No Alliance Movement Pa Modou Mbowe has told The Fatu Network the movement will hold a mega rally in Kanilai on Friday evening where former President Yahya Jammeh will speak.

“For Jammeh to speak will make the clarification [regarding APRC-NPP alliance]. Of course he is going to speak,” PMM told The Fatu Network on Thursday.

APRC entering into an alliance with NPP hasn’t sat well with some APRC supporters who have now formed a movement to fight against the alliance saying former President Jammeh never endorsed.

The party’s executive has however insisted the former President is aware of the decision and has in fact endorsed it.

Imam Bakawsu Fofana has come after Imam Chebo Cham over the latter’s comments Islam doesn’t accept opposition.

Imam Cham had last week Friday blasted the nation’s opposition saying they are doing nothing in the country other than causing conflict.

Imam Cham had said: “All the opposition do not want anyone to speak on the good things of government. The reason they don’t want it is because speaking on the good things of government makes people to love the government and if people love government they cannot get to power themselves.

“Sheikh Muhammed Lamin Touray did not say anything other than ‘my religion forbids being opposition’. And that is true and you cannot stop us from saying that. It’s our religion that says it. Do you want us to misrepresent the verses as the jews did?

“You can do your opposition all you like but our religion bars us from opposing government. Billahi Wallahi anyone who studies the religion will find this there. What benefit have your opposition-hood for Gambia? Nothing other than conflict that we are in.”

In a riposte he released on Thursday, Imam Fofana said: “You swore on a lie Chebo Cham. Which Surah says we should not oppose the leader? You swore on a lie Chebo Cham. A lie that can take one to hell.

“The way to know the religion or the Quran doesn’t ban being opposition… You have all gone to Saudi to study along with scholars in Senegal and elsewhere in the region.

“But you will never hear these scholars in their fatwas that the religion doesn’t accept being opposition. So why would your religion teach that? Are you not in the same religion as the people?”

MoBSE- Communication Unit

Following complaints that some Government and Government assisted Schools are defying government’s policy against school levies, the senior management of the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education has swiftly convened a meeting with school heads in Region-One at the Kanifing RED Office, to frown at the unlawful school levies.

Mr. Ousman Bah is Regional Education Director-1, he noted that the primary objective of the School Improvement Grant (SIG) is to ease the burden of school fees on parents. Although, uniforms, shoes, stationary and launch are not catered for in the SIG, school heads have no right to force any parent to buy them in the school, he emphasised.

He called on Heads of Schools to desist from charging illegal levies on parents as a precondition for admission. Mr. Bah described the issue of forcing students to buy books or pamphlets written by their subject teachers as illegal and unacceptable!

Mr. Adama Jimba Jobe, the Deputy Permanent Secretary of Programs (DPS) -MoBSE, stressed that he is directed by the Permanent Secretary to inform the school heads that:

“Any Government school head who is found wanting of levying illegal school fees will be asked to handover his/her school to the Regional office and be replaced with immediate effect.”

“Any Grant-Aided School found wanting of levying illegal school fees will have their subventions frozen with immediate effect!” Mr. Jimba Jobe added. Warning that the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education is determined to implement the Government Policy against school levies to the latter.

In the same vein, sequel to the recent press release of MoBSE on students converging around the traffic light vicinity in their uniforms, the senior management successfully engaged the various school heads with a view to proffer a definitive solution.

By Amara Thoronka

Brigadier (Rtd) Julius Maada Wonnie Bio, President of the Republic of Sierra, was on Thursday 14th October 2021 awarded ‘West Africa President of the Year 2021’ by the Carter and Merger Center of Leadership and Good Governance at this year’s sixth London Political Summit in the United Kingdom.

Sierra Leone’s High Commissioner to the Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Ambassador Morie Manyeh, received the award on behalf of President Bio who is currently attending the Dubai Expo 2021 in the United Arab Emirates.

Political analysts say the rationale for receiving such an award cannot be unconnected to the President’s resolve in providing free quality education in all government and government-assisted schools across the country, decriminalizing libel, providing microfinance to businesses, abolishing the death penalty and more.

— 

Gambia National Olympic Committee on Thursday 14th October briefed the media ahead of the arrival of the Queen’s Baton relay to The Gambia as part of events and activities marking the Birmingham Commonwealth Games in 2022.

The baton is expected to arrive in the Gambia on 19th October 2021 and already the Olympic House is looking forward to an exciting and eventful visit with series of engagements and activities that involves the President of The Gambia running with the baton, and touring major settlements in Banjul, Kanifing Municipality and West Coast Region.

