Police in the West Coast Region in collaboration with the Medicine Control Agency of the Ministry of Health and the Gambia Pharmacy Council on Tuesday embarked on a major operation against illegal medicine peddlers at the Brikama Market.

Tuesday’s raid in the West Coast Region targeted many people engaged in the illegal trade of pharmaceutical products

Regulatory Officer at Medicines Control Agency, Alhaji Matarr Bah said the peddlers have no licenses for selling such products, adding that the medicine are also not kept under their required temperatures thereby making them harmful to people who purchase drugs from the peddlers.

“We were given a tip of the illegal sale of pharmaceutical products at the Brikama Market, contrary to Medicine and Related Products Act as well as the Pharmacy Council Act. The medicines we discovered can caused health hazards to people. Medicine should be stored at appropriate temperature, but the said medicines are being sold in the open.”

Officer Commanding at Brikama Police Station said the six suspects were arrested for selling drugs without appropriate license.

“Those arrested have been detained, charged and await prosecution. We are looking forward to expanding this type of exercise because these people are selling drugs which they don’t have any clue about”

Drug peddling has been a major issue especially in communities where health facilities are inadequate and where people are ignorant of the health implications of consuming drugs sold by peddlers.

A dispatch from the Office of the President informs the public that President Adama Barrow will today travel to Ghana to attend an extraordinary ECOWAS summit on Thursday 3 February 2022.

According to the notice, the President and his entourage will depart today Wednesday 2 February 2022 at 3pm.

Gunfire erupted near a government building in Bissau where President Umaro Cissoko Embalo was thought to be attending a cabinet meeting.

The whereabouts of the president and prime minister are unclear.

West African regional leaders condemned what they called a coup attempt and urged troops to return to barracks.

One of the poorest countries in the world, the former Portuguese colony has seen nine coups or attempted coups since 1980.

Struggling with a massive foreign debt and an economy that relies heavily on foreign aid, the country has also become a transhipment point for Latin American drugs, leading it to be dubbed by some as Africa’s first narco-state.

While Mr Embalo won the December 2019 presidential election, he faced a last-minute stand-off with parliament before taking office the following February.

A reporter on the ground, Alberto Dabo, told BBC News that unidentified heavily armed gunmen had attacked the government palace while President Embalo was meeting Prime Minister Nuno Gomes Nabiam inside.

He said that two people had been killed and, according to “reliable sources”, the president and all the members of the government were still inside the palace “in the hands of” the attackers.

A security source who did not want to be identified told the BBC that gunmen in civilian clothes had opened fire and a police officer had been killed.

The military had regained control of the situation and it was now “calm”, he said, but he added that the whereabouts of the president and prime minister were unknown.

Condemning the violence, the West African regional group Ecowas said it held “the military responsible for the wellbeing of President Umaro Sissoco Embalo and members of his government”.

BBC

In a press statement, the National Coordinating Committee has explained reasons for delayed in departure of delegation and players of the national team in Cameroon.

Below is the press statement:

NCC PRESS STATEMENT ON DELAYED DEPARTURE FLIGHT FROM DOUALA 

The National Co-ordinating Committee wishes to inform the General Public it had in utmost good faith entered into an agreement with two separate agents in the names of AEROWOLD/PFS and JET SPORT EVENTS respectively for the transportation of The Gambia National Team and the Fans/Supporters to Cameroon for the AFCON 2021.  These agreements were signed after the completion of bidding process where the two aforementioned companies turned out to be the most responsive bidders.

AEROWOLRD/ PFS was contracted to fly the players from Qatar to Banjul and then Douala on a one-way flight with the understanding that the team may either fly back directly to Europe or back to Banjul depending on their progress in the tournament while JET SPORTS EVENT was contracted to transport the supporters / fans on a separate date.  In our agreement with JET SPORTS EVENTS, it was clear that the delegations’ return date to Banjul was subjective to the team’s progress in the tournament but a 48-hour notice was required to have the aircraft ready to fly the delegation back home.

