From Paul Osuyi, Asaba (Nigeria)

No fewer than ten worshippers were feared dead in the rubbles of a collapsed building housing the Salvation Ministry at Okpanam in Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State, scores of persons including women and children were also trapped.

It was said to have caved in during yesterday’s evening service.
The building was undergoing another phase of reconstruction when the mishap occurred.

A church member, who simply identified herself as Grace, said service was ongoing when the building collapsed with a thunderous noise.

“We were clapping and praying when suddenly we heard the cracking and the building swallowed the children section with some children in Bible class.”

According to her, the church was observing its New Year 21-day fasting, adding that members had come to break Tuesday’s fasting with a communion service.

Men of the Delta State Emergency Management Agency, fire service and the state police command formed the rescue team as trapped children were crying under the debris of the collapsed building.

Reports have it that over eight persons had been rescued unhurt, while four persons were rushed to the Asaba Specialist Hospital for medical attention.

As at the time of filing this report, Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Chief Patrick Ukah, the State Commissioner for Health, Dr Ononye Mordi, a team of Red Cross officers, and firefighters were on the ground during the rescue mission

Following Sundays New York Fire incident the Government of The Gambia through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation has reported that other Gambians are still missing but efforts are underway to locate them.

This was made known as the Government issued a statement expressing how deeply saddened the nation is to inform the general public that eleven (11) Gambians, including six (6) children, have died in the fire that broke in Bronx, New York on Sunday 8, January 2022.

The apartment building ravaged by the fire the statement said is reported to have been predominantly occupied by Gambian immigrants.

“Latest information from our Permanent Representative in New York, and Ambassador in Washington indicate that others are still missing but efforts are underway to locate them. Both the Permanent Mission and the Embassy in Washington are working with the authorities in the City of New York with a view to locating survivors and also assisting the injured. They have also been in touch with the families concerned.”

Some it says have already been found and reunited with their families.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on behalf of the Gambia Government, sends its heartfelt condolences to the grieving families for this tragic loss. and prays for God’s infinite mercy and forgiveness on the departed souls.

President Adama Barrow has officially empathised with families of the New York City Fire victims with specific reference to Gambians and people of Gambian descent.

In a Facebook message on Tuesday President Barrow said It is with profound sadness that he learned about the involvement of Gambians and people of Gambian descent, in the devastating fire incident in a Bronx, New York apartment building on Sunday.

He says his government is keenly following the developments through the Embassy in the United States.

“I extend my condolences to the families of the deceased and wish a speedy recovery to the injured,” Barrow said

Reports indicate that the Bronx apartment building fire incident has claimed the lives of about 14 Gambians including six children with the death toll expected to rise in the coming days.

In what appears to be the most anticipated moment in Gambia’s football history the Scorpions have vowed to set a record in Cameroon in their median game against Mauritania at Limbe Stadium on Wednesday.

The Scorpions left the shores of The Gambia on Friday to participate in the AFCON, bringing joy to many Gambians. The team began training on Saturday 8 January 2022.

Omar Colley, Gambian defender and assistant team captain expressed the team’s readiness to fully take part in the competition. He assured Gambians that they will surprise their opponents, noting that they will give it their best to raise the country’s flag to the highest level.

“We are ready both physically and mentally to represent our country in the competition. We will fight for our country. Playing in the AFCON is a dream come true for me and the entire team,” Omar Colley said.

“The fans support in Douala is part of the motivation and that is enough to keep us going. We are really happy. We came here without knowing that we will find such a welcome in Douala.”

He called on Gambians to continue their support while pointing out that this is what the country has been working to achieve for many years.  Adding that the team is excited about the warm welcome accorded them by Gambians residing in Cameroon.

Babucarr Trawally in a joyous mood called on Gambians to believe in the team and pray for them to achieve their ultimate goals in Cameroon.

“Everyone is ready and motivated to take part in the median competition. “Am urging Gambians to keep praying and supporting us,” Babucarr Trawally said. “Even though most of them are not with us but their support back home will take us further in this competition.”

