China locked down the western city of Xi’an on Thursday to stamp out a persistent Covid outbreak, it’s biggest such move since the pandemic started in Wuhan, underscoring how the country’s zero-tolerance approach hasn’t allowed it to move on since the virus emerged nearly two years ago.

The 13 million residents of Xi’an were told to remain in their homes and to designate one person to go out every other day for necessities, triggering fights over access to food. Non-essential travel out of the city was banned. This came after a second round of mass testing pinpointed 127 Covid infections scattered across 14 districts, making containment of the virus “grave and complicated,” the official Xinhua News Agency reported.

The rising number of cases underscores the challenge China faces at a time of increased holiday travel and preparation for the winter Olympic Games, which will feature an influx of athletes and their entourages in February. The vast majority of the infections stem from the delta variant, which spread through most of the world in the summer and fall. The country is girding for the more infectious omicron strain, which has been shown to evade immunity from vaccination or previous infection.

Protracted Battle

The lockdown of Xi’an is the latest escalation in China’s efforts to extinguish local transmission of the delta variant as it becomes the only country in the world still bent on eliminating the virus and bringing cases to zero. To prevent the infections in Xi’an from flowing into other areas, the city cancelled all domestic flights on Thursday, local media reported in the Paper.

Throughout the pandemic, officials have been able to stamp out outbreaks within about a month through mass testing, aggressive contact tracing and targeted lockdowns.
Yet as the virus’s new strains become more infectious, increasingly disruptive measures have been needed to contain outbreaks, putting pressure on the world’s second-largest economy. It’s been more than two months since there were no new local cases of Covid in China.

While local authorities have in the past used targeted lockdowns to slow outbreaks in smaller places in China, no major city has been put under mass restrictions since Wuhan in early 2020. It has a similar population size as Xi’an.

Officials in Beijing on Thursday acknowledged that there will inevitably be Covid infections at the winter Olympic Games, which are set to begin in early February. They urged all participants to get booster shots to better protect against the virus, especially those caused by the immunity-evading omicron variant.

Covert Spread

The outbreak in the city, the capital of many ancient Chinese dynasties that’s known for its terracotta warriors, traced its roots to a flight from Pakistan. A cleaner at a quarantine hotel got infected two weeks ago after disinfecting the rooms of travellers who tested positive upon arrival in China. The virus quickly spread to coworkers, while another chain of transmission may have brought it from the airport to local communities.

Many of the early cases were caused by a subtype of the delta strain. Yet the virus’s subsequent spread hasn’t been fully accounted for, enabling it to covertly fan out across the city and triggering the sweeping lockdown in an effort to contain it. More than 200 cases have been detected through Thursday.

While the number of infections remains small, the fact they are scattered across the city’s 14 districts shows how difficult it will be to contain the outbreak. Officials still haven’t identified some chains of transmission and the city is initiating a third round of mass testing in hopes of spotting them.

Subsequent cases have been found in two other cities in the Shaanxi Province, where Xi’an is the capital. Infections also occurred in Beijing and the southern Chinese manufacturing hub of Dongguan, where two dozen cases linked to the Xi’an outbreak were detected.
On China’s social media, some people described the outbreak as the worst the city has encountered. Videos posted online show people fighting over food and other essential goods in supermarkets as they stock up for the lockdown.

Entrance Examination

The outbreak comes as the city is set to hold a graduate school entrance examination for some 135,000 people next weekend. Some have been told to sit for the exam in other cities or provinces, while those who are infected or have been identified as close contact will take the test in quarantine.

Meanwhile, China has found four omicron infections from people returning from overseas. It hasn’t yet seen the far more infectious strain spread in the local community. Authorities have vowed to tighten restrictions at borders and ports as they see a mounting risk of infection seeping in from overseas.

Source: Bloomberg

Manchester City footballer  Benjamin Mendy will spend Christmas in prison after he appeared in court accused of rape by a fourth woman.