Both the Banjul and Kanifing mayors will run with the baton as well as students from identified schools and athletes.

The British High Commision and the Ministry of Youth and Sport will also host the baton before departing to Sierra Leone.

The full schedule of the three-day activity in The Gambia will be later communicated.

Birmingham will stage the 16th official Queen’s Baton Relay – an epic journey across the Commonwealth, with The Queen’s Baton visiting all 72 nations and territories, reaching Europe, Africa, Asia, Oceania, the Caribbean and the Americas.

The Relay is scheduled to begin in October 2021, once Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has placed her message to the Commonwealth into the Baton.

The Baton will then travel for 294 days, connecting communities in every corner of the Commonwealth, embracing unique cultures and sharing stories.

This collective journey ignites and fosters hope, solidarity and collaboration for the next generation, with inspiring stories encouraging people to take on the challenges that matter most to the development of themselves, their nations and the Commonwealth in general.

The Drug Law Enforcement Agency has announced the arrested of four people over cannabis possession.

A statement by DLEAG on Thursday reads: “DLEAG operatives stationed in the West Coast Region apprehended Modou Alieu Barry, a Conakry Guinean National with three (3) big plants of suspected Cannabis Sativa. He was arrested on the 13th October 2021 around 17:00 hours GMT onwards at his residence in Brikama Gidda. The said suspected cannabis plants were discovered in his backyard toilet.

“Saikou Camara an adult male Gambian National was also nabbed at Gunjur, West Coast Region on the 13th October 2021 around 14:50 hours GMT onwards with two big plants of suspected Cannabis Sativa and some seeds of suspected Cannabis Sativa. The said suspected Cannabis Sativa plants were cultivated in his backyard toilet at a residence occupied by him and one Ismaila Bojang who is currently at large.

“In a similar but separate development, Bubacarr Jallow, a Gambian national and a resident of Gunjur was clutched with two (2) medium bundles and fifteen (15) parcels of suspected Cannabis Sativa while Abiola Thomas, A sixty (60) years old, Gambian National was arrested with three (3) big bundles of suspected Cannabis Sativa at the entrance of Mandinaba, West Coast Region. All the suspects are in custody while the investigation into the matter continues.”

The Libyan Navy on Wednesday said a Coast Guard patrol intercepted 70 migrants off the country’s western coast.

The migrants had remained at sea for three days and were about to drown when the patrol came to their aid, the Libyan Navy said.

The intercepted migrants include 11 women and seven children, it said, adding that they were taken to Tripoli Naval Base, provided with humanitarian and medical assistance, and handed over to anti-illegal immigration authorities.

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

Intercepted migrants end up inside overcrowded reception centers across Libya, despite repeated international calls to close those centers. (XINHUA)

By: Christian Conteh

The outbreak of COVID-19 has had an immeasurable impact on the African population particularly those between the middle and lower level manpower categories. One of the hardest hit are small scale farmers in rural Gambia and Sierra Leone, the majority of who believe in small-scale agriculture for their food security and incomes.

Gambia is arguably one of the largest exporters of groundnut in the sub-region.

Even before the advent of COVID-19, the sector had been faced with a plethora of challenges, including, lack of access to markets, finance, storage, and transportation among others.

The presence of COVID-19 poses a severe challenge not only to food security and incomes of the rural farmers but also to the entire economy of the two West African Countries. There is no doubt that the scourge will put rural farmers, particularly women-headed households, in extreme poverty.

Sahr O Falla is the District Youth Chairman in charge of the Chiefdom Youth Farm at Baoma Nimikoro Chiefdom in Kono District, he said on average amidst the COVID-19 the farm is doing relatively well. He however lamented about challenges including limited capacity, late supply of seeds, unavailability of fertilisers and herbicides to kill the grass among others, all because of the change in processes and procedures caused predominantly by COVID-19.

“Before COVID-19 government provided most of what is needed to ensure the farm does well, but now resources have to be diverted to the fight against the virus,” Sahr O Falla revealed.

He however expressed optimism that there would be better yield next year if their challenges are addressed and COVID is tackled.

Similarly, COVID-19 has proven a real threat to The Gambia’s rural population, this is as a result of the extraordinary measures taken by the government to combat the spread of the disease. Among these, the closure of local weekly markets (lumos) is particularly devastating for small-scale farmers. Various rice and vegetable farmers’ organizations have already reported difficulties in buying and selling because of lumos closures across the country.

