Essa Mbye Faal, Lead Counsel of the Truth Reconciliation and Reparation Commission (TRRC) has reacted to the recently released Government White Paper on the TRRC report.

He commends the government for taking what he describes as a “correct and courageous decision.”

However, Faal says even though he accepts that Sanna Sabally does not merit an amnesty, the government erred in law when it rejected the recommended amnesty for him ‘on wrong legal grounds.’

Below is Mr. Faal’s reaction published on his Facebook page: “Essa Faal Turn Around”

I am thrilled to learn that the government has issued the long-awaited White Paper on the report of the TRRC in which it accepted 99.2% of the findings and recommendations of the Commission. I am happy to have attained such a lofty achievement not just for myself, but for the Commissioners who made the final decisions and in particularly my legal team members who made the sacrifice to go beyond the call of duty by spending sleepless nights with me at the TRRC as we wrote the reports and the recommendations. The support and encouragement they gave me throughout the process was extraordinary for which I thank them enormously.

I take this opportunity to commend the government for taking a correct and courageous decision to rise above politics and accept the recommendations and of the Commission.

While I accept that Sanna Sabally does not merit an amnesty, I believe that the government erred in law when it rejected the recommended amnesty for him on wrong legal grounds. However, I support the outcome, but unfortunately it cannot be sustained legally as it is anchored on a point that is not based on the TRRC Act.

That said I congratulate the government for a very good decision. Their acceptance of the memorialisation recommendations in particular will permanently keep the never again agenda fresh in our public interactions.

We now wait anxiously to see the next steps the government will take to implement the recommendations. Addressing the impunity gap is key. As such, I eagerly look forward to the justice and accountability mechanisms the government will pursue for the perpetrators.

Long live The Gambia and all its people. Long live justice.

Essa Mbye Faal

By: Christian Conteh

The Gambian Government has made a commitment to ensure reforms in the security sector including effective crowd control mechanisms. This it says will help the security forces control crowds in a professional manner whilst maintaining law and order.

This is in direct response to a TRRC recommendation that was accepted by the government white paper. It notes that security forces should be provided with appropriate equipment and materials needed for demonstrations or protests.

“Proper training should be provided to the security forces on matters relating to crowd control (riot management), and on security and legal issues concerning the management of violent demonstrations and riots.”

This intends to ensure the student demonstration of 10th and 11th that left some Gambians dead and several injured does not occur again.

The Government accepts the recommendation of the Commission and is committed to instituting the necessary reforms for security forces to be able to effectively control crowds in a professional manner whilst maintaining law and order.

The TRRC also called for the 10th and 11th of April to either be declared school holidays or other arrangements be developed to memorialise the sad and historic events that transpired on those two days in 2000 and ensure that they never happen again.

The Government in its white paper states that it accepts this recommendation and will take the necessary steps as part of its national memorialisation plan.

By: Muhammed Lamin Drammeh

The Government of the Gambia, acting on the recommendation from the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparation Commission (TRRC), has given former president Yahya Jammeh a lifetime ban from holding public office in the Gambia and accepted a recommendation for a 10-year ban on the former vice president, Isatou Njie-Saidy from holding public office.

This is as a result of their roles in the April 10 and 11 students’ demonstration in 2000. The TRRC, after its findings on the student’s demonstration on the 10th and 11th April 2000, concluded that 15 people were killed by the state security officers.

Among the fifteen people killed, twelve(12) were students and two (2) were toddlers, one of whom, according to the TRRC report, was a three-year-old shot in the head by security personnel. The other child was trampled open by students running for their lives. The third non-student who died was a red cross volunteer.

The demonstration was spare headed by the Gambia Students’ Union (Gamsu) following the death of Ebrima Barry and the rape case of Binta Manneh by a security officer.
Ebrima Barry was a 10th-grade student at Foster’s Technical High School In Brikama, West Coast Region. He was reported to have been assaulted by a fire officer which led to his demise.

Binta Manneh, on the other hand, was a grade 7 student at Brikamaba Upper Basic School in CRR. According to the TRRC report, she was raped by a security officer at the independence stadium where she was representing her school in the inter-school athletic competition.