Mendy, 27, already facing serious sex offence allegations, was charged with another rape offence relating to a new complainant last week. Reporting restrictions were lifted on Wednesday when Mendy appeared at Chester Crown Court for a hearing ahead of his trial next year.

The charge relates to a new complainant and is alleged to have taken place in July this year. Mendy is now accused of eight offences against five different women, including seven counts of rape relating to four women.

The earlier charges are three counts of rape, alleged to have happened on October 11, 2020; sexual touching on January 2, 2021; one count of rape on July 24 2021 and two counts of rape on August 23 2021.

The France international, wearing a black suit and white shirt, spoke only to confirm his name during the 40-minute hearing and followed proceedings by an interpreter. A proposed trial date of January 24 next year has been rescheduled and his trial will now start on either June 27 or August 1.

The defendant is currently being held in HMP Altcourse, Liverpool. Mendy, of Withinlee Road, Prestbury, Cheshire, has been in custody since he was first arrested and charged with sexual offences on August 26.

Mendy has played for Manchester City since 2017, when he joined from Monaco for a reported £52 million. He was suspended by the club after being charged by police, pending an investigation.

Source: Evening Standard

President Adama Barrow has declared Monday, December 27th, 2021 and Monday, January 3rd, 2022, as public holidays throughout The Gambia.

A statement by State House on Wednesday said: “The Public is hereby informed that His Excellency President Adama Barrow, acting under section 76 of the 1997 Constitution, is pleased to declare Monday, December 27th, 2021 and Monday, January 3rd, 2022, as public holidays throughout The Gambia.

“The holidays are in observance of the Christian holy feast of Christmas and New Year’s Day 2022.

“President Barrow takes this opportunity on behalf of the First Family and the Government, to wish the Christian community and all Gambians a Merry Christmas and a Happy and prosperous New Year.”

The University of The Gambia has issued a statement announcing that President Adama Barrow, approved the appointment of Professor Herbert Robinson as Vice-Chancellor. The appointment which came on November 30, is the culmination of a rigorous and painstaking search process for an inspiring leader for the country’s only public university. He emerged as first choice in a highly competitive international group of scholars.

The statement by UTG said: “Professor Herbert Robinson has an outstanding track record as an academic and thought leader. He started his academic career at Loughborough University in the United Kingdom in 2000. He became a full Professor at London South Bank University (United Kingdom) in 2011 after he taught and led major academic programmes, including cutting-edge research and consultancy projects that benefitted both international firms and public sector institutions such as the National Health Service of the UK, which collaborated with the university. As Professor of Project Management and Sustainability Strategy, he provided leadership in programme and curriculum development, research, building partnerships and mobilising resources, and strategic planning at faculty and university levels. Outputs from his research have been presented in international conferences and knowledge sharing events in Europe, USA, the Caribbean, Middle East, Asia and Africa. He has authored a plethora of publications, including books, book chapters, technical papers, policy briefs and articles in leading international journals and conferences.

“Prior to his appointment as Vice Chancellor, Professor Robinson was Director of Knowledge, Research and Learning at the African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF), a specialised agency of the African Union, based in Harare, Zimbabwe. In this capacity, he provided leadership in organising knowledge-sharing events such as the Africa Think Tank Summit, and in coordinating the production and dissemination of research publications to align the development priorities of African countries with key policy documents such as the African Union Agenda 2063, African Development Bank High Fives and UN SDGs 2030.

“Professor Robinson also served as the Regional Advisor, Head of Capacity Development and Training Division and Acting Director, at the United Nations African Institute for Economic Development and Planning (UN-IDEP)/ UN Economic Commission for Africa based in Dakar, Senegal, from 2012 to 2015.

“Before embarking on his academic career, Professor Robinson worked in industry as a Quantity Surveyor at the London Office of Ove Arup, an internationally renowned consulting firm, and returned to The Gambia in 1991 as a United Nations National Expert to support the World Bank Second Highway Maintenance Project at the then Ministry of Works and Communications in The Gambia.