“We are not even sure whether we will have farm inputs this year,” says Hawa Jagne, President of the Boiram Farmers’ cooperative.

The effects of the pandemic are also exacerbating long-standing challenges to The Gambia’s food security. Yields of staple cereal crops have been declining steadily for the past 10 years compared to the rest of West Africa, resulting in increasingly heavy reliance on food imports. Now, with heightened potential for food crises, the lives and livelihoods of much of The Gambia’s rural population are in danger.

While the COVID-19 pandemic is exacerbating risks for the entire rural population, the impact will undoubtedly be particularly severe on the livelihoods of women. Like many rural women, Gambian women are largely dependent on the informal economy and the agribusiness sector. Shocks affecting these sectors could spell a drastic decrease (or absence) of the income that is critical for maintaining their families’ food and health needs.

At Gibina Pujehun, Southern Sierra Leone Adama Swarray explained that her over 50-acres farmland did not do as well as she anticipated since COVID-19 reduced her workforce considerably.

Women harvesting rice at Gibina, Pujehun, Southern Sierra Leone

“As you can see the weeds have overrun the rice, during the lockdown periods we couldn’t come out to work and most of the young people who use to work for me are looking for other means of sustenance,” Adama said.

Adama’s ordeal is similar to that of Mariatu Fobbie who is caretaker of 150-hectare farmland in the riverine community of Gbondapi, Southern Sierra Leone. The only difference is that Mariatu’s farmland did better since it was cultivated in the river.

“I was lucky to have a good harvest this year but I couldn’t transport as much as I wanted to the big markets due to the travel restrictions, this is why I pray COVID-19 becomes a thing of the past soon,” Mariatu said.

Kai Sama Mondeh is Chiefdom Youth Leader at Sandor, he revealed that the farm there was cultivated by a small number of young men who he had engaged regularly since the majority of the youths already had their own small personal farms, and most had abandoned farming following the restriction on movement of persons and goods in a bid to curtail the COVID-19 virus.

“COVID-19 has affected me greatly, I had just harvested some large amount of vegetables when the second lockdown was announced, most of the produce perished before I could take them to the big market,” Mondeh said stressing that the challenges they have encountered are many.

Overall COVID-19 Pandemic affected the movement of farm products from rural to urban centres. The transport system slowed down considerably, and at times, it was unavailable because of travel restrictions. This led to only a few people turning up to open markets. The situation caused several products, such as tomatoes, fruits and vegetables to perish, ultimately creating a loss of revenue.

It is also important to note that government extension officers in Sierra Leone did not effectively carry out their functions owing to travel restrictions. This means that much of the agricultural information flow that is normally given to farmers was curtailed. In the prevailing environment, farmers had to either adjust to other income-generating activities or wait for the situation to normalise.

The Impact of COVID-19 on Small Scale Farmers in Gambia and Sierra Leone call for an urgent look at the situation and a need for critical answers on what needs to be done to alleviate their plight.

UDP leader Ousainou Darboe has accused Kantora MP Billay G Tunkura of betraying UDP because of D10,000.

MP Tunkura is among eight MPs UDP ruthlessly fired from the party in 2019 after they were accused of supporting President Barrow, a political rival. The MPs were said to be among MPs who were collecting D10,000 from President Barrow.

Speaking in Koina on Thursday as part of his nationwide tour of the nation, Mr Darboe reserved some criticism for MP Tunkara.

Darboe said: “What they said about your MP is that… Well, that MP [Tunkara] is a one term MP just like how Adama [Barrow] is a one term president. You the people of Kantora know not many people knew Billay Tunkara in Kantora before 2016. It was just a few people, maybe in the Suduwol area.

“It’s UDP that brought him out, put him on a colour and show him to Kantora and the world until he became an MP. So if he is not satisfied with being a national assembly member and going ahead to betray UDP just because of D10,000. This is what made him betray UDP. But he is a one term National Assembly Member.”

The high court in Banjul has remanded embattled permanent secretary of the Ministry of Fisheries Bamba Banja.

Banja was remanded on Wednesday. He faces economic crime charges.

His lawyer Abdoulie Fatty told The Fatu Network Thursday they are working on getting him out on bail.

He ran into trouble after a Malagen investigation last year implicated him a bribery scandal involving a Chinese fish-meal company.

The Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education has issued a statement calling for support in ending the menace of students converging at Traffic Light every Friday afternoon.

The students often gather at Traffic Light for fun or celebrate their graduation.