For Modou Barrow, a Gambian Forward player, taking part in the competition is what they have been yearning for over the years.

“The feeling of taking part in the competition is good and we are excited,” Modou Barrow said. “We are all looking forward to the AFCON, we have been fighting for many years, now we are in the competition, we will do all it takes to go further. We will surprise the world by showing them what we can do.”

He further noted that they will surprise bigger nations as they are set to battle with Mauritania on Wednesday at Limbe Stadium in Cameroon.

On his part, Lamin Kaba Bajo, President of The Gambia Football Federation (GFF) expressed hope that the scorpions will set a record in the competition while appealing to Gambians to continue supporting them.

“It’s not only participating in the competition, but we also want to go home with respectable results,” GFF President Lamin Kaba Bajo said. “I trust the boys so much and I know they can do it. I call on Gambians to keep supporting them.”

He also thanked the government of The Gambia for supporting the national team adding that the median game is very significant in the history of the nation.

Ebou Faye, second Vice President of The Gambia Football Federation (GFF) and others are also optimistic that the Scorpions are in the right direction to face any team in the competition. This marks the 33 African Cup of Nations and it is featuring 24 different African Countries.

By: Christian Conteh

Sierra Leone introduced itself on the African Cup of Nations staged in Cameroon after 25 years of absence from Africa’s topflight Cup.

Considered the underdogs, the returnees held defending champions Algeria to a goalless draw.

Djamel Belmadi’s side who have enjoyed a successful run since 2018, lifting the Africa Cup of Nations trophy in 2019 and going 33 consecutive matches unbeaten were pinned down by John Keister’s boys cladded in Green.

The desert foxes dominated possession for the better part of the game. Leone Stars had some really juicy opportunities in the opening half at the Japoma Stadium in Douala.
Alhaji Kamara hit a low strike that beat the near post. In the second half, Kamara ruffled the net but the goal was slashed out for offside.

Algeria had several chances but Sierra Leone’s goalkeeper Mohamed Kamara guarded the goal with exceptional fury and earned the man of the match status.

The protector of Sierra Leone’s den, Kamara, excelled in repelling the attacks and preventing them from shaking the net.

Algeria won the cup for the first time in 1990 when it hosted and clinched a second in 2019. As defending champions, they are among the favourites to repeat the success.

By Matty Senghore

Former soldier Lamin Darboe, a husband of two and father of five, reportedly died after a brick was thrown at him while performing ablution at the Fajikunda Mosque which allegedly led to his death.

A friend of the deceased, Musa Darboe told TFN that he spoke with Lamin around 12pm on Sunday 9^th January, some hours before the incident.

“Lamin called me around 12 mid-day asking of my whereabouts, and I told him I was at home. He informed me that he would be going to the barbing shop and would subsequently go to the mosque for prayers. At around 5 in the evening, I received a call that Lamin had an issue with one young man at the mosque who hit him with a brick. At first, I thought it was not that serious until I received another call informing me that he had died due to the incident.”

Daboe explained that he had been living with the late man in Fajikunda for over 20 years, adding that Lamin spent most of his time in the mosque especially on weekends. He narrated what ensued at the mosque leading to the fatal occurrence:

“I was told that Lamin came to pray when he met a young man opening the tap. Lamin was said to have asked the person to turn off the tap but that the alleged killer continued. That was how an argument started between them, but they were however dispersed. After the embittered uproar, Lamin was performing ablution when the young man came back with a brick and hit him on his head, resulting to unconsciousness and collapse.  He fell to the ground and was rushed to Fajikunda Hospital and later  Ndemban Clinic in Bakau where he died”

First wife of the deceased said she was shocked to be told that her husband was being rushed to the hospital due to the effect of a brick that was thrown at him.

“Lamin together with our last child left home for prayer at the mosque. Few moments later someone came to me and said they are taken my husband to the hospital. Lamin was a very religious man, a loving husband and a caring father. He has left me with the children and I know it is not going to be easy. May his soul rest in eternal peace.”

