By: Muhammed Lamin Drammeh

Real De Banjul has extended its lead on the Gambia Football Federation (GFF) Division One league table standing with a nail-biting 2-1 win over Falcons last night at the Independence Stadium in Bakau.

Bye Malleh Wadda’s white boys came from a shocking defeat last weekend and needed the whole important 3 points to finish the first round of the league as table toppers. They have now extended the gap to four points and also with a game in hand with second place Brikama United Football Club.

Real first took the lead in the night from a penalty spot when a star player, Essa Jallow converted a well-taken spot-kick at the back of the net following a foul on Modou Lamin Demba.

The Falcons pegged back to ensure parity on the scoresheet before the break, but Modou Lamin Demba put the game beyond their reach with a superb goal.

Speaking to the press after the game, the head coach of Real De Banjul, Bye Malleh Wadda expressed his delight in winning the game despite several injured players in the team. He confessed that it was a difficult game for his side.

” It was a difficult game but we are happy that we came out victorious. I am happy that we grind this win out. As long as we stay on top, we are happy,” the gaffer told reporters after the game.

Real De Banjul is one of the most successful football teams in the country. However, those glorious days have eluded them for close to a decade. The last time they celebrated the league trophy was in 2014.

The team has always been competing for the trophy and this season has not been an exception.  They began the season with an emphatic 4-1 win over the league champions Fortune FC. Since then, Bye Malleh has been constantly expressing his confidence in Real De Banjul reclaiming its superiority in the pinnacle of Gambian football.

Despite struggling with injuries in the team, Malleh still believes that his team will win the league.

“The win today shows that our boys are determined to win this league.”

Brikama United will hope to win the champions Fortune FC tomorrow to close the gap to one point.

By Amara Thoronka

Deputy National Youth President of the ruling National Peoples Party (NPP), Lamin K. Saidy, has congratulated his National Youth Secretary General, Kebba Lang Fofana, who was recently nominated as National Assembly Member by President Adama Barrow.

Mr. Saidy described the appointed lawmaker as an overcomer and inspiration.

“You overcame so many obstacles to achieve this win. Your perseverance is an inspiration to everyone you meet, and you earned all the rewards coming your way. Our journey leading to date was married with unending challenges but the resilience and faith into the mission brought us this far,” said Lamin K. Saidy.

The NPP’s youth leader recalled that they started with an idea that generated into a strong group called ‘President Barrow Youths For National Development.’

“As you worked toward this victory, you behaved with such humility, grace and kindness to others. I appreciate how you always share your success with your team, and your love for your community is one of the reasons you rise to the top.”

He added that the appointed NAM worked so hard and pushed his abilities to the limit to make his recent achievement possible.

“As you assume this duty, I congratulate you and encourage that you serve the Gambia. You emerged from the biggest constituent of our population (youths) and they have to reflect in every single engagement of yours.”

Mr. Saidy also extended warmed congratulations to all other nominated and elected members and wish them well in their lawmaking, oversight and representation assignments.

“As popularly called the three (3) Generals of HE Adama Barrow, I salute you comrade. You have our eternal support,” he pledged.

The laws of the Gambia empower the President to appoint five lawmakers to the country’s legislative body.

By Dawda Baldeh

The Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA) on Wednesday 13th April 2022 launched its first ever Taxpayers Charter at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Center in Bijilo. The event was graced by senior government officials and partners.

The Taxpayers Charter is expected to serve as the blue print for revenue collection in the country.

Yankuba Darboe, Commissioner General of The Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA) said taxation is the largest source of government revenue, adding that the existence of the document will help GRA tax collectors and taxpayers to better understand tax issues.

“Tax plays a key role in financing government programs including education, health, social protection, infrastructure,” he said.

He added that the GRA is operating in a challenging environment by asking people to and businesses to pay tax through their hard earn money, expressing hope that the Taxpayers Charter will help to address most of the country’s challenges on taxation.

The taxpayers charter explains the rights and obligations of taxpayers as provided in the revenue laws with a view to promote cordial relationship between GRA and its taxpayers.

The charter is also to expected to build a customer service culture that strengthens partnership between GRA, Taxpayers and other stakeholders.

Mambury Njie, Minister of Finance noted that the Taxpayers Charter is a step in the right direction, adding that the country depends on tax to implement most of its programs.

According to the Minister, the Charter aims at enhancing efficiency and transparency in the revenue mobilization system. “The Charter also specifies the Authority’s commitment to providing services to taxpayers in a way of enhancing transparency within the tax services,” he said.

Mr. Njie called on both GRA and taxpayers to commit themselves to upholding the principles enshrined in the document.

Representing Shyben A. Madi and Sons Enterprise, Ganesh Shinde thanked the GRA and partners for launching the document which he said will make their work easy.

“This document is very important as it will help to better understand our rights and work smoothly with GRA,” he said.