The education ministry however said in a statement on Tuesday: “The ministry of basic and secondary education has observed with grave concern that students from different schools, most of them in their school uniforms, do converge on a regular basis every Friday afternoon and on other occasions, in the vicinity of Traffic Lights along Kairaba Avenue.

“What is even more disturbing is the increasing number by the week, although the ministry has engaged heads of schools whose pupils were observed to have formed the majority to that effect. Car racing by students is also becoming increasingly rampant and of equal concern.

“The ministry wishes to inform students to refrain with immediate effect, from all forms of convergence within the neighbourhood of the Traffic Light and by extension, all gatherings in large numbers elsewhere, that are not part of curricula activities more so, without the authorisation of their school management.

“The ministry solicits the full support of heads of schools, school management committees/boards, parents, guardians and the general public, in the preparation of our future leaders into responsible and law-abiding citizens.”

UDP leader Ousainou Darboe tore into Sarahule citizens on Tuesday accusing them of attempting to turn President Adama Barrow and his National People’s Party into a Sarahule ‘property’.

Mr Darboe spoke in Basse on Tuesday evening as UDP’s tour contingent arrived in the URR capital.

And addressing his supporters, Mr Darboe called out the nation’s Sarahules for not voting for President Barrow in 2016.

He said: “They want to make NPP and Adama Barrow a Sarahule property. And the truth is: Sarahules, in 2016, you did not vote for Adama Barrow.

“[In] 2016, if it were left to you (Sarahules), Adama Barrow would not have won. But today you are making yourself as if you own NPP.”

Karpowership on Wednesday donated D150,000 to the National Environment Agency towards activities marking the International Coastal Clean-up Day.

The day is observed on the third Saturday in September to increase public awareness about the accumulation and negative impacts of litter in oceans, on coastlines and on beaches. It was first observed in 1986.

Speaking during the presentation ceremony at the Karpowership head office off Kairaba Avenue in Fajara yesterday, country manager Yankuba Mamburay recalled that it was the third time in as many years that his company has made donations to the NEA in marking the day. Karpowership has also assisted NEA in celebrating World Environment Day annually.

He said since his company generates its electricity on floating powerships located in marine environment, it is particularly sensitive to environmental issues and that is why it does not hesitate to assist NEA in activities geared towards environmental protection and sensitisation.

Mr Mamburay said since his company started operations in The Gambia on 2^nd May 2018, it has lived up to its contractual obligation to supply 30MW of power to Nawec thereby stabilising the electricity supply in the Greater Banjul Area.  He disclosed that Karpowership now operates in many countries in the sub-region including Senegal, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone and Ghana.

He disclosed that when the initial two-years of the contract expired, the government of The Gambia extended it by another two years.

Manager Mamburay thanked his principals in Turkey for their prompt and positive considerations of proposals for help.

In receiving the cash, NEA director of inter-sectoral services, Njaga Touray, lauded Karpowership for being a supportive partner of his agency. He testified to the significance of the intervention of Karpowership in stabilising the electricity situation in the country noting that prolonged blackouts were the order of the day before.

He also commended Karpowership for implementing safe environmental safeguards which prevented any major environmental damages or incidents in its work.

Director Touray noted that protecting the environment should be everybody’s business as any blowback owing to its destruction will affect all.

He said this year, 18^th September was designated as International Coastal Clean-Up Day but it could not be observed on the day because of “logistical constraints”.  However, Karpowership’s intervention has made the observance of the day possible.

Lamin Komma, programme manager and head of coastal and marine environment at the NEA disclosed that the offshore Bijol Islands near Tanji will be the centre of activities in marking this year’s coastal clean-up day.

He said the islands are important nesting and brooding sites for migratory birds from Europe and for emblematic species like marine turtles.

He explained that erosion, climate-changed induced rising sea levels, illegal fishing and pollution in the form of thrash are endangering the birds and turtles that populate the sensitive ecological reserve. “The birds are trapped in [disused] nets and other thrash and they are left to starve and perish,” he lamented.

The presentation ceremony was chaired by Sheriff Bojang, a local media partner of Karpowership in The Gambia and was attended by Ms Fatou Baldeh and Mam Marie Njai, senior programme assistants at the NEA.

International Coastal Clean-Up Day was established by the Ocean Conservancy, an organisation that works to help protect the ocean from the challenges it faces every year.

By AP

More than 140 migrants were saved by Spanish rescuers on the seaborne route from Africa to the Canary Islands, Spanish authorities said Wednesday.

Emergency services for the Canary Islands said rescuers saved 90 migrants from two boats intercepted near the island of Gran Canaria.