“Professor Herbert Robinson attended Saint Augustine’s High School (1978-83) and after completing his Sixth Form education at Gambia High School (1983-85), he worked at the Medical Research Council (Fajara) before pursuing further studies abroad. He holds a BSc (Hons) in Quantity Surveying (Construction Economics) from University of Reading, United Kingdom (1989), a Master of Infrastructure Planning from University of Stuttgart in Germany (1995), and a PhD in Infrastructure Economics from South Bank University (2001) in the United Kingdom.

“The university is pleased that a Gambian national will occupy the position of Vice Chancellor, to steer the direction of the university with effect from January 2022.

“On behalf of the University community, we heartily congratulate Professor Herbert Robinson on his appointment and wish him a very successful tenure as Vice Chancellor.”

Lower Baddibu MP Alhagie Jawara has claimed United Democratic Party is dead ‘already’, – also stated the party’s members have learnt their lesson.

UDP is having a moment to forget after the party got torn apart by President Adama Barrow and his National People’s Party in the December 4 presidential election.

Leader Ousainou Darboe had always insisted he would be president-elect but that statement has now turned out to be only a dream.

MP Jawara told The Fatu Network: “They are very hostile when it comes to politics. They are the only party that has platforms, WhatsApp groups that are insulting people.

“They are the only political party during the registration process, they have their black blacks going to registration centres, point fingers at people, telling them ‘you’re not a Gambian, you cannot have our voter’s card’.

“I believe these are the things that disturbed them very much and they thought they were gaining.

“But they have learnt their lesson. The citizens have already shown to them that ‘we say no to UDP’. The party is already death. There is no chance [for them to resurrect].”

Former Manchester United youngster Saidy Janko has been included in The Gambia’s squad for the Africa Cup of Nations next month.

Belgian coach Tom Saintfiet has guided the tiny west African country, ranked 151st in the world, to qualification for the first time in their history.

Wing-back Janko, who plays for Spanish second tier side Real Valladolid, is named alongside England-based pair Ebou Adams (Forest Green Rovers) and Ibou Touray (Salford City).

Sampdoria defender Omar Colley, Roma midfielder Ebrima Darboe and FC Zurich striker Assan Ceesay are also in the 28-man travelling party.

Pa Modou Jagne will captain the squad in Cameroon, where The Gambia will face Tunisia, Mali and Mauritania in Group F.

The tournament begins on 9 January, with the final on 6 February.

Goalkeepers: Baboucarr Gaye (Rot-Weiss Koblenz, Germany), Sheikh Sibi (Virtus Verona, Italy), Modou Jobe (Black Leopards, South Africa).

Defenders: Pa Modou Jagne (FC Dietikon, Switzerland), Omar Colley (Sampdoria, Italy), James Gomez (AC Horsens, Denmark), Noah Sonko Sundberg (Ostersund, Sweden), Bubacarr Sanneh (Unattached), Ibou Touray (Salford City, England), Saidy Janko (Real Valladolid, Spain), Mohammed Mbye (Solvesborg, Sweden).

Midfielders: Ebrima Sohna (Fortune FC, The Gambia), Dawda Ngum (Bronshoj, Denmark), Sulayman Marreh (Gent, Belgium), Ebrima Darboe (Roma, Italy), Yusupha Bobb (Piacenza, Italy), Ebou Adams (Forest Green Rovers, England), Musa Barrow (Bologna, Italy), Ablie Jallow (Seraing, Belgium), Steve Trawally (Ajman, UAE), Ebrima Colley (Spezia, Italy).