When the news of the wounding and killing of students reached students in the rural Gambia on the 11th of April, things went out of control and the state security officers used force. Two were killed in the Brikamaba area and several were wounded, assaulted and detained in Janjanbureh prison.

In their recommendation to the government of the Gambia, the TRRC recommended Yaya Jammeh be prosecuted and be banned for life from holding public office in the Gambia as well as his then deputy, Isatou Njie-Saidy for ten years.

“The commission recommends that Isatou Njie-Saidy be prosecuted and banned from holding public offices for 10 years and that Yahya Jammeh be banned from holding public office for life for their roles in the massacre of the students on the 10th and 11th April 2000.”

The commission further recommends Yahya Jammeh be prosecuted for all the unlawful detentions, tortures, assaults causing harm and killings of demonstrators because of the orders and instructions given to them.

Gorgui Mboob is also recommended to be prosecuted for assault on Ousman Sabally at St. Augustine High School in Banjul and be banned for five years from holding any public office in the Gambia.

These recommendations are accepted by the Gambia government including observing the 10th and 11th of April every year as public holidays in the Gambia after the sad events that happened in April 2000.

By: Muhammed Lamin Drammeh

The Minister of Justice of The Gambia, Honourable Dawda Jallow as assured Gambians of transparent and inclusive implementations of the TRRC recommendations with a clear timeline and measurable outcome.

The Justice Minister uttered this during the unveiling of the Government white paper on the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC), recommendations.

“The implementation must therefore be transparent and inclusive with a clear timeline and measurable outcome.”

The minister assured the public of the Gambia government’s commitment to implementing recommendations outlined in the whitepaper including the prosecution of the former President Yaya Jammeh.

According to Hon. Jallow, individuals that were adversely mentioned during the public hearings of the commission will be immediately suspended from public offices pending retirement or termination of their contract.

“The Government shall take steps for their immediate suspension from service while we work on a lawful means to effect their dismissal, termination or compulsory retirement as each class may require,” the minister said.

He ascertained that the suspension of the people mentioned will be done immediately.

The Justice Minister also explained that the government have decided to reject the amnesty granted to the former vice-chairman of the Armed Forces Provisional Ruling Council (AFPRC), Sanna Sabally by the TRRC. He equalled noted that the government stands with TRRC on the rejection of amnesty requested by former Vice President of the Gambia, Isatou Njie-Saidy.

Hon. Jallow also informed the press that the process of taking former president Yaya Jammeh to court so he faces justice is at an advanced stage. He said whether extradited or not, Yaya Jammeh must face justice.

In the whitepaper, the justice Minister outlined that the Gambia government accepted 263 out of the 265 recommendations from the TRRC. The two that are rejected were the labelling of foreign judges in the Gambia as mercenaries and granting of amnesty to Sanna Sabally, who served as the second in command in the Gambia from July 1994 to 1995.

The white paper comprises 173 pages and 600 paragraphs.

By: Muhammed Lamin Drammeh

Arch 22 is a commemorative structure which makes a distinctive gateway to the capital city of the Gambia, Banjul. It commemorates the 22nd July 1994 military coup by the Armed Forces Provincial Ruling Council led by Yahya Jammeh.

According to Hon. Dawda Jallow, Attorney General and Minister of Justice the massive structure will now be named ‘Never Again’. This is in line with the Gambia government’s white paper on the Truth Reconciliation and Reparation Commission’s (TRRC) recommendations.

Hon. Dawda Jallow further announced that the name change will be done in honour of the victims under former president Yaya Jammeh from July 1994 to January 2017.

“I am pleased to announce his Excellency the President’s decision to rename the July 22^nd Arch to NEVER AGAIN MEMORIAL ARCH in honour of all the victims of gross human rights abuses and violations under the regime of former president Yahya Jammeh.  The Government plans to renovate the Arch and erect a plaque with the names of the victims of the Jammeh regime. It is our hope that this memorial may be repurposed as a fitting reminder that Never Again shall we allow such heinous abuses and violations in our beloved country.”

The minister further said that the government has p Archlans to refurbish the Arch and write the names of the victims of Jammeh there. He said that the memorial agenda will serve as a fitting reminder that never again shall the violations that happened in the Jammeh era be allowed to happen again.

The Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commissions investigated the crimes and violations of human rights committed in the Gambia from July 1994 – to January 2017 in The Gambia. The volume has 179 pages. According to the Hon Minister of Justice, the government received 265 recommendations from the TRRC but rejected only two.

By: Christian Conteh

Retired veteran politician, Hon Halifa Sallah has suggested that the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) be scrapped from the National Assembly Budgetary Allocation and redirected to the development budget of local councils.

This according to Hon. Sallah will enable local councils to embark on more development projects. He called on the media to interrogate all National Assembly Members and ask them how they utilized the funds they have been given over the years.

“The Constituency Development Fund was created during our time in Parliament, there is nothing wrong to take it if it is there. Now the media have the chance to find out how the funds were utilised by the beneficiaries. That is what the media can do, interrogate every National Assembly Member on how they spent the money,” he said.

Hon Sallah was speaking at a press conference at the PDOIS party’s Secretariat in Churchill’s Town, Serekunda, as he shares his party’s position on the recent councillor by-election.

He maintained that during his term as National Assembly Member he refused to take the said funds.

“I refused to take it because if I said anything then they would say this man is very strange but now you see I am free; I am not there at the National Assembly to antagonize anybody. I am now a sovereign Gambian citizen determined to make my mark in the country that is why I am saying that the fund should be scrapped.”

In his view, the former Minority Leader of the National Assembly asserted that the Constituency Development Fund only lays the foundation for creating a self-perpetuating rule for National Assembly Members.

The funds he advocates should be put into the development funds of the councils so that such funds can be accounted for.

By: Dawda Baldeh

Vendors at Brikama Fish Market cry for help as sewage water floods the market ground, creating horrible and offensive smell.

Vendors told The Fatu Network that the situation is currently affecting their business.

They accused the Brikama Area Council and market authorities of neglecting the poor condition of the market.

Sewage water is everywhere in the market. Vendors and passers-by inhale the bad odor emitting from the stinking water.

Ebrima Jallow, a vendor at the market explained to the Fatu Network that the odor is affecting their health.

“Life is becoming unpleasant for us every day. Right now, our health is at risk. The odor we continue inhaling is affecting us. We are paying market dues every day but the market is in terrible condition as you can see. We are calling on the government to come to our aid,” he said.

Majula Conteh, another fish vendor reiterated that the situation in the market is not good, accusing local authorities of neglecting them.

“Selling fish and food items in the market is not hygienic,” Majula Conteh said.

However, the new Minister of Transport, Works and Infrastructure visited the market as part of his ongoing familiarization tour. He described the situation as unfortunate and called on the market authorities and governor to act quickly and resolve the situation.

The Minister assured the vendors of his ministry’s commitment in developing the market.

The smelling waste is believed to be emanating from the market toilets and other places.

The Gambia is said to have recorded a 4.3% economic growth in 2021. This is according to the Gambia Bureau of Statistics on its revised 2020 and provisional 2021 Gross Domestic Product (GDP) analysis of the Gambian economy.

Read the analysis below.

GDP BY PRODUCTION

The Gross Domestic Product for the year 2021 is estimated at a growth of 4.3 per cent compared to the 2020 revised growth of 0.6 per cent showing an increase of 3.7 per cent. In 2021, GDP at constant market prices is estimated at GMD 64.8 billion compared to the revised estimate of GMD 62.1 billion in 2020. This increase is mainly attributed to the recovery from the negative effects of the global COVID-19 pandemic which resulted in an increase in the economic activities in industries within the Agriculture, Industry, and Services sectors.

GDP at current market prices is estimated at GMD 104.9 billion in 2021 compared to the revised estimate of GMD 93.3 billion in 2020. GDP per capita is GMD 44,696 which is equivalent to US$ 867 in 2021 as opposed to GMD 40,936 which is equivalent to US$ 802 in 2020. The Services sector continues to be the major contributor to GDP with a share of 57.5 per cent followed by the Agriculture sector with a share of 24.1 per cent and the Industry sector with a share of 18.4 per cent.

For the year under review 2021, the Agriculture sector is estimated at a growth of 4.7 per cent compared to the revised growth of 10.6 per cent in 2020 showing a decline of 5.9 per cent. This decline is mainly attributed to the decrease in the production activities of Crop registering a growth of -9.1 per cent and Livestock registering a growth of -9.6 per cent.