Mr. Shinde called on business operators to commit themselves in paying tax for national development.

Lucy Fye Jagne, Chairperson GRA Board of Directors, said tax payment is not new in the country but noted that GRA wants to make tax collection very friendly to the taxpayers. She called on business operators to register their businesses to make tax collection easy for national development.

Other speakers include Essa Jallow GRA, Deputy Commissioner; Yahya Manneh, GRA Director of Technical Services among others. They all commended the GRA for coming up with the initiative.

By: Muhammed Lamin Drammeh

The daughter of the ‘murdered’ former United Democratic Party Youth Secretary, has called on the government of the Gambia to provide justice for her father who is said to have been murdered by the state in April 2016.  Solo Sandeng and a host of other UDP members were arrested on the street in protest on April 14, 2016.

Jainaba Sandeng, who was very connected to Solo, told Fatu Network that the family feels betrayed by President Barrow’s government and urged for justice to be done on his father’s case.

“Money, sweet words and pretence cannot heal our wounds. What we need is a proper burial and justice to prevail for our father.”

Jainaba recollected the day her father went out on the street and never came back.  She depicted the day as the gloomiest day of her life and has lost hope in everything.

The then 15-year-old 9th-grade student said in the morning of  14th of April in 2016, her father took them to another house noting that he was going to have a meeting at home with his colleagues little did they know that that would be his last conversation with them.

” I was the closest child to him”, Jainaba recalled upon receiving the news of her father’s passing.

” I was sick.  I would usually have a flashback of his face and then I will pass out whenever it happens. The most genuine part of my life was murdered on this day and  I will continue to leave alone for the rest of my life”, she asserted.

Ebrima Solo Sandeng and others were apprehended by the state security officers in 2016. He led a protest in the Street demanding electoral reforms under Yaya Jammeh. After his arrest, he was reported to have been tortured to death by the then state intelligence officers.

This began a week of terror for the Sandeng family in The Gambia. The family will later hide in the country for a week before moving to exile in Senegal.

Jainaba, who was about to sit for her exam in grade nine would later secretly come back to do her exam in May despite all the treats directed to the family. They eventually returned home in January 2017 when President Barrow was sworn in as the country’s president.

Now a  final year student at the University of The Gambia, Jainaba said close family members and some samaritans have been helping her with her education since the demise of Solo.

It has been six years now since the demised of her father, Solo Sandeng is yet to be given a proper burial. His dead body is still at Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital.   The 21-year-old Jainaba called on the Barrow government and reminded the president of his vow to the family.

“He promised to prioritise my father’s case and bring the killers to justice. It has been five years and still no progress. We want to remind him of this promise. We need Justice for our father”, she voiced.

His demise in the hands of the state securities motivated his party leaders in the United Democratic Party to go out on the street demanding his body dead or alive.   These people would later be arrested two days later, prosecuted and sentenced to prison until January 2017 when Jammeh left the country.

By: Christian Conteh

The new Speaker of Gambia’s National Assembly has assured all members of parliament that he intends to be fair to everyone and therefore seeks the understanding of all members in advance.

Rt. Hon Fabakary Tombong Jatta was delivering his Inaugural Speech at the National Assembly on 14th April 2022.

“As Presiding Officer, I intend to be fair to all and therefore seek your understanding in advance. I encourage new entrants to prepare and present statements on matters of the day and apply the Question Time well. Your brilliant visibility will affect your re-election,” Speaker Tombong Jatta said.

He thanked Allah (SWT) for the great favour He reposed in him to be nominated as a member as well as been elected as Speaker of the National Assembly of our Republic.

“I register my special thanks and gratitude to His Excellency, the President for the trust and confidence reposed in me by nominating me as a member of this august Assembly. In the same vein, Hon. Members, I thank you all for the trust and confidence reposed in me by electing me as Speaker of the National Assembly,” he said.

He went on to congratulate all National Assembly Members on their election.

“It is a great honour to be nominated and elected as Speaker of this Assembly. I see my presence here as a homecoming albeit with greater responsibility. I am grateful to all who reposed resounding trust in me to make this possible,” he added

He promised to hit the ground running by meeting with the leadership of the House and seeking the support of the Office of the Clerk to help deliver. 

Adding that a comprehensive induction process is vital for collective improved performance.

“I need to remind the new members that the highly procedural nature of the National Assembly calls for an equally high level of commitment to the rules and procedures of the institution. Serious learning will therefore have to be undertaken to sharpen your competencies in order to enable all of us to function effectively and efficiently,” he said.

The sixth legislature he reiterates is for the people of The Gambia and the people want them (National Assembly Members) to be honest, accountable and responsive to their (the people) needs. 

“I ask for cooperation from all and sundry to make our stewardship a success,” he concluded.

