Momodou Sabally has asked President Adama Barrow to ensure free and fair elections if he want peace to rein in the country.

“If you (President Barrow) want peace to rein in this country, there has to be free and fair elections. Whatever you and Alieu Momar Njai are up to, make sure the elections are free and fair. That’s the minimum we’re going to accept in this country,” Mr Sabally said in his latest address to the Gambian leader.

The former civil service boss also savaged the IEC chairman Alieu Momar Njai over the issue of voter registration.

Mr Sabally said: “Alieu Momar Njai and his officials should let political party agents to do their work at the registration centres. The law has given them the power to be at the centres.

“When you have the IEC chairman putting out a press release saying party agents being at registration centres isn’t a right but a privilege. This is a ridiculous statement.

“To make matters worse, he wants to stop them from doing their work by not being allowed to record the particulars of those coming to register. This is a bad act, Mr President, in our nation’s democracy and elections.”

A clinic spokesman has told the AFP news agency that the nine babies born in Morocco early last month by a 25-year-old Malian woman are now breathing on their own without assistance.

The babies who look tiny at birth were born at 30 weeks.

However, BNN Africa reports that Halima Cissé’s nonuplets would still have to remain in the hospital at the Ain Borja clinic in Casablanca for two more months as they are still under observation, Abdelkoddous Hafsi said.

He added that the weight of the five girls and four boys has increased significantly as they were being tube-fed.

When the babies were born, they weighed between 500g and 1kg (1.1lb and 2.2lb).

But they have now increased to between 800g and 1.4kg, the spokesman said.

The couple only had a daughter before the birth of the nonuplets and Halima has enjoyed the support of the government who flew her to Morocco for better medical care.

The only two sets of nonuplets previously recorded never lived as none of the babies stayed alive for more than a few days after birth.

The Guinness World Record for the most children delivered at a single birth to survive is currently being held by a US woman who had eight babies in 2009.

(CGTN Africa, With input from BNN Africa)

Press Release

OMID WISDOM DROPS NEW SONG “OMAR COLLEY” ON WORLD AFRICA WEEK.

NEW SONG PREMIERES ON BBC FOCUS ON AFRICA AND OTHER OUTLETS 3 DAYS INTO RELEASE.

EP & ALBUM PROJECTS POST CORONA.

“A bright star shining in Gambia” –

BBC

“..featured on MTV as unique and multitalented artist, a veteran star” –

The Voice

“..an artiste with high moral vision with a mission of genuine impact on social progress” –

GLife Magazine

Now there are a lot of things peculiar about Omid Wisdom. Not only does he carry the greatest and most amazing voice in the whole Gambia.  He is one of the most multi talented, multilingual, and multifaceted star in the Gambian music industry. Hosting TV shows excellently, giving the people world class acting in a movie, all having come from a strict afro hip hop background and maturing in the afro dancehall & afrofusion sound. Feats Omid Wisdom is known for amongst many. What’s most peculiar about this household name in the Gambian music industry is his love hate relationship with the industry over the years and how he manages to stay afloat, rise and pursue as he would put it, “God given” success in his own lane with countless amazing body of works. Sounds a little like praise singing right? Well it’s only right. Unless you do not know who Omid Wisdom is.

Follow Omid Wisdom on instagram www.instagram.com/iamomidwisdom

As BBC Focus On Africa’s – Esau Williams introduces him in the 26th of May’s ‘Focus On Africa edition’, .”…fresh young talent exploding unto the artistic stage”, there is nothing short of an explosion in the brand new song entitled ‘Omar Colley’ by Omid Wisdom. Omid Wisdom’s ‘Omar Colley’ is an explosive afro drill melodic rap song that is captivating listeners nationwide and beyond. Already securing a premiere on the world’s top media power house BBC just 3 days into the release, this new song speaks of determination and professionalism being key ingredients to nation building for Gambians and Africans at large. ‘Omar Colley’, a Gambian footballer playing defence for Sampdoria in Italy embodies such exemplary determination and professionalism thus the reason for the song title. The song carries a celebratory mood towards the young Gambian scorpions for qualifying for the next African Cup of Nations for the first time, encourages Gambia to ‘nyato dorong’, in other words ‘keep pushing forward’ and likens Omid Wisdom to Omar Colley as he continues to put Gambia on the map in his own way. How? With sheer determination and professionalism. Omar Colley himself shows appreciation for the new release, comments on and reshares various posts relative to the song on Omid Wisdom’s instagram calling it “a great hit” and “the perfect gift”.