The Industry sector registered a growth of 10.4 per cent in 2021, which is 2.2 per cent more than the revised growth rate in 2020. The increase in growth in this sector is as a result of an increase in the economic activities of Construction registering a growth of 20.5 per cent and Electricity supply registering a growth of 7.0 per cent.

The Services sector is estimated at a growth of 1.9 per cent in 2021 as against the revised growth of –5.0 per cent in 2020 showing an increase of 6.9 per cent. This increase is mainly attributed to the recovery from the negative effects of the global COVID-19 pandemic which increased the economic activities in Arts, entertainment and recreation with a growth of 33.7 per cent; Accommodation and food service activities with a growth of 20.2 per cent; Finance and insurance activities with a growth of 6.5 per cent; and Other service activities with a growth of 6.4 per cent.

GDP BY EXPENDITURE

GDP by expenditure at current market prices shows that Final consumption expenditure which is an aggregate of consumption expenditures of households, general government, and non-profit institutions serving households is estimated at GMD 102.7 billion in 2021 with a growth of 2.3 per cent, accounting for 96.5 per cent of GDP; compared to the revised estimate of GMD 90.3 billion in 2020 registering a growth of 1.5 per cent,  accounting for 95.9 per cent of GDP.

Gross fixed capital formation which constitutes expenditures on construction, machinery and equipment, and cultivated assets is estimated at GMD 34.1 billion in 2021 with a growth of      –2.3 per cent compared to the revised estimate of GMD 30.2 billion in 2020 with a growth of 44.1 per cent. Gross fixed capital formation accounted for 32.1 per cent of GDP both in 2020 and 2021.

Finally, the Trade Balance which is the difference between exports and imports of goods and services contributed -27.9 per cent and -28.6 per cent to GDP in 2020 and 2021 respectively. However, the Trade Balance registered a growth of -11.6 percent in 2021 compared to the revised growth of 81.8 per cent in 2020.

For more information, please visit the National Accounts page

https://www.gbosdata.org/downloads/gdp-2021

Source: Gambia Bureau of Statistics (GboS)

According to the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, UNFPA, nearly half of all pregnancies globally, totaling 121 million each year are unintended.

This is according to UNFPA’s recently released 2022 State of World Population report. The 2022 report themed “Seeing the Unseen: The case for action in the neglected crisis of unintended pregnancy”, describes the statistics as a human rights crisis that has profound consequences on societies, women, girls and global health.

The report discloses that over 60 per cent of unintended pregnancies end in abortion and an estimated 45% of all abortions are unsafe, causing 5 – 13% of all maternal deaths, thereby having a major impact on the world’s ability to reach the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

For The Gambia, the 2022 UNFPA report says the unmet need for family planning is currently at 24% while the contraceptive prevalence rate for modern methods of contraceptives is estimated at 19% and that the total demand for family planning among women is about 43%.

“Between 2015 to 2019, unintended pregnancies in The Gambia stood at 54 per 1000 women and only 23% of women can make decisions on their sexual and reproductive health and rights. These figures reflect the pressure societies place on women and girls to become mothers. An unintended pregnancy is not necessarily a personal failure and may be due to the lack of autonomy society allows or the value placed on women’s lives.”

The in-country launch of the report was done by UNFPA -Gambia on Friday 20^th May at the Alliance Française de Banjul.

The Gambia Police Force (GPF) has asked foreign commercial drivers to desist from driving.

This is according to a publication on the official facebook page of GPF, Poliso Magazine.

“In this regard, all foreign nationals involved in driving commercial vehicles are urged to immediately desist from doing so. Likewise, individuals using private vehicles for commercial purposes are equally warned to desist from such practices as the law will be strictly applied on persons found wanting,” police say.

The GPF Mobile Traffic Department is conducting an enforcement program targeting the use of commercial vehicles by foreign nationals and use of private vehicles for commercial purposes on public roads.

“This highly visible exercise which started on 16th May 2022 is necessitated by a mass increase in foreign nationals involved in driving commercial vehicles hence raising a security concern. The enforcement will ensure commercial vehicles are not driven by foreign nationals and private vehicles are not being used for commercial purposes in accordance with the law,” GPF emphasizes.