Following the team’s exit in the quarterfinals match against Cameroon on Saturday the 29th January, the Logistics Committee immediately informed JET SPORTS EVENTS that the team will leave Douala on Monday the 31st January 2022, not only as per the agreement but also to ensure all our players arrive in Banjul on time to travel to their respective clubs.

We were informed by the chartered flight company that an aircraft will be available on Monday the 31stJanuary 2022 at 11.00am or Mid-day which information was shared with the delegation in Cameroon.  The whole day on Sunday the 30th January, the Logistics Committee continued to persistently request for the flight details of the aircraft to depart Douala for Banjul from the chartered flight company but were told that it was a Sunday and they were waiting on securing a flyover permit from Ghana having secured permits from The Gambia and Cameroon.  After numerous follow ups and having sensed that the chartered flight company may not have readily brokered a flight to transport the delegation, the NCC took note of the non-lapse of the 48hour period for the chartered flight company to provide us with the flight details but also summoned an emergency NCC meeting under the directives of the Hon. Minister of Youth and Sports for members in Limbe to discuss the matter and agree on a way forward.

During the said meeting, it was brought to our attention that the Chartered flight company had secured a much small flight that was unable to carry delegation to Banjul with a proposal to leave some passengers and most of the luggages in Limbe for two extra days, or wait an extra day which is Tuesday the 1st February 2022 to have a bigger aircraft to transport all the delegation and luggages.  It was unanimously agreed at the said meeting, it was best to wait an extra day and have a bigger aircraft to transport everyone back to Banjul and secondly, the time of departure for the small flight that was being proposed was very late which also means arriving around midnight or 1.00am in Banjul will mean a cancellation of the planned welcome of the players.

Despite the chartered flight company confirming to us that the team will depart Limbe for Douala at 09.30 am for the airport to board our plane, we have continued to receive inconsistent messages from them. This caused the NCC to secure the services of a Cameroonian Legal Practitioner former Justice Emmanuel Nkea who has been visiting the fans on a daily basis to take the issue up and take all legal steps to ensure the chartered flight company fulfills its contractual obligation and pay for damages incurred.  Justice Nkea had even gone to the point of engaging the Governor of the region who have all since gotten involved in the saga.

The NCC wishes to inform the public that, it has no interest whatsoever to keep our gallant scorpions or any single supporter/ fan here for an extra minute, much more a day contrary to message being shared on social media.  The Legal Practitioner has been furnished with all the relevant documents and information to take all the necessary steps for compensation while we are doing everything humanly possible to fly everyone out of Cameroon this evening.  The failure of the Chartered flight company to fulfill its contractual obligations gives us every right to seek redress in Court and we have immediately embarked upon that, the outcome which will be shared with the general public.

We crave the indulgence and understanding of the General Public most especially our entire national team and fans/ supporters in Limbe to exercise patience as a flight has been secured to fly us all out of here TODAY Tuesday 1st February 2022 at 8.20pm.  We apologize for any inconvenience cause by circumstances out of our control.

Thank you.

Burkina Faso’s military government said it has restored the constitution a week after taking power and has appointed the coup’s leader as head of state for a transitional period.

The move came shortly after the African Union (AU) suspended Burkina Faso for the takeover and diplomats from West Africa and the United Nations pressed demands for a return to civilian rule.

In a statement read on television on Monday, the military government announced it had approved a “fundamental act” that “lifts the suspension of the constitution”, a move that had been declared after the January 24 coup.

The 37-article document guarantees independence of the judiciary and presumption of innocence, as well as basic liberties spelled out in the constitution such as freedom of movement and freedom of speech, according to the statement.

Under the “fundamental act”, it said, the military government – officially named the Patriotic Movement for Preservation and Restoration (MPSR) – “ensures the continuity of the state pending the establishment of transitional bodies”.

The statement did not give a timeline for the transition period.

It formally identified coup leader Lieutenant-Colonel Paul-Henri Sandaogo Damiba as president of the MPSR.

This role also encompasses “president of Burkina Faso, head of state (and) supreme leader of the armed forces”, the statement said.

The MPSR has two vice presidents, the statement added, but it did not mention any names.

A separate decree read on television said that the armed forces chief of staff, Gilbert Ouedraogo, was leaving the job.