It could be recalled that a man was beaten to death last week at Brikama Sanneh.

The chief executive of Pfizer has announced it could launch a vaccine targeted at the Omicron variant in March. Albert Bourla told CNBC the company is “already starting manufacturing some of these quantities at risk”.

He said Pfizer could be ready to file for US regulatory approval for a redesigned vaccine and launch it as soon as March.

Current vaccine effectiveness against symptomatic infection two to four weeks after a booster ranged from around 65 to 75% down to 55 to 70% five to nine weeks on, and down to between 40 and 50% from 10 or more weeks after the third dose, according to research from the UK Health Security Agency.

Covid vaccines could eventually be an annual shot for most people, Bourla said, adding that some high-risk groups might be eligible to receive shots more often than that.

The chief executive of Moderna, Stephane Bancel, told CNBC on Monday the company is soon starting clinical trials for a booster shot that targets Omicron.

Bancel has previously said that people may need to get a fourth vaccine dose against COVID this autumn as the efficacy of the booster jabs wanes.

Source: Evening Standard

By: Dawda Baldeh

The Gambian community living in Douala, Cameroon has on Monday 10th January 2022 welcomed their compatriots to the host country of the African Cup of Nations.

Douala is the largest city in Cameroon and the country’s economic capital. Home to Central Africa’s largest port and its major international airport, Douala International Airport (DLA), it is also considered the commercial and economic capital of not only Cameroon but the entire CEMAC region comprising Gabon, Congo, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Central African Republic and Cameroon.

Speaking to The Fatu Network the Gambian people noted that Cameroon is an amazing country where business is very viable. They used the opportunity to strongly advise their countrymen to avoid the risk zones in Cameroon. These zones predominantly in Limbe, south of the country where the delegation will be staying are always prone to terrorist attacks.

Sisawo Jammeh is Head of the Gambian Community living in Douala, he said they are living peacefully in Cameroon noting that there is peace in the country.

‘Cameroon is a place where farming is very productive, and we Gambians are very excited to welcome the Gambian Delegation in Douala.

“We are very happy to see our people coming here, since morning we have been at the airport waiting for Gambians to arrive,” he said.

Adding that “we want you to stay where you are asked to stay. Please don’t go out roaming because that area is not safe. I am very happy to be part of the Gambian people to witness this historic moment. We live happily here and we are ready to give all we could to our people,”. Sisawo Jammeh said.

Jammeh who has been in the subregion for nearly three decades predicted that The Gambia will win the giant trophy and take it home.

Fatoumata Drammeh and Aja Fatoumata Drammeh are both Gambians residing in Douala they said their living conditions are generally good as the Subregion has been peaceful. Both expressed delight at Gambia’s median AFCON participation.

They told The Fatu Network that they will keep supporting the Gallant Scorpions in all their matches while praying for them (Scorpions) to win the giant trophy and take it home.
“The Scorpions will set a brilliant record in the AFCON,” Aja Fatoumata Drammeh said.

As the delegation landed in Douala International Airport, Gambians residing in Douala, converged at the Airport premises dancing and singing showing their excitement as they welcomed the delegation

Masalieu Sowe is also a Gambian living in Cameroon he urged Gambians to remain disciplined so they can continue raising the country’s reputation to a higher level.

“I can’t tell how happy I am to see Gambians in Douala today,” she said. “Today I feel like am in The Gambia.” Sowe also prayed for the scorpions to win the trophy and take it home.

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said Monday that he had Covid-19 for a second time and was experiencing mild symptoms, as the hard-hit country battles another wave of infections.

“I inform you that I am infected with Covid-19 and although the symptoms are mild, I will remain in isolation and will only do office work and communicate virtually until I get through it,” he tweeted.

Lopez Obrador said that Interior Minister Adan Augusto Lopez would replace him at his usual morning press conference and other public events while he recovered.

