.

“From now until December, we should have all radiology equipment available. We should have all lab and reagents available. We are trying to do a renovation for the private block and we will add seven haemodialysis machines. We are also working to have an oxygen plant in the hospital,” said CMD Jafari, while going further to appeal to the EFSTH staff and “everybody” to assist him in executing the said plan, which also includes, but is not limited to, “respecting working hours”.

“Please I need all of you to help me with this urgent plan. First of all, I need all of you (staff) to respect working hours; this is very important. The second issue is I need all of you to help me when I put cashiers and security in the departments; I need you to respect them. I want to control our income and our revenue. Thirdly, all of us need to respect patients’ lives, especially with emergency issues. From now on, if any patient comes to the emergency and needs life-saving like an urgent operation, we should do it directly. No excuse to wait for operation when patient’s life is at risk.”

Dr Jafari, who also served as CMD at the EFSTH under former President Jammeh and was, later on, relieved of duty by the Barrow government in 2017, said everybody needs to be involved, one way or the other, during operations and that there will be 24-hour anaesthesiologists accessibility at both Ndemban Clinic and EFSTH.

“When we need to do an operation, all of us need to support the surgical department about this issue. From now we are going to put anaesthetic technicians 24 hours on call in Ndemban and the main hospital. If a patient needs an urgent operation, we should do it right away and the management needs to support the surgical team to the operation; we need to work as a team.”

The experienced CMD further said the number one priority is patients’ lives and that slacking on the job will not be tolerated.

“The number one priority is the patient’s life, which we need to respect. I don’t want anybody to sit in his office and say okay this issue is not available. When any issue [arises] whether it is emergency, ICU, theatre or for any department, you should come to my office and I will find a direct solution. Patient life cannot wait. We cannot sit in our offices under the AC and lose a patient,” Dr Jafari warned.

By Jankey Touray

Recently, the Market Manager of KMC, Modou Njie, went around to inspect the Buffer Zone market where claims were made that the place had been turned into a bar & restaurant.

In a radio interview, Njie expressed his dissatisfaction with the use of the Buffer Zone by some foreign nationals claiming it was given out by Gambians.

During the renovation of the Latri Kunda market, some vendors were asked to move from the market to the Zone until the building was completed and then they would relocate to their shops.

After touring around with his team, Mr. Njie disclosed that the impression at the Buffer Zone was disappointing, adding that they never thought that people will ever think of doing such within the Zone.

“The reason for the relocation of the market to the Zone was during the demolition of the Latri Kunda market to allow vendors carry out their business at the zone until the structure was completed,” Mr. Njie said.

He said the place has been turned into a bar, restaurant, and residents, adding that the occupant told him that they rented the place from others.

“As of now, I have a video of shops where people are staying (residential). Six bars have been closed and the place cleared. I asked them all to report to my office. There are shops here which are solely empty. I will make sure I write a recommendation to demolish all those shops.”

He went on to say that the revenue collectors always find the shops closed.

“When I came here at night, unfortunately, I met almost fifty percent of the shops opened, some selling rice while others were cooking, operating bars, playing games and kids playing ‘pepz’. In the other shops, I saw people sweeping to prepare the place for sleeping. They have created a dustbin with all the rubbish they sweep,” Njie explains.

He said the bars also operate at night with high sound system that disturbs the neighborhood, adding that the place has been turned into a donjon where people gather in groups to drink, chat and smoke.

The Market Manager of KMC disclosed that there are only two KMC security persons manning the place as patrols are likely not conducted on that ground.

He stated that his office will not recommend for the Buffer Zone to be a market, and that even if it is left for market purposes, it will be further looked into.

By: Karimatou Jallow

Commercial drivers at Manjai have called on government to implement the payment of license for five years instead of a year. They said the one-year license period is short for them to use it satisfactorily before renewal.

“The payment of license every year is not favourable because the period given is very short. Most of us commercial drivers do not own the vehicles we drive. Also, the gas oil is very expensive. In all of these, we have families to feed. That is why it’s very challenging for us to renew our licenses within an year,” said Ebrima Darbo, a commercial driver.

He urged the government to extend it to five years with an amount that will favour both divers and government.

Sulayman Sanneh, another driver, explained challenges of drivers in renewing licenses every year.

“We have been paying to renew our licenses every year but we are yet to see any development in the country as gas oil is expensive. We don’t have proper garage and the roads are not safe our vehicles and taxis. So, what is the reason for such payment as there is no development in the country, especially in the transportation sector. The government should find solution to these challenges. They should build garages for drivers, construct good roads and also give a reasonable price for the gas oil in the country.”

He said the one-year period doesn’t favour them, adding that it is short and affect their livelihood as they have families to take care of.

By: Muhammed Lamin Drammeh

A group of teachers, “Teachers For Change,” is set to register the group as a union of Gambian teachers distancing themselves from the umbrella teachers’ body, the Gambia Teachers Union.

The leadership of Teachers for Change (TFC) announced that the group will be registered as a legal entity within two months and members will stop paying union dues to Gambia Teachers Union upon registration.

“The Teachers For Change is to be registered as a union within a period of two months. After the registration, members of TFC will not pay any monthly due to the GTU without the consent of the members” they revealed.

Speaking to The Fatu Network, the Public Relations Officer of TFC, Alhasan Ceesay, said that TFC came into existence because of the failures of The Gambia Teachers Union. He claimed that the umbrella body of teachers in the country has failed.

“GTU has failed teachers woefully. It is a money-making institution to the detriment of struggling teachers.  It is a union that takes from its members monthly and never returned anything in form of welfare”, he asserted.

Pointing out the failures of the Gambia Teachers Union which he said Teachers For Change will work on, Ceesay said that the Gambia is the only country where teachers will not be paid for invigilating external examinations.

“GTU is watching as teachers are used as bait. In short, GTU doesn’t care except for bragging about how much they have amassed monetary digits while teachers’ situations look more dilapidated.

According to Mr Ceesay, TFC will uphold the dignity and respect teachers deserve in the country.

He added that Teachers For Change has a realistic national interest and will offer teachers a union that is malleable to the needs of its members.

The Gambia Teachers Union (GTU) is the only recognised and legally established Union of Gambian teachers.  Teachers across the country in the government pay scale pay monthly union dues to the Union.

With the emergency of Teachers For Change to be registered and building in the lapses of GTU, teachers in the Gambia will be divided between GTU and TFC.