Just hours earlier, the AU’s 15-member Peace and Security Council said on Twitter that it had voted “to suspend the participation of #BurkinaFaso in all AU activities until the effective restoration of constitutional order in the country”.

On Friday, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) also suspended Burkina Faso from its ranks and warned of possible sanctions pending the outcome of meetings with the military government.

An ECOWAS mission headed by Ghanaian Foreign Minister Shirley Ayorkor Botchway arrived in Ouagadougou, where it was joined by the UN’s special representative for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), Annadif Khatir Mahamat Saleh.

The discussions were “very frank”, according to Botchway. “They seemed very open to the suggestions and proposals that we made. For us it’s a good sign,” she told reporters after meeting with Damiba and other junta members.

The Ghanaian Foreign Minister added that although Burkina Faso has been suspended, ECOWAS will not severe all ties.

“We will not leave Burkina Faso on its own, we will continue to work [together] to fight this menace of terrorism and armed conflict,” she said.

The delegation also visited ousted President Roch Marc Christian Kabore, who is under house arrest, a delegate said.

Botchway said she had met with Kabore and that he was well and “in good spirits”, Reuters news agency reported.

His wellbeing and demands for his release have been major issues since the coup.

ECOWAS sent military chiefs to confer with Damiba on Saturday. Leaders from the bloc will hold a summit in Accra on Thursday to assess its two missions to see whether they should impose sanctions.

They have previously suspended and enforced sanctions against two other members – Mali and Guinea – which have also seen military overthrows in the past 18 months.

The United States expressed support Monday evening for ECOWAS’s actions and called for Kabore’s release.

“We share the concerns African leaders articulated regarding the actions of military officials in Burkina Faso,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement.

“While some elements of the constitution may have been restored, extraconstitutional seizures of power erode the legitimacy of governance.”

On January 24, mutineering soldiers detained Kabore amid rising public anger at his failure to stem violence by armed groups ravaging the impoverished nation.

They later released a handwritten letter in which he announced his resignation – a document that a member of his party said was authentic.

The coup is the latest bout of turmoil to strike Burkina Faso, a landlocked state that has suffered chronic instability since gaining independence from France in 1960.

Aljazeera

Mali’s military authorities have expelled the French ambassador to the country in a 72-hour deadline announced Monday.

French envoy Joel Meyer was summoned earlier Monday by the West African country’s foreign ministry and instructed to leave over “hostile and outrageous statements” by French authorities targeted at the junta, a military spokesman said in a statement.

“The government of the Republic of Mali informs the national and international community that this day, Monday, 31 January 2022, the ambassador of France to Mali his excellency Joel Meyer was called by the Minister of Foreign Affairs And international cooperation, who notified him of the decision of the government instructing him to leave the country within 72 hours,” the statement said.

The ultimatum comes barely one week after Mali severed diplomatic ties with France, announcing a change to its official language from French to Bambara, and ordering French troops to evacuate its territory, according to a recent communique.

Bilateral relations between France and Mali’s interim authorities have deteriorated in recent weeks over the military’s proposal to delay a transition to democracy following two successive coups in the last 17 months.

Last week, French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian described Mali’s transitional government led by coup leader Assimi Goita as “out of control” and illegitimate, Reuters reported, escalating worsening tensions between both countries.

The junta condemned the comments in its Monday statement, adding that they were “contrary to the development of friendly relations between nations.”

Special forces commander Goita’s proposal for a five-year election delay was rejected by the 15-member ECOWAS bloc, which imposed sanctions and suspended Mali from the regional body.

Goita was instrumental in the ousting of President Boubacar Ibrahim Keita in August 2020, after which the country’s interim authorities proposed an 18-month transition to civilian rule which fell through. Keita died on January 16, sixteen months after he was ousted.

In May 2021, Goita staged a second coup and seized power after deposing the interim authorities.

CNN

By Amara Thoronka

President Adama Barrow has said due to the economic challenges the Covid 19 pandemic continues to pose on economies of nations across the world, it is not reasonable to depend on other nations to implement national projects.

The President was speaking at the 4^th edition of Gambia Revenue Authority’s annual taxpayers award ceremony on Saturday 29 January 2022 at Kairaba Hotel.