Hours earlier the 68-year-old president had appeared in front of journalists without a face mask speaking with a hoarse voice, prompting accusations from his critics of irresponsible behaviour.

He said he planned to get tested for Covid-19 but believed he had the flu.

Some social media users wished Lopez Obrador a speedy recovery, while others criticized him for being reckless.

“If he falls seriously ill, he will have the best doctors at his service,” political analyst Viri Rios said in a Twitter post that was shared hundreds of times. “Many journalists in the audience, however, do not even have (health) insurance.”

Lopez Obrador overcame a first bout of Covid-19 in early 2021.

He has received the AstraZeneca vaccine including a booster on December 7.

Like many countries, Mexico is in the grip of a new wave of coronavirus infections following the emergence of the highly contagious Omicron variant and traditional year-end family gatherings.

On Friday, Mexico’s official Covid-19 death toll — the fifth highest in the world — surpassed 300,000, although daily fatalities remain far lower than during previous waves.

The country of 129 million people has reported a total of more than 4.1 million confirmed cases of the coronavirus.

The real figure is believed to be much higher due to the low level of testing.

One of the world’s most popular tourist destinations, Mexico has kept its borders open during the pandemic and does not require any tests or vaccination passes from arriving travelers.

FRANCE24

The Rwandan national, Salima Mukansanga is set to make history at this year’s Africa Cup of Nations (Afcon) in Cameroon, by becoming the first woman to referee at the men’s tournament.

The 33-year-old Rwandan is making her officiating debut on Monday.

Salima Mukansanga was born in1988 and she is an international football referee from Rwanda. She was an official at the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup in France.

She has officiated at the Olympics, FIFA Women’s World Cup, Africa Women Cup of Nations and CAF Women’s Champions League.

Mali’s strongman leader Assimi Goita said Monday Bamako remained open to dialogue after the West African bloc ECOWAS imposed stringent sanctions on the troubled Sahel country over delayed elections.

In a sharp escalation after months of simmering diplomatic tensions, leaders from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on Sunday agreed to shutter borders with the Sahel state and impose a trade embargo.

That decision was backed on Monday by France, Mali’s former colonial power, at the UN Security Council.

The West African bloc also agreed to cut financial aid, freeze Mali’s assets at the Central Bank of West African States, and to recall their ambassadors from the country.

“Even if we regret the illegitimate, illegal and inhumane nature of certain decisions, Mali remains open to dialogue with the Economic Community of West African States to find a consensus,” Goita said on state TV.

Goita did not detail how his regime would respond to the stringent sanctions.

The coordinated action against Mali followed a proposal by its army-dominated government last month to stay in power for up to five years before staging elections — despite international demands that it respect a promise to hold elections in February.

ECOWAS also rejected a revised proposal the regime, led by Goita who took power in a military coup in August 2020, submitted to the bloc on the eve of the weekend summit.

Return to civilian rule

After an earlier wave of sanctions from ECOWAS following the 2020 coup, Goita had promised to restore civilian rule in February 2022 presidential and legislative elections.

But he staged a second coup in May 2021, forcing out an interim civilian government, disrupting the reform timetable, and provoking widespread international condemnation.

As ECOWAS continued to insist on elections in February, the military regime argued that rampant insecurity posed a problem and that peaceful elections took priority over speed.

Mali has struggled to quell a brutal jihadist insurgency that started in 2012 before spreading to Burkina Faso and Niger. Swathes of its vast territory lie outside government control.

Russia called for the junta’s efforts to restore order in the country to be supported.

Moscow said it “understood the difficulties” in organizing new elections when a lack of security might undermine the outcome.

Western politicians have condemned what they say is Moscow’s growing influence in Mali, some alleging that the military regime has hired mercenaries from Russia’s controversial Wagner group.

Source: africanews english

By: Christian Conteh

Lawyers representing the country’s main opposition the United Democratic Party (UDP) have dusted themselves off after the December 28th ruling which saw the Supreme Court throwing out the party’s election petition matter.