Forwards: Lamin Jallow (Fehervar, Hungary), Bubacarr Jobe (Norrby, Sweden), Assan Ceesay (FC Zurich, Switzerland), Muhammed Badamosi (Kortrijk, Belgium), Modou Barrow (Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, South Korea), Dembo Darboe (Shakhtyor Soligorsk, Belarus), Yusupha Njie (Boavista, Portugal). (BBC)

President Adama Barrow has appointed Professor Herbert Robinson as the new vice chancellor of the University of The Gambia.

Interim vice chancellor Professor Pierre Gomez made this known on Wednesday during the matriculation event of new students of the varsity.

Professor Robinson was appointed to role last month.

Professor Herbert Robinson is a Gambian professor in the United Kingdom who worked for both the UN and African Union.

The United Democratic Party (UDP) leadership has continued to urge its members and supporters across the country to avoid discussing the merits of the ongoing presidential election petition at the Supreme Court.

This call reiterates its position as earlier expressed in a 14th December public statement from the party’s leader, Lawyer Ousainou Darboe.

“I urge all members and supporters of the UDP to stay calm and continue to be peaceful and law-abiding at all times. And to go about their normal activities in peace and tranquility,” the statement read.

Adding that, “as the matter is now before the apex court of our nation, I urge all members and supporters of the UDP to refrain from discussing the merits of the case or to engage in any sort of trial by media until the court passes its judgement.”

At Tuesday’s hearing, President Barrow’s lawyers filed a fresh motion withdrawing the previous motion. The new motion brought a stronger request asking the Supreme Court to dismiss the UDP petition. The matter stands adjourned to Friday 24th December 2021.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) hopes the Malian transitional authorities finalize a precise electoral calendar before the end of this year.

ECOWAS envoy, Goodluck Jonathan made the remarks after meeting with Mali’s interim leaders. He led a delegation to Mali to assess progress of a promised election after the mutiny in August 2020.

“The meeting with interim president Colonel Assimi Goita went very well,” he told reporters without giving further details.

“We hope that, by the end of the year, all the decisions, including recommendations and an electoral calendar for the continuation of events in Mali, will be released,” he said, adding that he will come back next January to take stock.

Following the mutiny in 2020, an 18-month political transition starting from September 15 is underway in the West African country. The transitional authorities said earlier that the vote scheduled for February 2022 will likely be postponed by a couple of weeks or months due to security concerns. (XINHUA)

Lawyers for President Adama Barrow have filed a fresh motion asking the Supreme Court to dismiss UDP’s petition against the president.

UDP initiated a lawsuit against President Barrow over the December 4 presidential election, accusing the president and his National People’s Party of bribing voters.

On Tuesday 21st December, President Barrow’s legal team withdrew their motion filed earlier seeking the Supreme Court to dismiss the petition filed by the United Democratic Party on grounds that a sitting president is immune from legal action.

The defendant’s withdrawal came with a fresh motion. The earlier motion only had one prayer which was the dismissal of the petition whilst the new motion is more elaborate with eight prayers. The new motion, Sheriff M Tambadou lawyer for the 1st respondent said only seeks to consolidate the other motion that had been filed earlier.

Chief Justice Hassan B. Jallow granted the application and ordered the defendant to pay cost of D10,000 to the petitioner (UDP).

The petitioner (UDP) was represented by Lawyer Borry S. Touray, Lawyer Abdul Aziz Bensouda and Lawyer Lamin L Darboe. While the 1st respondent (President Barrow) was represented by Lawyer Sheriff Marie Tambadou, Lawyer Christopher E. Mene, Lawyer Pauline Bakurine and Lawyer Ida Richard.

And the 2nd respondent (IEC) was represented by Lawyer Kebba Sanyang and Lawyer Malick HB Jallow.

The matter stands adjourned to Friday 24th December.

A brawl has broken out in Ghana’s parliament during a late-night session over a contentious government-proposed levy on electronic transactions. MPs shoved, pushed and threw punches at each other, while others tried to stop the fighting.

The chaos started after opposition MPs rushed forward to prevent Deputy Speaker Joseph Osei Owusu from leaving his seat to vote, local media reports.