He acknowledged the importance of tax in national development, citing projects solely funded by the Gambian government through taxes.

“The Gambia is a tax-based economy. We will continuously explore local funding to implement most of our development projects. Covid 19 has ravaged the economies of donor countries. We can no longer rely on foreign aid to fund national projects.”

On empowering Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA) for efficient and effective performance, the President pledged his support to enable the national revenue collection agency perform better.

“Reforming tax administration is central to addressing the economic challenges of the country and funding gaps in order to fulfill our development obligations. To realize this, my government will continue to provide the required policy environment, the political will and the feasible material supports for GRA to perform optimally”

Commissioner General of GRA Yankuba Darboe noted the improvement they have made since they started collecting revenue for the State.

“Since we started operation in 2006, the authority has been able to raise revenue from 2.8 billion in 2006 to over 12.8 billion in 2021,” he disclosed.

Mr. Darboe stressed, “We have registered a high degree of compliance from the private sector. Bravo to those complying. The Gambia Revenue Authority is committed to providing optimum client serve to our taxpayers in order to enhance good professional relationship between the Authority and taxpayers and create the right environment for businesses to prosper”

Board Chairperson of GRA, Lucy Fye Jagne said they have made significant progress in moving from paper-based revenue collection to an automated system.

“Our digitalization agenda has been a goal in our current and previous strategic plans, and it is a legacy that the current management of the Authority wants to leave behind. The transformation of GRA from manual revenue collection to automation is our dream.”

Minister of Finance and Economic Development, Mambury Njie described tax as the lifeblood of the national economy and lauded the GRA and taxpayers for fulfilling their obligations.

Over 30 individuals were recognized and awarded by GRA for tax compliance. Africell was recognized as the largest taxpayer of the year.

The annual exercise initiated four years ago is to honour and recognize the most tax compliant institutions across the country and raise awareness on the importance of generating taxes for improved national development.

By Amara Thoronka

Gambia’s Minister of Defense Sheikh Omar Faye has assured the West African nation is peaceful and safe, urging people to go about their normal business.

He made this statement while updating the public on the recent cross-border fire between a squad of the ECOMIG forces and rebel forces of MFDC faction around the Foni border with Cansamance in the south of the country with Senegal. The incident led to the death of two ECOMIG soldiers and seven others officially claimed to be held captive by the rebels.

Speaking to the nation’s broadcaster, the Defense Minister disclosed that soldiers have been deployed to Foni to reinforce security and instill confidence in locals to be calm and go about their normal business.

“We want to reassure all Gambians that the armed forces have been deployed to patrol the general areas in Foni as well as to really sympathize with our families in Foni for the distress and disturbances they went through during these skirmishes”

Mr. Faye confirmed that the presidential taskforce set up to look into the matter has almost completed their mission and that very soon the report will come out and the Government will then map out the way forward on the appropriate steps to be taken.

“I can assure everyone that The Gambia is peaceful and safe. The incident was just unfortunate as it was never calculated. The President has directed the armed forces to reinforce security in that part of the country and that has since begun. People should go back to their normal business and should avoid all fake news and misinformation,” he reassured.

By: Christian Conteh

The Human Rights Commission of Sierra Leone has announced that it will commence a public inquiry into the conduct of law enforcement officials. This the commission says is in line with their mandate to conduct a public inquiry into allegations of systemic human rights violations pursuant to Section 7 (2)(a) of the HRCSL Act (No. 9) of 2004 and Rule 42 of the HRCSL (Complaints, Investigations and Inquiries) Rules of 2008.

“Having monitored, received and documented many allegations of human rights violations by Law Enforcement Officers (LEOs) especially in the maintenance of public order, the Commission has decided to undertake a public inquiry into the conduct of LEOs. The Commission has also documented instances of attacks by citizens on LEOs; the inquiry will also look into such allegations,” a statement from the commission read.

The scope of the public inquiry the statement notes will be for a period of seven years (2015-2021). Key issues to be determined by the Inquiry include:

Whether Law Enforcement Officers used disproportionate force in the execution of their duties contrary to the UN Guiding Principles on the use of Force and Firearms.