The party is now set to engage the Supreme Court again, as it calls for a review of the December 28th ruling in what it says is ‘in the interest of fair hearing to avert miscarriage of justice’.

According to the party’s 21-page statement of the case on motion ex-parte seeking review of the 28th December ruling the basis of their application is pursuant to the provisions of section 8 of the Supreme Court Act Cap 6:05 and Rule 54(c) and (d) of the Supreme Court (Amendment) Rules, 2015. Rule 54(1) which provides as follows:

“The Court may review any decision made or given by it on any of the following grounds:
(a) exceptional circumstances which have resulted in a miscarriage of justice.

(b) discovery of new and important matter or evidence which after the exercise of due diligence was not within the Applicant’s knowledge or could not be produced by him at the time when the decision was given.

The petitioners (UDP) also hold that there was no application on any of the motions filed by the 1st Respondent to dismiss the suit for failure to serve notice of the petition on the Respondents.

Therefore, it asserts that the Supreme Court made a fundamental error in proceeding to strike out the Petition on an issue not founded on any prayer before it and without affording the Petitioner the opportunity to specifically address it on the issue before making a ruling.

This the UDP motion claims was a fundamental error that resulted in a miscarriage of justice as it deprived the party of its constitutional right, conferred by section 49, to challenge the elections, even though they had already filed evidence as ordered by the court.

They further claim It also deprived the UDP of its fundamental rights to a fair hearing and by extension the political rights of its supporters conferred by sections 24 and 26 of the Constitution respectively.

Based on these arguments the UDP legal team is of the firmest conviction that they have set out a prima facie (at first sight or based on first impression) case for the Court to revisit its Ruling of the 28th of December, 2021 in the interest of ensuring that this petition which is of grave public concern is heard and disposed of on its merits and not by some technical grounds that has deprived the UDP and its constituents of their rights to a fair hearing.

“We, therefore, urge this august Court to hold that the Petitioner’s Application discloses sufficient grounds to warrant the leave of the Court to bring a substantive application for review.

We move the Court in terms of the Motion Ex Parte and submit that the prayers ought to be granted in the interest of fair hearing in order to avert a gross miscarriage of justice,” the party’s Motion Ex-Parte reads.

For this application, the same five judges that determined the election petition will hear the motion first. If the application is granted two more judges will be added thereby constituting the full panel of the Supreme Court to hear the review.

Global health experts are casting doubts over reports of a new possible Covid-19 mutation that appeared to be a combination of both the delta and omicron variants, dubbed as “deltacron,” saying it’s more likely that the “strain” is the result of a lab processing error.

At the weekend it was reported that a researcher in Cyprus had discovered the potential new variant. Bloomberg News reported Saturday that Leondios Kostrikis, professor of biological sciences at the University of Cyprus, had called the strain “deltacron,” because of its omicron-like genetic signatures within the delta genomes.

Kostrikis and his team said they had found 25 cases of the mutation, with the report adding that at the time it was too early to tell whether there were more cases of the apparent new strain or what impact it could have. Bloomberg reported that the findings had been sent to Gisaid, an international database that tracks changes in the virus, on Jan. 7.

Some experts have since cast doubt over the findings, with one World Health Organization official tweeting on Sunday that “deltacron,” which was trending on the social media platform at the weekend, is “not real” and “is likely due to sequencing artifact,” a variation introduced by a non-biological process.

WHO Covid expert Dr. Krutika Kuppalli said on Twitter that, in this case, there was likely to have been a “lab contamination of Omicron fragments in a Delta specimen.”

Other scientists have agreed that the findings could be the result of a lab error, with virologist Dr. Tom Peacock from Imperial College London also tweeting that “the Cypriot ‘Deltacron’ sequences reported by several large media outlets look to be quite clearly contamination.”