Standard Chartered is quitting six African countries and shutting its consumer banking businesses in a further two to concentrate on more profitable markets.

The bank said it would close its operations in Gambia, Angola, Cameroon, Jordan, Sierra Leone and Zimbabwe as well as Lebanon. It will also stop offering consumer and business banking in Tanzania and Cote d’Ivoire to focus on corporate and commercial banking.

It however noted that it will continue to serve corporate clients in all these markets from its international network

Standard Chartered said it had invested heavily in Africa and the Middle East (AME) including upgrading digital capabilities in African markets. It said the closures were part of a plan to redirect resources to high-growth markets.

The emerging markets lender has opened a branch in Saudi Arabia and gained approval for a banking licence in Egypt to concentrate on big, fast-growing economies.

“We are sharpening our focus on the most significant opportunities for growth while also simplifying our business. We remain excited by a number of opportunities we see in the AME region, as illustrated by our new markets, but remain disciplined in our assessment of where we can deliver significantly improved shareholder returns.

We are grateful to our colleagues and partners in each of these impacted markets for their hard work and dedication and are committed to supporting them through this transition,” Bill Winters, the bank’s Chief Executive

Credit :Reuters

By: Christian Conteh

The late Gambian Ambassador to the United States Dawda Docka Fadera did not die of poisoning the recently released Coroner’s Report has indicated authoritatively.

“The coroner’s verdict is that the deceased died as a result of an infection following surgery performed on him at the hospital. The coroner found no evidence of poisoning or other unlawful conduct causing the death,” the report stated.

This puts an end to speculation that the former diplomat was poisoned.

It could be recalled that on 21st February 2022 his Lordship the Hon. Chief Justice Hassan B. Jallow, upon the application of the Attorney General according to the Coroners Act (Cap 7:04 Laws of The Gambia) appointed Her Worship Hon. Sidi K. Jobarteh, then Principal Magistrate as a coroner to inquire into the cause of death of His Excellency Dawda Fadera, former Ambassador of the Republic of The Gambia to the USA.

The inquest started on 2nd March 2022 and ended on 31st March 2022. During the process, ten witnesses including the pathologist and staff of the hospital were questioned.

Furthermore, an independent medical expert as well as family members of the deceased visited the hospital and reviewed relevant documents such as the post-mortem report and the hospital file of the deceased.

All the evidence and facts gathered are what led to the above conclusion. The report has been forwarded to the Attorney General and the medical authorities. 

Until his demise the Gambian diplomat served as ambassador to the United States from 2018. Prior to his appointment, he was Secretary General and Head of the Civil Service and Permanent Secretary at the Personnel Management Office (PMO).

When he was appointed by President Adama Barrow as Secretary General and Head of the Civil Service on 9 February 2017, replacing Musa Jallow, whom Yahya Jammeh had appointed, Fadera announced massive reforms which later came a long way to eliminating political interference in the Gambia’s civil service.

Mr Fadera passed on on 20th February 2022 at the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital in Banjul.

The leader of the United Democratic Party (UDP) has in a very exciting manner declared that “UDP is Back”.

Darboe was speaking to new Members of Parliament who visited him at his Kairaba Avenue residence ahead of today’s swearing in ceremony. He was celebrating the party’s victory having won an appreciable number of seats in the National Assembly (15).

“We had given up hope when the presidential results were out. But we realised something else happened in KMC that made us lose there in the presidential election.

But I know that UDP has come back rejuvenated. If it were a youth, the youthfulness is stronger today. KM has given us hope that if the presidential election was to be conducted tomorrow, we will win all the constituencies,” Darboe said confidently.

By: Dawda Baldeh

Modou Jassey, a former state guard and resident of Bundung, met his tragic death at Palma Rima Junction in Kololi along Batil Harding Highway.

He was found dead on a high voltage transformer in the afternoon hours of Wednesday 13^th April, and his body was taken to the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital in Banjul by The Gambia Fire Rescue Services.

An eyewitness, Lamin Sima, a tourist Taxi driver at Palma Rima Beach explained to the Fatu Network.

“I was sitting outside when a woman came to tell me that someone is on top of the high voltage wires. I rushed there and found that it was Soldier (the disease nicknamed) who had been shocked by the high voltage wires. I wanted to climb up, but my colleagues told me it was not safe.”

“At that time, he was struggling to escape from the wires but, unfortunately we could not do anything to help. NAWEC workers were passing by, so we stopped and informed them about the incident. They told us that they could not do anything if the high voltage was not switched off.”

Ahmed Jassey, the father of the disease said his son was a state guard who was mentally sick, adding that he had been receiving treatment in various places. He said the incident leading to the death of his son is shocking to him and the family.

“He was a state guard soldier, but he was mentally sick for over three years. These days, I was trying the State Guards to help me arret him so that I could take him for healing. This is because I have no power to control him. The state guards I asked to help me get hold of him told me that they would take him to their hospital for treatment.”