He was chairing the session, which was then adjourned because of the disorder.
The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has rejected the proposed levy of 1.75% on electronic transactions, which includes mobile-money payments.

It says it will hit low-income people and those outside the formal banking sector.
But Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Artta has said it is necessary to widen the tax net, arguing that it could raise an extra 6.9bn Ghanaian cedi ($1.15bn; £870m) next year.

The parliamentary session began on Monday morning and broke up after midnight, the local Graphic newspaper reports.

Many Ghanaians have expressed disappointment at the behaviour of their MPs, saying they ought to be role models – not behaving immaturely. The deputy speaker’s vote was seen as crucial as parliament has been heavily divided over the proposed tax.

It was approved by parliament’s finance committee by 13 votes to 12, but only after its chairman cast the decisive vote in favour of the proposal, the Graphic says.
The parliamentary session is due to resume on Tuesday.

Ghanaian politics has been fractious since last year’s election when the NDC and President Nana Akufo-Addo’s New Patriotic Party (NPP) obtained 137 parliamentary seats each.
One seat is held by an independent, who has thrown his weight behind the governing NPP, giving it the edge.

In January, soldiers entered parliament to end a brawl among MPs over the election of a speaker – the NDC’s Alban Bagbin was elected to the post after some NPP members voted for him rather than the NPP’s Mike Oquaye.

Mr Bagbin was not present during the chaotic session on Monday, leaving Mr Owusu from the NPP in the speaker’s chair.

SOURCE: BBC

General Lamin Bojang has given his view on the just end presidential election saying no one could steal it.

“The way this election went from the registration to the way the voting took place, no one steal in it,” General Bojang told reporters at the high court in Banjul on Tuesday.

His comments come as officials of the National People’s Party went to court for UDP’s petition against President Adama Barrow.

UDP has accused President Barrow of bribing voters and the party is asking the Supreme Court to annul his victory.

UDP commando Momodou Sabally has called on UDP supporters to keep calm amid the party’s court battle.

“Just like I told you, keep #calm and remain #Yellow. One #victory @ a time, inshaa Allah… #KanaSong,” Sabally wrote amid UDP’s case on Tuesday.

UDP is currently in court disputing the December 4 presidential election result. The party wants the Supreme Court to scrap the election for alleged bribery and non-citizens voting in the election.

Supporters of the party celebrated online after lawyers for President Barrow withdrew an earlier motion seeking the dismissal of the case.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) is not in favour of large-scale Covid-19 lockdowns because of the economic impact and how it affects people’s mental health, one of its leaders has said.

Dr Margaret Harris, a public health doctor from WHO said the most important thing people in the fight against the new Omicron variant is to get vaccinated. It comes after WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters that people may wish to scale back their Christmas plans.

“All of us are sick of this pandemic, all of us want to spend time with friends and family, all of us want to get back to normal.

“The fastest way to do this is for all of us, leaders and individuals, to make the difficult decisions that must be made to protect ourselves and others.

“In some cases, that will mean cancelling or delaying events, just as we have had to cancel the reception, we planned to have with you (journalists) today.

“But an event cancelled is better than a life cancelled. It’s better to cancel now and celebrate later than to celebrate now and grieve later.”

Asked whether WHO wants people to cancel Christmas, Dr Harris said that is “not what the director-general was saying – he was saying large events, so he was actually referring to a reception we promised to have with journalists…”

On people’s plans for Christmas, she said the public should think about questions such as “Who is coming? What is their status? Have they all been vaccinated? Are you taking other measures – are you opening your windows, ventilating your room? Can you space things, have they worn masks? So there are lots of things that you need to do and take into account when you put your party together.”

She said “vaccines are really protecting” people, including the vulnerable, from going into hospital and from dying.

Asked if lots of people can contract Omicron but not find themselves in hospital, she said: “We’re hoping that that’s the case, especially in well-vaccinated populations. So that’s why we’re saying getting vaccinated is key.”