Listen to full interview with BBC Focus On Africa here.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/w172xwnxvw970qj

Across his formative singles and first long-form project, “Born Free”. Omid Wisdom carries a diversified portfolio of songs with topics ranging from politically and socially conscious matters such as “Nation In Pain”, “Corona” to party and love hits such as “Hot Like Summer”, “Chewing Gum Baby” and “Unexplainable”. All hip hop, afrobeats, afro-dancehall, afropop and afroswing songs respectively. Each meticulously executed. It’s this extraordinary diversity that has allowed Omid Wisdom to rise to where he finds himself now, defeating all odds with determination and professionalism. Now poised to join the pantheon of international music greats, his tireless energy, positivity and drive were never going to allow Omid Wisdom to settle for anything other than peculiar recognition worthy of praise singing. In 2021 watch Wisdom attain more of these and keep reaching higher still.

As his first post corona release, Omar Colley is released under his independent brand, Wisdom Worldwide and will soon be available on streaming platforms everywhere. Wisdom Worldwide, an affiliate brand to his record label Money Empire has in store an ep and album to be released collaboratively further this year. The fans  constantly itching for the relief his unflinching peculiarity brings.

Stream Omar Colley here

https://audiomack.com/omid-wisdom

Watch and listen to Omid Wisdom’s other body of works here.

The chief executive officer of the Independent Electoral Commission has dismissed claims of him holding a private meeting with UDP backer Alhagie Conteh.

Conteh is a top backer of UDP and there have been claims the businessman held a private meeting with IEC’s Sambujang Njie.

But Njie told The Fatu Network: “These are people who are trying to bring me down. I don’t know why they are doing it. I did not meet anybody called Alhagie Conteh.”

State House announced Wednesday afternoon President Adama Barrow will travel to Guinea Conakry on a three days state visit.

“President Barrow will leave Banjul International Airport on Thursday, the 3rd June 2021.

“The Gambian leader and his host, His Excellency Professor, Alpha Conde, will have a tete–a-tete, followed by a bilateral meeting between officials of the two countries.

“President Barrow will also conduct visits to important sites in Guinea.  The visit will accord President Barrow an opportunity to meet with Gambians in Guinea.

“President Conde was among the regional leaders of ECOWAS who played a significant role during the political impasse following the 2016 Presidential elections in The Gambia. Thus, the visit will reinforce the ties between the two governments and the strong bond shared by Gambians and Guineans,” State House said in a statement.

Almost half of nation’s population say they felt unsafe walking in their neighbourhood at least once during the past year, according to a new survey.

Afrobarometer in a new survey said “almost half (47%) of Gambians say they felt unsafe walking in their neighbourhood at least once during the past year, an 11-percentage-point increase compared to 2018 (36%)”.

Afrobarometer is a pan-African, nonpartisan survey research network that provides reliable data on Africans’ experiences and evaluations of democracy, governance, and quality of life.

Elsewhere, the research network’s survey revealed the proportion of citizens who feared crime in their homes at least once during the previous year also rose by 11 percentage points, to more than one-third (36%).

Fewer than four in 10 Gambians (37%) say the government is doing a good job of reducing crime, a 17-percentage-point drop compared to 2018 (54%), it said.

Abubakary Jawara has said he has no interest in politics after a t-shirt bearing his image emerged online.

A t-shirt bearing Mr Jawara’s image with the caption ‘Win Jawara’ has been making rounds online, suggesting the businessman is planning to take a shot at the presidency.

But he said: “To set the record straight. Am a business man, I have no interest in politics and I am not a politician, I have no interest in running for presidency 2021.

“Some people might have hope in me as a Gambian businessman, just like Mr Trump in America, but I am not interested in running for presidency.