“But today I received a call from the shopkeeper where he normally collected food, informing me that my son had come in contact with high voltage electricity and had lost his life. This is very shocking to me and the family,” Ahmed Jassey lamented.

Pierre Silver, the Public Relation Officer of NAWEC described the incident as shocking and advised people to be vigilant and avoid going closer to NAWEC transformers.

An eyewitness who chose to remain anonymous blamed the incident on government for not taking care of the former soldier who was serving the nation prior to his mental illness.

By Arafang Mama Dabo

A Senegalese military assault on the MFDC base in Madiediem has opened another line of humanitarian challenge in the Gambian border village of Urpart where nearly 500 refugees are currently sheltered.

The Alkalo of Urpart, Sadibou Sonko, confirmed to The Fatu Network this morning that attacks on MFDC bases in the area last weekend and early this week have sent more than 400 refugees into his community.

According to him, the humanitarian situation there was dire as villagers struggle to feed and provide shelter for those seeking sanctuary.

“More than 400 refugees are currently sheltered here, trying to escape the recent escalation of fighting in the Urpart area,” Urpart Alkalo told this reporter.

“We are struggling to feed and shelter them properly because we lack the means,” he added.

“It was the Red Cross that came here to assess their needs. We are appealing for urgent support to feed and accommodate them,” he added.

By Amara Thoronka

In its summarized 2021 seizure statistics report, the Drug Law Enforcement Agency of The Gambia (DLEAG) has disclosed that a total of almost Nine Billion Dalasis worth of different prohibited drugs were seized in 2021.

“In 2021, the agency seized significant quantities of drugs worth an estimated street value of almost nine billion Dalasis (D8, 934,197,604.02) equivalent to more than eighty-nine (89) million US dollars (89,351,265.74 US Dollars),” the report revealed.

The public drug enforcement body also provides a breakdown of the drugs seized.

“The agency seized almost three (3) tons of cannabis sativa, almost three (3) tons of cocaine, (39) kilograms of khat leaf, (2447) tablets of clonazepam, (232) tablets of diazepam, (200) tablets of tafradol, (85) tablets of methamphetamine – meth, (50) tablets of Bronazepam, (32) tablets of ecstasy, (7) grams of kush, 213 grams 580 milligrams of heroin and 2 kilograms 447 grams 314 milligrams of hashish”

Controlling prohibited drugs remains challenging as DLEAG’s operatives across the country frequently arrest traffickers with huge quantity of such substances.

By: Christian Conteh

The National Youth Secretary-General of the United Democratic Party has thanked voters who came out to participate in the April 9th National Assembly Elections. 

Hon Kemo Bojang noted that although it was a big night for the party as it swept the most populous areas and gained 16 Parliamentary seats, a lot more work needs to be done.

“Although there’s so much work to do in the Central River Region and Upper River, It was a big night for the party, winning the most populous areas & a total of 16 seats in parliament. The NPP having 0 MP’s in Banjul, 0 in KM & only 1 in WCR has shown where the true wishes and aspirations of the Gambian people lie. 

Put together, the opposition has 29 seats compared to 24 seats for the entire grand 18 party NPP coalition. This is the second time it’s happening in our country with the first happening in 1962 between UP and the PPP,” Hon Bojang wrote.

He used the opportunity to congratulate all those who have been elected, especially those who won the 29 opposition and independent seats, reminding them that a huge task has been placed on their shoulders and that the UDP party are hopeful that they will all live up to the expectations of the people. 

By Dawda Baldeh

Mustapha Njie, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Founder of TAF Africa Global, a real estate company operating in different countries across Africa, has said leadership remains a key challenge in Africa.

Mr. Njie made the remark yesterday during Coffee Time with Peter Gomez on West Coast Radio.

He said he wants to leave a legacy in the country. “I think the problem of Africa is leadership. Leadership must be addressed. For me to leave a legacy, I think it is very important to set up a foundation for the future.”

He revealed that the TAF leadership academy was set up to train young people in the country on leadership skills.

Mr. Njie noted that it is important to prepare young people for leadership in the future. “At this age, this is what must of us should at least focus on,” he said.

He went further to say that if the young people are properly trained on leadership, the future of the country will be bright.

“We should build them on a solid foundation so that they can take up from us. We are responsible for the youths and their future.”

Speaking on other issues, Mr. Njie said he also established the TAF Icons to recognize the people who have done well for the country, noting that a lot of people have done well for the country, but their efforts are not being recognized. He said TAF Icon aims at giving awards to legends in the country, adding that people should not wait until great people die before acknowledging their efforts.

“I wish the government will take things like this to honor some people who have done a lot of good in this country. We must not wait until they die before we start recognizing them.”