On the issue of lockdowns, Dr Harris said they work but not without an impact on people and business.

“We prefer not to see lockdowns, a big lockdown because they have huge economic implications, they have very severe social implications and mental health implications,” she said.

“However, they do work. So governments do get to a point when the hospitals are overwhelmed, where they run out of options.”

Asked if the British Government is probably right not to bring in further restrictions, Dr Harris said: “We don’t give marks to any individual country.

“We understand that leadership and health authorities tailor their measures and their decisions according to the epidemiology in their populations, but also the cultural and behavioural dynamics at work in their populations.

“But the overall message is limit crowding and take the measures if you’re out and about that will protect you, like wearing the mask and wearing the mask properly. Please wear it over your nose… And make sure that you do the handwashing, the distancing, and really, really seriously, get vaccinated.

“Not just get vaccinated, but if you know someone who’s still struggling with the idea of being vaccinated, help them to get vaccinated.”

Regarding the mental health impact on younger people and the impact of lockdowns, she said: “We prefer that governments do not get to the point – that your epidemiology does not get to the point – where governments feel they need to make that decision because, indeed, the mental health impacts are very serious and we have seen a big rise in mental health suffering during this period.

“So, if you do go into lockdown, look at how you can support people, what you can do to alleviate the suffering that it does cause.”

Dr Tedros said the pandemic could be ended in 2022 if 70% of the population of every country of the world has been vaccinated by the middle of next year.

By: Amara Thoronka

Making English efficiency a demigod

Speaking good English or being fluent in the international dialect, especially in anglophone African countries, is generally used to measure someone’s intelligence, ability and competence. Using English with a high degree of proficiency is perceived by many Africans as an attainment of high class and prestige in society.

In many English-speaking countries, elementary, high school and university learners who speak good English are mostly rated high and accommodated by tutors over average and poor speakers of the language.

More interestingly, many of those tutors usually order pupils to kneel for long, sweep the floor, stand on one leg, etc as forms of punishment for not being appropriate and proficient in speaking English. On the instruction of teachers, there are sometimes lists prepared by class monitors (class captains) containing the names of pupils who use their mother tongues (indigenous dialects) other than English to communicate in class or within the precincts of their schools.

The adverse effect of overemphasizing English proficiency over practical knowledge

To avoid being judged as not or less intelligent, many students put more attention in cramming grammatical rules and vocabularies to enable them speak well. Research has shown that students who learn a foreign language by only stuffing the rules tend to lack confidence. Instead of speaking freely and confidently, the focus will be on applying the correct rules and there is sometimes a debate in the head as to which expression, word or rule is correct in a given context.

This is also reflective in the labour market. Many employers have complained of hiring people due to their display of mastery in English, only to discover that they can’t deliver on what they claimed to have studied or trained for. Granted that there are deficiencies in practical learning in many developing anglophone African nations, but the overemphasis given to error-free English usage over practical and professional skills acquisition renders many graduate employees practically inefficient in their workplaces.

Intelligence and English proficiency dichotomy

Intelligence and proficiency in a language are two distinct things. English is just like any other language. The only difference is that it is an international language and the most spoken worldwide. It’s called the “queen’s language” because it is originally from The United Kingdom ruled by Queen Elizabeth II.

The intelligence of someone can be tested by his/her ability to do something with merit and excellence, solve complex problems or proffer solutions. Intelligence enables humans to experience and think. Though interrelated, intelligence is also different from learning. Learning refers to the act of retaining facts and information or abilities and being able to recall them for future use, while intelligence is the cognitive and/or ability to perform tasks, solve complex issues and think beyond the box.