Whether there were loss of lives and grievous bodily harm resulting from excessive use of force by LEOs contrary to Section 16 of the Constitution of Sierra Leone, 1991 and Article 4 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (ACHPR) as well as Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

Whether the right to property was violated by LEOs in executing their mandate contrary to Section 21 of the Constitution of Sierra Leone, 1991 and Article 14 of the ACHPR. Whether LEOs lost their lives or sustained grievous bodily harm in the hands of members of the public or individuals while carrying out their lawful duties contrary to Section 16 and 13(j) of the Constitution of Sierra Leone, 1991.

Whether individual LEOs and/or their institutions were held accountable for their actions in line with their institutional Codes of Conduct. Whether appropriate actions were taken against individuals for abuses against LEOs.

The public inquiry will also seek to know whether LEOs needed further and requisite training in enforcing the law and if at all they were provided with requisite logistical and operational resources.

Finally, the inquiry will find out whether citizens were adequately aware of their rights and responsibilities especially the duty to respect and cooperate with LEOs in the execution of their lawful mandate.

The Commission through its statement informed the public that for the purposes of the Inquiry it has set up a secretariat to manage the affairs of the Public Inquiry. This it says is in accordance with Rule 43 (5) of the Human Rights Commission of Sierra Leone (Complaints, Investigations and Inquiries) Rules, 2008.

Meanwhile, it calls on anyone who may require further clarifications, wish to make a statement, submit written memoranda or provide any information to the panel to contact the commissions’ offices to contact HRCSL Complaints House, No. 3 Lamina Sankoh Street, Freetown and its other office or outlets across the country.

The Inquiry which is divided into three (3) phases will run from January to August

Pre-Inquiry Stage (January–March), Inquiry Stage (April -May), Post-Inquiry Stage (June–August)

The commission reminds members of the public that any falsification of documents and /or misleading information provided for the purposes of the inquiry will lead to punitive measures as provided by the HRCSL Complaint Rules of 2008 and the Perjury Act of 1911.

Gunmen on motorbikes have killed and abducted dozens of residents from two communities in Niger state, Nigeria, after attacks over the weekend.

Relatives of those affected are currently searching for their loved ones.

The raids come two weeks after authorities in Nigeria launched a major military operation to crack down on bandits in the area. Residents of Galadima Kogo and Galkogo told the BBC that the attackers shot people at close range. They also set houses on fire and ransacked residents’ belongings.

Similar deadly attacks have been common in the north-western states of Kaduna, Zamfara and Kebbi and central Niger.

While many residents have fled their villages, others resort to paying money to the bandits to be allowed to live.

BBC

One of Sierra Leone’s most senior judges, Nicolas Brown-Marke, is holding a session inside the Makeni prison facility in the north of the country.

His is seeking to “right the wrong” of people spending long years in prison before conviction or acquittal, as well as instances of heavy-handed sentences being handed down by magistrates beyond their powers.

The nationwide exercise is looking into more than 1,000 cases.

BBC

Chairman of Gambia’s Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), Alieu Momarr Njai has said the country’s presidential election December held on 4^th December 2021 was one of the best presidential elections in Africa in recent times.

He made the statement recently at consultative conference held by the IEC to update political parties, civil society and the media on the Commission’s calendar of activities for the forthcoming National Assembly Elections to be held on 9 April 2022.

Mr. Njai said the IEC conducted the said election in a free, fair, transparent and credible manner which was endorsed by all local and international election observers that monitored the election nationwide.

IEC Chairman assured that the Commission will conduct the forthcoming assembly election in the same manner.

The African Union (AU) has suspended Burkina Faso a week after the military seized power in a coup.

It said the country would be blocked from all AU activities until constitutional order was restored.

The West African regional bloc, Ecowas, which suspended Burkina Faso last week, has sent a delegation to the capital Ouagadougou.

It will join a team from the United Nations for talks with the new military leaders.

BBC

A Tanzanian schoolgirl has had to return to the classroom with her baby after a new order reversed a ban on pregnant schoolgirls.