Another 55 migrants were attended by emergency services after being pulled from a boat in waters near the island of Fuerteventura.

Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura belong to Spain’s Canary Islands archipelago in the eastern Atlantic Ocean, which at its nearest point is only 100 kilometers (60 miles) from Morocco.

Spain’s Interior Ministry reported 13,118 arrivals of migrants to the islands this year up to September 30, over double the arrivals during the same period last year.

The government through the OIC Secretariat has awarded a nine million dollars contract to construction giant AREZKI for the construction of a presidential lounge at the airport.

The OIC Gambia secretariat announced in a statement on Wednesday: “The Gambia OIC Secretariat, in collaboration with the Ministry of Transport, Works, and Infrastructure and The Gambia Civil Aviation Authority, wishes to announce that AREZKI has been awarded the contract to build an ultra-modern Presidential/VVIP Lounge at the Banjul International Airport. The project is one of the strategic priorities in preparation for the forthcoming OIC Heads of State and Government Summit in Banjul in 2022.

“Under the agreement, AREZKI will construct an independent airport terminal which will include presidential lounges, press rooms, protocol offices, security offices, parking lots for the exclusive use of passengers arriving and departing the presidential lounge, and roads linking the lounge to the Aircraft Apron.

“The Saudi Fund for Development – the financiers of the project, approved the award. The cost of the contract is USD9,021,287.00 and will be supervised by the Netherlands Airport Consultants (NACO).

“On the strength of the foregoing, the media is invited to the Award of Contract on Thursday, 14th October 2021 at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara International Conference Center. Time is 1:00 p.m. (local).

“The building of a modern presidential lounge at the country’s only international airport, ahead of the OIC Summit, will uplift its image and standards in line with international protocol and high-level reception requirements.
“The project will complement ongoing efforts by OICGambia, and The Gambia government, to position The Gambia as a leading conference destination in the subregion. Moreover, like other OICGambia projects, it will create several job opportunities and transfer of knowledge to local firms and individuals.”

UDP leader Ousainou Darboe has vowed to ply the newly inaugurated roads and bridges in the Upper River Region with pride.

Addressing supporters in Basse on Tuesday evening as part of his tour of the nation, Mr Darboe President Barrow cannot lay claim to being the person behind the much welcomed infrastructural development in URR.

Mr Darboe said: “We will use these roads with pride and we will also use the bridges with pride. Because it’s my knowledge and effort that brought it.

“You hear them talk about the OIC, that they will build 20 roads around Banjul. I am the one who travelled around the whole, pleading for money for us to be able to organise the OIC.”

Guinea’s strongman Colonel Mamady Doumbouya, who seized power last month, has sacked 44 generals and admirals in an apparent purge of the military top brass.

The authorities in the West African country announced late Tuesday that 42 generals and two admirals “are required to exercise their right to retirement.”

The reason for the decision was not given.

Among the string of officers is General Sekouba Konate, who briefly ran a transition government before organising elections in 2010.

A former army chief of staff is also on the list, as is the senior commander of the gendarmerie, a police force that is under the control of the military.

The forced retirements come less then a week after Doumbouya, 37, appointed Mohamed Beavogui as his interim prime minister.

A relative unknown, Beavogui has a background in international development, and an untarnished reputation in the cut-throat world of Guinean politics.

Former special-forces commander Doumbouya launched a coup on September 5, ousting elected president Alpha Conde after months of brewing discontent against his government.

Doumbouya defied broad condemnation of the putsch and was sworn in as interim president on October 1.

He has nevertheless promised to restore civilian rule after a transition period of unspecified length, and to unite the politically fractious nation of 13 million people.

Conde, 83, first won office in 2010 and was re-elected in 2015. But last year, he pushed through a new constitution enabling him to run for a third term in October 2020.

The move sparked mass demonstrations in which dozens of protesters were killed. Conde won the election but the political opposition maintained the poll was a sham. (AFP)

Neneh Freda Gomez has told The Fatu Network she has been handed over to the prosecution unit at the Kanifing Police Station along with her two staff ahead of their appearance in court.

“Please be informed that my staff and I have been handed over to the prosecution unit at Kanifing police station and are awaiting for them to araign us before the Kanifing magistrate court,” Ms Gomez said.

Ms Gomez was arrested by police on Monday along with two Global HOMM officials at a property her organisation claims ownership of in Bijilo. Police said they were arrested for ‘trespassing into a property under litigation at the High court’.

Neneh Gomez, Gilbert Manga and Lamin Sey have been charged with criminal trespass and malicious damage to property.