The way forward

Teachers and school authorities should consider the English Language as a medium of communication and not a prerequisite of intelligence. Most young innovators and entrepreneurs in the continent are not fluent in English but have used their intellects to solve perennial socioeconomic problems in their communities. Instead of psychologically coercing learners to be efficient and fluent in using English, learning authorities should primarily focus on providing the enabling environments for learners to exhibit their inherent abilities.

The importance of the English Language, at elementary and high school levels, should be limited to communicating and not to prove intelligence. People who want to be specialists in the language should be encouraged to opt for English linguistics and related fields.
There are many great brains in science, innovation, information communication technology, entrepreneurship etc whose inherent dreams have been killed in schools all in the name of prioritizing English proficiency over their burning desires to be creative in solving the challenges of society.

Fields like journalism, teaching, linguistics/interpretation and a few more need mastery in the language. Other fields like engineering, applied science, entrepreneurship and more only need some level of proficiency in English to communicate and nothing else.

Note: This write-up is not in any way, expressly or impliedly, against the English Language. In fact, it is very important for learners to have some level of efficiency in it as it is the political language of the world. The point here is that learning English should not be prioritized over practical abilities.

By XINHUA

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) on Monday said that 466 migrants were rescued off the Libyan coast and returned to Libya in the past week.

“In the period of December 12-18, 466 migrants were rescued/intercepted at sea and returned to Libya,” IOM said.

So far in 2021, a total of 31,456 migrants, including women and children, have been rescued, while 509 died and 831 went missing off the Libyan coast on the Central Mediterranean route, according to the organization.

Libya has been suffering insecurity and chaos since the fall of its leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, making the North African country a preferred point of departure for migrants who want to cross the Mediterranean Sea to European shores.

River transport services by the Gambia Ports Authority Ferry Services have been restored following Monday’s stoppage.

Technical issues prompted authorities to temporarily halt services but they services are now back up.

The Fatu Network has confirmed the Kunta Kinteh ferry is now available to transport travelers between Banjul and Barra. Kanilai Ferry will be back up on Tuesday.

The Gambia Port Authority ferry Services has announced the temporary halting of ferry services in the country.

The ferry services said in a dispatch on Monday technical issues prompted the move.

The dispatch said: “The Ferry Service Management wishes to inform the general public and its esteemed customers that the service between Banjul and Barra is temporarily closed due to some technical issues.

“The technical staff are working to restore the service as soon as possible. During this period, there would be no ferry service on the Banjul Barra route.”

By: Christian Conteh

Few weeks after the 4th December 2021 presidential election, Gambians are already demanding their government take steps to halt the rising food commodity prices and ultimately improve the Gambian economy.

These concerns have come at a time when the country is experiencing a hike in the price of staple food, with the shortage of bread the most recent example. This is not unusual during the festive season.

Fatou Jobe is a petty trader who sells at the popular Serrekunda Market she says the wholesale cost of fish and meat has increased and that has naturally affected the retail cost. As for bread, some bakeries have inflated the price despite a government statement saying the prices remain the same. She called on the government to monitor and ensure traders comply with the state’s directive.

“The government should ensure they enforce their decision to maintain the price of a loaf of bread. As I speak some bakery owners do not adhere to the government instructions even though it is clearly stated in a statement by the government that all prices should remain the same,” Jobe said.

On the campaign trail, President Adama Barrow promised to make The Gambia better for Gambians by ensuring he tackles the high cost of food through investment in agricultural production. A promise Alhaji Sowe recalls.

“I know it is still too early, but we need results and we need them fast. This is the festive season and we do not expect the price of food commodities to shoot up like this,” Sowe lamented.

He urged the government to address this challenge with the urgency it deserves.
Mariama Baldeh is another petty trader who sells bread and other breakfast related items on Kairaba Avenue she says the news of the price increase and the subsequent government reversal of the price has affected her sales.

“I sell different types of stews to be eaten with bread and all my customers are used to the D7 price. The price was then increased and later decreased after government intervention, but the price has remained the same. Government must embark on monitoring its regulations to ensure compliance,” she said.