“As a private citizen and a Gambian I will remain as a Gambian businessman and continue to support the Gambia government and the people of the Gambia.

“I am not behind the printing of the t-shirts printed with ‘Jawara 2021’ neither do I endorse it. It’s just ordinary citizens exercising their democratically rights and I can’t stop them.”

By AFP

The African Union announced it was suspending Mali with immediate effect and threatened the impoverished country with sanctions, after a second military coup in nine months.

The coup has sparked deep concerns over stability in the volatile Sahel region and warnings of economic penalties from across the international community.

The AU “decides… to immediately suspend the Republic of Mali from participation in all activities of the African Union, its organs and institutions, until normal constitutional order has been restored in the country”, the body’s Peace and Security Council said in a statement late Tuesday.

The move follows a similar suspension on Sunday from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

In its statement, the AU called for the military to “urgently and unconditionally return to the barracks, and to refrain from further interference in the political processes in Mali”.

It warned that if the military did not hand back power to civilian transitional leaders, “the Council will not hesitate to impose targeted sanctions and other punitive measures”.

Condemning the coup “in the strongest terms possible”, it added it was “deeply concerned about the evolving situation in Mali and its negative impact on the gains made thus far in the transition process in the country”.

Strongman Colonel Assimi Goita was at the ECOWAS crisis summit in Ghana on Sunday to argue the military’s case but has now returned to Mali.

Goita last August led army officers who overthrew elected president Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, following mass protests over perceived corruption and a bloody jihadist insurgency.

Police have announced arresting a man who they say is a ‘notorious’ drug dealer.

In a statement, police said: “Personnel of the Police Intervention Unit Delta Platoon arrested Almameh Camara also known as Decor Jawo or Santana.

“The suspect is a notorious drug dealer who runs a gang of youngsters known for their engagement in criminal activities such as stealing, illicit substance abuse, and robbery within the community of New Yundum and surroundings. Evidence of suspected drug was found in his possession.

“Ghettos such as Sateba street camp, New site street camp or Badal, Alqaeda Junction all in New Yundum will be dismantled.

“Members of the public are encouraged to volunteer information about criminal gangs causing nuisance within their communities. Together we can achieve zero crime.”

TRRC lead counsel Essa Faal has come short of categorically stating if he will run for president – only saying he is ready to serve in whatever capacity the people want him to serve in.

Rumours continue to abound Mr Faal is interested in the job of president – and when asked on For The People By The People show on Sunday, he addressed the issue, even if cautiously.

He said: “I am willing to serve in whatever capacity the people of this country want me to serve in. It’s not about what I can get. What I can get, I get for myself and I get for myself elsewhere.

“But this is about service to the country, service to the people. Where I am required, where I am needed if it accords with my values, I would go there and I would do it.”

UDP leader Ousainou Darboe has called for an end to mob justice in the country saying it’s un-Gambian.

The country has in the recent past seen a rise in mob justice as citizens continued to mete out various forms of torture to thieves when they arrest them.

And speaking to reporters on Tuesday after, Mr Darboe said: “Mob justice that we’ve seen recently on the social [media] platforms is very worrying. Criminals have a right to their safety just as you and I have a right to our personal safety.

“Let us arrest them but we hand them over to the police. Let us not subject them to those cruel and inhumane treatment. It’s not Gambian.”

Senegal has arrested prison officers on duty when Boy Djine escaped the Freedom 6 detention centre over the weekend.

Notorious criminal Boy Djine fled the detention facility on Sunday and in an audio he has since released, the thief said he granted himself provisional release because authorities were dragging their feet over his release.

But according to Les Echos, the prison officers on guard as Boy Djine escaped have been arrested amid an investigation into the scandal.

Passionate NPP member Ahmad Gitteh has laughed at UDP leader Ousainou Darboe’s weekend comments his December victory is ordained by God.

Gitteh in an exclusive interview with The Fatu Network on Monday said: “Since 1996, Darboe has been talking and he’s been saying that he’s going to win the election. Darboe has said in fact with much more confidence that he was going to win in the past than this time around.

“And as a far as I am concerned Ousainou Darboe would have had a better chance winning against Yahya Jammeh than Adama Barrow. There are a lot of young people who understood Darboe is going to be the worst dictator in this country if you ever offer him a position.”