Source : Bloomberg 

Reports from our team in Cameroon indicate that the Gambian delegation was stuck at the Douala International Airport in Cameroon as at 11:30 on Monday 10th January 2022. This is about 5 hours since the delegation landed in Cameroon at 5: 30

Reports suggest that while several members of the delegation were waiting for their visas to be processed a member of the delegation tested positive for COVID-19.

The said positive case was immediately put under self-isolation and is currently under the care of the Cameroonian health workers.
Developing story…

By Sarjo Brito

The country’s main opposition United Democratic Party on Monday 10^th January, 2022, filed a formal application before the Supreme Court of The Gambia, seeking that the country’s top court review its decision after striking out the party’s election petition against President Barrow and the Independent Electoral Commission.

The Supreme court had earlier thrown out the petition, ruling that the petition had not followed proper procedure. In a statement issued by the party’s secretariat, the party confirms it has filed a motion to seek leave of the Supreme Court to make an application for review of the court’s ruling.

‘’The members and supporters of the UDP and general public are hereby notified that today 10th January 2022 the United Democratic Party has filed a motion to seek leave of the Supreme Court to make an application for review of this court’s ruling dated the 28th of December 2021 and for such further or other orders as to this honourable court may seem just. The UDP wishes to reassure all Gambians of its commitment to rule of law and to leave no stone unturned in its pursuit for justice,” a statement from the UDP read.

The UDP lost its bid to annul the results of the 4^th December polls. The country’s biggest opposition party and runner up in the recently concluded Presidential election filed a petition against President Barrow and the IEC, asking that the court nullify the results of the election, citing allegations of bribery and corruption during the campaign period, and irregularities raised by their party agents and representatives at polling stations on election day.

Meanwhile the party maintains its position that the petition was not dismissed based on merit but on mere technicality.

America’s top diplomat in The Gambia, Ambassador R Carl Paschall has on behalf of the US Embassy in Banjul, Gambia expressed heartfelt condolence for those who passed away whilst wishing for recovery to good health of the many injured.

This is in direct response to Sundays New York’s Bronx neighbourhood fire incidents that claimed three Gambian lives including two children reports indicate.

The cause of the fire is being investigated by New York city authorities, but US media reports say Choking, blinding smoke trapped many of the victims of the five-alarm blaze, which was blamed on a malfunctioning space heater turned on to help ward off the cold temps outside.

At least three Gambian including two children were among 19 people confirmed dead on Sunday in one of New York’s Bronx neighbourhood’s deadliest fire incidents.

The cause of the fire is being investigated by New York city authorities, but US media reports say Choking, blinding smoke trapped many of the victims of the five-alarm blaze, which was blamed on a malfunctioning space heater turned on to help ward off the cold temps outside.

The incident at the high-rise Bronx apartment fire that killed at least 19 people, including nine children originated in a duplex on the second and third floors of the building but never extended past the unit and the hallway nearest the apartment, FDNY Commissioner Dan Nigro told US Media.

Smoke generated from the duplex blaze was able to filter out through an open door and spread throughout the 19-story structure, he explained.

“The door to that apartment unfortunately when the residents left was left open, it did not close by itself. The smoke spread throughout the building, thus the tremendous loss of life,” Nigro said at an evening press briefing.

The fire incident was the deadliest New York City blaze since 87 people perished in March 1990 in the Happy Land social-club arson attack, which took place less than a mile away.
Among the 63 residents injured, 32 had life-threatening injuries, nine had serious injuries, and 22 were treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

” Our community witnessed a tragedy in the Fordham Heights section of the Bronx. A 5-alarm fire destroyed the homes of many of our GYO community members at 333 East 183rd Street. At the moment, at least 19 people have been pronounced dead, including young children, and dozens of others have sustained life-threatening injuries.

We ask that you help us support the victims of this tragedy. All proceeds will be distributed to the families by the Gambian youth organization (GYO) ‘ A Go Fund Me account created by one Salim Drammeh of Gambian Youth Organisation in the Bronx meant to support the Gambian victims of the fire disaster stated.

Source: The Alkamba Times