“In addition, the situation of tricycles used as commercial taxes is also being reassessed by the Police high command. This is in line with the Motor Traffic Act and Regulations,” Gambia Police Forces discloses.

By Ousman G Darboe

Ebo town is one community in Kanifing Municipality which has been existing without a health center since its inception.

Residents describe the lack of a health facility as a total setback for them.

The situation makes life difficult for the less privileged residing in the community.

Mamat Mbye is said to have been battling with an illness that sometimes causes difficulties in speaking and breathing.

Mbye is less privileged, thus going to distant health centers is considered a big challenge on him due to the lack of health center in his community.

“This illness sometimes attacks me at night, I have nothing to do except to hire a taxi which is sometimes very costly,” Mamat explained.

Mbye’s wife, Amie, is his main support. She told the Fatu Network that they sometimes pay taxi drivers six to seven hundred dalasi to convey them to the hospital.

The nearest hospital that they easily access is Kanifing General Hospital. She added that they most often visit the Banjul policlinic for treatment.

Amie said if the government had built a health center in Ebo town, her husband’s illness would have been handled with ease, noting that the amount of money she spends on transport would have been saved for other family needs.

The lack of health center in Ebo town is not only a challenge for Mamat and his family but for the entire Ebo Town community.

By Ousman G Darboe

Ebo Town is one of the densely populated communities in Kanifing Municipality without proper accessible drinkable water.

The main source of water for these people is an unclean well situated few steps to the river.

Sarjo Mbye in her twenties is one of the people who reside in the community.

For Ms Mbye, lack of clean drinkable water has caused lots of damage to their health because of the type of water they drink daily.

“We pay our taxes regularly, but it is as if we are not part of the society. We are being marginalized because we are not benefiting from what others are and we all pay tax,” Sarjo expressed.

Amie Secka, a house wife whose husband is said to be in a serious health condition, said inaccessibility of clean drinkable water poses unbearable danger to her.

Amie and her family buy water from people who are privilege to have running tap.

This, she explained is in a far distance from her house in order for them to have drinkable water.

She said her husband is no longer in the position to provide the money to buy water daily.

The poor water situation, couple with lack of a single health center, makes life difficult for many people who reside in the community.

Mamat, Amie’s husband, Maimuna Cham and Kaddisa Sonko all call for government’s intervention to ensure that they have drinkable water.

“Our children always fall sick due to the unhealthy water they drink daily. The government has to look into this matter properly.” Maimuna said.

By: Muhammed Lamin Drammeh

“The well is too deep. My back pains every time I draw water from it”, Adama Jarju, a young female gardener and breadwinner who is using her garden to support her family, explained her current plight to the Fatu Network.

Adama has a garden in Sifoe village in the West Coast Region of The Gambia. She uses the garden to provide food for her family and settle the school needs of her younger siblings.

“All that I acquired from the sales of the garden products is spent on my family’s needs”, she expressed.

Adama is the oldest daughter in the family and has been its breadwinner since the demise of her father in 2020. At age 27, she took up the responsibility for the affairs of her family through gardening which she began in 2018 with her father before his passing.

“I am the elder’s daughter of my parents. Since the passing of my dad, I have been responsible for my family. This garden helps me a lot. When I sell oranges, I used to make a lot of money, and all will go to the family spending”,  she revealed to TFN.

Adama conveyed that she does not do a lot in her garden nowadays due to the lack of water and easy access to it. She narrated that the well is too deep and any day she uses the well to water her plants in the garden, she will experience a painful back pain which has dwindled her productivity in the garden.  She explained that she can’t do so much in the garden now because it is affecting her. A predicament she said is disturbing her and weakening her financial muscles.

Adama has taken pride in gardening. She said that gardening puts food on her table and addresses certain financial problems in their house.

She began working on the garden in 2018 when her dad felt sick.  She described that despite the father’s sickness then, he would force himself to do farming.

“My dad was very sick, but even though he’s sick he would still want to do farming. I had to stop him from going to the farm; so I took it from there.  That’s what motivated me. From 2018 to date, I have not stopped. I know he’s very happy where he is and I am happy too that I can do something like this. My dad is my inspiration,” she voiced.