Esnath Gideon told BBC Swahili that she lacked a caregiver and the teachers were gracious enough to allow her into the class with her four-month-old baby.

The 19-year-old had lost hope about completing her education when she got pregnant while in form four.

She is now happy the government has allowed young mothers to resume studies and wants to study hard and become a lawyer.

“With the baby in class, my concentration is affected but I’m mostly able to listen. The challenge is when the baby needs a nappy change as there are no places in school where I can change the baby,” she says.

Ms Gideon lives with her grandmother who sells samosas in the market and is happy her granddaughter is able to study.

The grandmother was disappointed when Ms Gideon got pregnant as that meant she would stop studying.

Tanzania’s former President John Magufuli had banned pregnant girls and young mothers from attending school but the current President Samia Suluhu reversed the ban.

More than 1,500 pregnant girls were expelled from schools in Mbeya district.

So far, 240 of them have returned and a special system has been put in place to allow them to cover the syllabus in a shorter time.

BBC

By Yerro Mballow

Hamadi Kandeh, a 58 years Gambian who is resident of Bansang has been arrested in Bansang by Drug Laws Enforcement Agency of Gambia. The apprehension occurred on 28 January 2022 in Bansang where he was found with a big bundle of cannabis sativa, seventeen parcels and some quantities of prohibited drugs as well as a fire arm.

He is being charged for possession of prohibited drugs contrary to section 47 of the Drug Control Act 2003 Revised Laws of the Gambia.

In a similar but separate development, Faye and Zaidah Sanneh who are both resident of Bansang were also arrested and charged for possession of suspected prohibited drugs.

According to the particulars of offence, Faye Ceesay, a 57-years-old whose occupation is a civil servant, was apprehended on the 28 January 2022 around with three parcels and twenty four wraps of suspected cannabis sativa. For his part, Zaidah Sanneh, who is a school going student, was also arrested on the samee day with four cannabis sativa. They are said to be in custody awaiting prosecution.

Speaking to the Fatu Network, the Public Relation officer of the DLEAG, Ousman Saidybah confirmed the arrests and assured that the agency is poised to control the use and possession of prohibited drugs in the Gambia. “We want to see Gambia free from prohibited drugs so that everyone can live a peaceful and happy life. Therefore, we will continue to do our work to the best of our abilities”

By Sarjo Brito

A leaked report on the findings and recommendations of the inspection team that was tasked by the Ministry of Local Government to investigate the Kanifing Municipal Council on corruption allegations has revealed that the former CEO of the Kanifing Municipal Council Sainabou Martin Sonko allegedly solicited an amount of D1 million as ‘cola nut’ money for her to expedite the payment of D4.5 million to ALMOT. The CEO of ALMOT Mr Alieu Danso reportedly entered into an agreement with the staff association of the council to provide a total of 167 plots of land for interested staff of the council at an amount of D60,000 per plot, payable in 40months. The report says the staff deductions began in October 2020 until May 2021 when the staff association decided that ALMOT must show the staff their plots of land they were paying for, in failure of which they will stop paying. ALMOT failed to honour their end of the bargain according to the report.

According to the report of the inspection team, the following finding were made:

‘’It was discovered in a letter written by the CEO of ALMOT Mr. Alieu Danso to the ECO of KMC, (Sainabou) the former was requesting for the CEO of KMC to pay upfront the sum of 4.5 million dalasis towards the payment of plan for the plots of land for the Council Staff’’

‘’the D30,000 allege bribery received by the CEO Sainabou Martin Sonko from the CEO of ALMOT Alieu Danso, is a result of the contractual agreement to purchase plots of land for the KMCSWA. Mr. Alieu Danso alleged that he gave once received a call from Baboucarr Sanyang stating that the CEO Sainabou Martin Sonko requested for him to give her one million dalasis as ‘cola nut’ in order for her to speed up payment of the 4.5 million dalasis he earlier requested to cover up a period of 12 months as first instalment. Alieu Danso allegedly declined to honour the request solicited by CEO Sonko.   Mr Danso later said he was called by Baboucarr Sanyang allegedly conveying another message from CEO Sonko that, Mr Danso can now give her D100,000 instead, which Mr. Danso again said he does not have’’