The United Nations system in The Gambia has said it is closely monitoring COVID-19 developments in the country, especially the recent detection of the COVID-19 Delta variant, which was first confirmed in India.

“The UN recognizes the urgent actions taken by the Ministry of Health to trace and isolate people exposed to the new variant and limit its potential spread.  The Government of The Gambia has also shown strong leadership in the deployment of the national COVID-19 vaccination campaign which has so far vaccinated about 30,000 people,” a statement said.

The statement added: “The confirmation of the new COVID-19 variant in the country is a strong reminder that the pandemic is far from over and that it is too soon to let our guard down.  Despite improvements in some parts of the world, new variants are being discovered forcing many countries to return to lockdowns due to a surge in cases.

“It is therefore prudent to take more seriously the COVID-19 preventive measures – mandatory use of face masks in public, social distancing, avoiding large crowds, and hand hygiene – and step up testing and contact tracing, especially of asymptomatic individuals, across the country.

“As the country forges ahead in these difficult times, the UN will continue to work closely with the Government of The Gambia and partners to provide strong support to national COVID-19 prevention, response and recovery efforts as it has been doing since the outbreak of the pandemic.”

The complainant’s mother in the rape trial of Bubacarr Keita has told the high court in Bundung her heart raced suddenly after her daughter undressed in front of her.

The businesswoman testifying in the trial for the third time on Tuesday said she asked her daughter to undress so she could bathe her with some elixir given to her by a traditional doctor.

She told Judge Momodou SM Jallow: “Since I was told she was collapsing in school, I got her medicine for that. So when she undressed, I looked at her and my heart raced.”

The woman added when asked by prosecuting lawyer Alasan Jobe if she undressed completely: “She only had her underwear. I then asked her ‘what happened to you?’ She said ‘nothing happened to me’. I told her ‘you’ve changed, looked at how your breasts look’.”

The woman testified that she her daughter’s breasts looked different which could not be known when she was wearing her school uniform.

She said: “The way I saw her breasts, you could not know if she wore her uniform. But when she undressed and I saw the breasts, I was suspicious and asked her ‘where did you get these breasts from.’ And when one is experienced in something, you tend to know about it when you see it.

“I then continued asking her. I told her ‘let’s enter the bathroom for me to bathe you since you said nothing has happened to you’. When I bathed her, I asked her to dress up as it was dusk already. The following day in the morning, I asked her to undress so I could bathe her again. After I bathed her and she came out [of the bathroom] and stood, I told her ‘since yesterday I’m asking you and you said nothing is wrong with you’.

“I then asked her ‘when did you last see your period?’. She told me ‘I do see my period every month’. I asked her ‘do you see it in a normal manner?’ She said ‘yes I do see it but what I see is usually not much’.

“I then told her ‘come and lay on the bed so I could check you’. When she laid down, I touched her stomach and saw that the stomach has something like a rock inside. I touched it again and felt something that appeared to be breathing. I told her ‘you’re pregnant’. She told me ‘no’. I asked her to get up. She got up and sat. “

Earlier on, the witness explained that it was her daughter’s French teacher who advised her to take her daughter to a traditional doctor.

“Because she was collapsing in school and if she falls it’s as if she is possessed by an evil spirit,” the witness said. When asked by the prosecuting lawyer if she heeded the teacher’s advice, the witness said she did.

On what further steps she took regarding her daughter’s illness, the witness said she got “traditional medicine she could bathe with”.

She said the issue of her daughter collapsing started in her school and that she asked her older daughter to asked the driver to bring her sister to her (mother) house instead.

“When they (driver) took her from school, [older daughter] said she should be taken to her house but I said they should bring her to my house,” the witness said.

“You said in the last sitting you already took her to a doctor and now you have said that you also treated her traditionally. Tell us whether you saw any improvements?” the prosecuting lawyer Alasan Jobe asked her elsewhere.

“When we took her to the hospital, she was given medicine. She spent days taking the medicine, felt better and returned to school. She went back to school and after a few days, she collapsed again,” the witness replied.