Adama does mix-planting. She plants Okra, Pepper, Cucumber, and Lettuce during the dry season. In the rainy season, she plants Cassava, Groundnut and beans to keep the feeding of her family alive.

But now, she is facing difficulties in continuing with the garden to feed her family.

According to her, she needs a borehole for her to keep the garden or else she might do little or nothing in the garden. She told TFN that she has spoken to people to come to her aid but to no avail.

“I spoke to a few about it but to no avail. Begging makes me ashamed. I need a borehole to keep the garden,” she asserted.

By Amara Thoronka

On Friday 20^th May, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in The Gambia launched its 2022 State of World Population report at the Alliance Française de Banjul on the theme, “Seeing the Unseen: The case for action in the neglected crisis of unintended pregnancy.”

According to the UNFPA, between 2015 to 2019, unintended pregnancies in The Gambia stood at 54 per every 1000 women and that only 23% of women could make decisions on their sexual and reproductive health and rights.

“These figures reflect the pressure societies place on women and girls to become mothers. An unintended pregnancy is not necessarily a personal failure and may be due to the lack of autonomy society or the value placed on women’s lives,” the report says.

It discloses that over 60 per cent of unintended pregnancies end in abortion and an estimated 45% of all abortions are unsafe, causing 5 – 13% of all maternal deaths, thereby having a major impact on the world’s ability to reach the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.

“In The Gambia today, the unmet need for Family Planning is currently at 24% while the Contraceptive Prevalence Rate for modern methods of contraceptives is estimated at 19% and the Total Demand for Family Planning among women is about 43%. This shows that a considerable part of the population needs modern contraceptive commodities but do not have access. This means that the said population have limited autonomy, if any, over their bodies, fertility, and ability to make informed choices, thus contributing to the staggering high rates of unintended pregnancies globally,” UNFPA explains in its report.

On gains made, the report states that there has been progress in the areas of reproductive health and rights of women and girls.

“Through The Gambia Government-UNFPA funded Country Programme, a lot has been done towards improving the reproductive health and rights of women and girls. The Country Programme has over the years supported the development of a National Family Planning Policy, a Costed Implementation Plan and a Communication Strategy for the Ministry of Health, in order to aid effective Family Planning programming to benefit everyone, everywhere in the country.”

“The National Population Commission Secretariat has been supporting the coordination of population programmes in The Gambia. UNFPA in collaboration with the Government of The Gambia remains committed to continue investing in the realisation of zero unmet need for family planning and the empowerment of women and girls and their families, to be able to make informed choices. These investments will have a ripple effect on the productivity of the population, strengthening socio-economic indicators and inspire inclusive sustainable development.”

The global population agency says the report should serve as a wakeup call to everyone as it highlights how easily the most fundamental rights of women and girls are often pushed to the backburner.

“The report calls on decision-makers and healthcare systems to prioritise the prevention of unintended pregnancies by improving the accessibility, acceptability, quality and variety of contraceptives and greatly expanding quality sexual and reproductive health care and information. It urges policy makers, community leaders and all individuals to empower women and girls to make affirmative decisions about contraception and motherhood, and to foster societies that recognise the full worth of women and girls. Women and girls will be able to contribute fully to society, and will have the tools, information and power to make this fundamental choice—to have children, or not—for themselves.”

The State of World Population report is UNFPA’s annual flagship publication. Published yearly since 1978, it shed light on emerging issues in the field of sexual and reproductive health and rights, bringing them into the mainstream and exploring the challenges and opportunities they present for international development. This report’s analysis builds upon new data from our partner, the Guttmacher Institute, released on 24 March.

The United Nations Population Fund is the agency charged with the mission to deliver a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled. To achieve this, the agency works towards realizing three transformative results: ending unmet need for family planning; ending preventable maternal death; ending gender-based violence and harmful practices.

As the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, UNFPA helps people obtain contraception and life-saving reproductive health services and information and empowers women and girls to make informed decisions about their bodies and lives.

By: Muhammed Lamin Drammeh

The national youth President of the Gambia Democratic Congress (GDC), MC Cham Jr has called on opposition parties to form an alliance to contest against the ruling National People’s Party (NPP) in the local government elections.