‘’however, Mr. Danso told the inspection team that it was after these calls that he decided to come and meet CEO Sainabou Martin Sonko personally and persuade her to take D30,000 instead. He said he gave the money to Sainabou in the presence of Baboucarr Sanyang in expectation of a favour to receive the 4.5 million he had earlier requested’’

‘’The CEO Sainabou Martin Sonko confirmed to the inspection team that of receiving the D30,000 from Mr. Danso. However, she denied the allegation that she received the money as a ‘bribe’ for her to expedite the payment. She stated that it does not make any sense knowing that the KMCSWA did not have D4.5 million in its account to make such payment to ALMOT’’

‘’Sainabou Martin Sonko further stated that she refused to take the offer of D30,000 from Mr Danso of ALMOT thrice but was later convinced to receive the money by Baboucarr Sanyang saying in wollof ‘’Lii teranga la, the teranga ken do kodeloh’’, loosely meaning: This is a favour, and no one rejects a favour. It was because of the persuasion of her colleague Baboucarr Sanyang that she finally accepted the said money’’

Baboucarr Sanyang denied the allegation from both parties that he participated in contact the CEO of ALMOT on behalf of CEO Sonko nor persuaded CEO Sonko to accept the alleged bribe. The duo however insists in all their engagements with the inspection team that Baboucarr Sanyang was present in all the meetings that took place between the two of them and that he was there when the CEO Sonko received the D30,000 from the CEO of ALMOT Alieu Danso.

The Kanifing Municipal Council was involved in a huge corruption scandal last year following allegations involving the CEO Sainabou Martin Sonko and then Deputy Mayor Musa Bah. The allegations led to the suspension of CEO Sonko and Musa stepping down from his role as Talib’s number two. A commission of inquiry was recently set up by the Gambia government to investigate the council on these charges.

By: Dawda Baldeh

Head Coach of The Gambia National Team, Tom Saintfiet has told reporters that the team has nothing to lose as it’s ready to face AFCON’s host Cameroon in the quarter final on 29 January 2022. Cameroon has won the AFCON five times: 1984, 1988, 2000, 2002, 2017.

The coach expressed hope that the Scorpions will beat Cameroon and proceed to the simi-finals, noting that Cameroon is well-experienced but that the Scorpions will do their utmost best in the game. He disclosed his team had some injuries but that the players were speedily recovering and hopes that they will play against Cameroon.

“We are happy that all the squad and staff tested negative to Covid. The moral is high as we are in the quarter final which sounds fantastic.”

Since Gambia made its first appearance in the tournament, football enthusiasts continue talking about their performance in the nations league. It can also be heard on both radios and TVs that The Gambian team play together as a family. “Now everyone is talking about Gambia everywhere. We are doing our best to put Gambia at the highest level and we are proud of that. We are playing Cameroon which is a very strong team, but we are not afraid of them,” he said.

“Cameroon is the host and they have the largest fans. We hope our tactical plans will work. We have to be realistic and respect them but many times we play against bigger nations and beat them.We have policies to change the game and I believe in my players. I believe that we have the quality to make it very difficult for Cameroon,” he expressed.

Midfielder Ebou Adams, forward player Yusupha Njie, and defender James Gomez alle expressed hope that the team will continue their impressive performance in the tournament. James, whose defensive performance in the AFCON has been the talk of the town express hope that they will defeat Cameroon to give the fans the joy they deserve.

Sarjo Brito, a Gambian journalist who works as Sub-Editor at The Fatu Network is among 50 journalists selected worldwide to take part in an 11 month virtual briefing series- to be held from January to November.

The selection was done by the United States Foreign Press Center and has been confirmed by the United States Embassy in The Gambia which has congratulated the Gambian journalist for being selected to participate in the 2022 “Foreign Press Centers’ (FPC) virtual coverage of the U.S. Midterm Elections.

The program will bring participating journalists close to the American Electoral System with access to subject matter specialists who will offer exclusive insights into the U.S. electoral process.

The Foreign Press Centre has identified topics that will be critical in the upcoming midterm elections and that will interest foreign reporters.