The GDC youth leader asserted that the only way to prevent the Gambia from NPP’s total dominance is by opposition political parties coming together against President Barrow’s party

“We have to help each other by putting up a tactical alliance among opposition parties so that we can support each other and stop NPP from dominating the local government elections”, he told the Fatu Network.

He added that the local government election is the grassroots, noting that having chairpersons and mayors will be good for the political base of the opposition parties.

MC Cham, who contested and lost in the April National Assembly elections explained that if opposition parties had formed an alliance in April,  NPP would not have dominated the current national assembly.

“If there was a tactical approach in the national assembly election, Barrow’s candidates were going to win only in the Upper River Region. He would have only seven MPs, but because all the political parties put up their candidates, the votes were divided and that gave NPP the upper hand to win the majority of the seats”, he uttered.

He exuberantly outlined that it is high time for the opposition parties to roll on such political tactics to prevent the National People’s Party from controlling the municipalities and localities.

“It is high time we come together as opposition parties to have a tactical alliance within ourselves to support each other.  That way, we will stop the NPP from dominating the country. Having a one-party state will be very wrong for our democracy”, he emphasised.

Cham, whose party lost every seat they competed for in the April national assembly elections, told The Fatu Network that it is quite feasible for the opposition parties to come together.  He said that they should learn from the national assembly election. Cham further amplified that  GDC will engage other opposition political parties about a possible alliance against the ruling party.

According to him, political parties and leaders should now look at the country and not their parties.

“We have to do it so that we can save the Gambia from the crossroads that we are. Let us not see our party now, let’s see the Gambia”, he pointed out.

Sierra Leone’s health authorities have confirmed the first cases of human infections of anthrax, less than a week after an outbreak of the disease in animals was reported.

The Ministry of Health says three people tested positive for the bacterial infection which was first confirmed in animals at the beginning of last week in the northern Port Loko district. A spokesman in the Ministry of Health said the human cases were detected in the neighbouring Karene District.

Harold Thomas, Communications Lead in the Directorate of Health Security and Emergencies in the Ministry of Health and Sanitation (MoHS) told ManoReporters that samples from four people who presented with symptoms of the disease were tested and three came back positive for anthrax.

In Port Loko, over 200 animals have been confirmed dead due to the outbreak. Officials in the ministries of Agriculture and Health said they mounted an investigation in response to reports of several unexplained deaths of animals in Tinkabere Village in Kamasondo, Bakeloko Chiefdom. A total of 223 livestock – 91 heads of cattle, 53 goats and 79 sheep – were eventually confirmed dead.

According to Thomas, there has been no indication of human-to-human transmission, which means that those who were infected in Karene might have gotten it from either infected animals, animal products or bacteria spores.

Anthrax is described as a serious infectious disease caused by a bacteria known as Bacillus anthracis. The bacteria occur naturally in soil and commonly affect domestic and wild animals. Human beings can get sick with it too if they come in contact with infected animals or contaminated animal products. But the disease is treatable.

According to the Health Ministry spokesman, all the confirmed human cases were Cutaneous anthrax, which is the most common of the three types of the disease and the less dangerous one. The other two types are Inhalation and Gastrointestinal anthrax.

Source: ManoReporters

By: Christian Conteh

The Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA) has expressed delight that it was able to raise the sum of 4.72 Billion Dalasis between January to April 2022 amidst the financial difficulties globally.

According to Yankuba Darboe, Commissioner General, GRA a major challenge hindering the revenue collection is the Ukraine-Russia war. He, however, pledged to despite the hardship globally continue its commitment and dedication to ensure that the task ahead of the authority is achieved for the development of this country.

The Gambian Government according to Yahya Manneh, Director of Technical Service had given the GRA an annual target of D13.5billion for 2022. Technical Service and Excise are expected to collect D7.82 billion and domestic taxes to collect D5.68 billion which will sum up to a total of D13.5 Billion as the overall annual revenue target for 2022.

“The Gambia Revenue Authority collected D4.72 billion from January to end of April 2022 against D4.71Billion which means GRA has exceeded the target by about 0.3% of 13.79 million which is the overall target of GRA for 2022,” Director Manneh said.