An Islamic teacher in Louga, Senegal Abdou Latif Cissé has been sentenced to five years in prison after one of his students died after he beat him, according to Senego.

Senego reported on Tuesday Cisse had beaten 15-year-old Habiboulaye Camara and the student later died. He has been sentenced to five years in prison and will also pay 10 million CFA in damages.

During his trial, the teacher denied some of the charges but admitted lashing the deceased four times on February 16, 2020 after he failed to memorise his lesson of the day.

Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan has named Finance minister Dr. Phillip Mpango, 63, as the new Vice President of the United Republic of Tanzania.

His name was presented to parliament for approval on Tuesday after Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan nominated him.

“Under the constitution, the new Vice president has to be approved by at least 50 percent of the Members of Parliament,” The Citizen newspaper said.

Tanzanian MPs have now unanimously approved Dr. Philip Mpango as the country’s new Vice President.

He fills the VP position which was left vacant after  Samia Suluhu Hassan was sworn in as President following the death of Dr. John Pombe Magufuli.

Dr. Philip Mpango until today’s appointment was the Minister for Finance and Planning of the United Republic of Tanzania and has been in office since November 2015.

According to Tanzania’s Constitution, the vice presidency vacancy must be filled within 14 days from when it falls vacant.

“After consultation with the political party to which he or she belongs, the President shall propose the name of the person who shall be vice-president, and such appointment shall be confirmed by the National Assembly by votes of not less than 50 percent of all members of parliament,” Article 37 of the Constitution states. (CGTN Africa)

Everyone wants their team to get through to the final round of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Cameroon… but apparently no-one wants it quite as much as Sierra Leone’s president, Julius Maada Bio.

In a match against Benin tonight, the Leone Stars need to get at least a 1-0 victory – or to win by a two goal margin if they concede a goal – in order to go through, while Benin just needs a draw to qualify. It’s 25 years since Sierra Leone last made it to the AFCON finals – before many of the current team were even born.

So, while he was visiting a training session, the President decided to really inspire the team, promising each player $10,000 (100 million leones) and a parcel of land if they qualify. He spoke to the BBC’s Mohamed Fajah Barrie.

“We’ve done it before and we can do it again… ours is a football loving nation and we have to make our people proud.”

Benin players have refused to play in protest after several of their players were alleged to have returned positive Covid-19 tests, according to Super Sport.

By BBC with agencies

Fishmeal factory Golden Lead has been ordered to stop its expansion programme in Gunjur, officials have told The Fatu Network.

Reports on Tuesday said the factory had been issued a ‘stop’ notice by National Environment Agency. Some suggested the company was shut down.

A top NEA official told The Fatu Network the factory was indeed served with a ‘stop’ notice regarding the factory’s expansion programme after it appeared to have encroached the garden of the women of Gunjur.

The notice is not meant for the closing down of operation of the company but their new expansion, the official added.

Fourteen mosques in the region of Fatick were burgled in one month and items taken, according to Senego on Tuesday.

Senego reported that mosque officials confided in APS news outlet 14 mosques including a grand mosque were victims of burglary in Fatick in a space of one month.

Accoding to the report, items such as fans, speakers and chairs were stolen by the thieves.

Public Utilities Regulatory Authority director general Momodou B Jallow has died, sources close to his family have told The Fatu Network.

Jallow died on Tuesday in the United States. It was not immediately known what caused his passing.

PURA issued a statement confirming the top official’s death and said it was a ‘monumental’ loss.

The authority said: “The Board and Management of Public Utilities Regulatory Authority(PURA) of The Gambia regrets to inform the public that its Director General Momodou B. Jallow has passed away. This sad news occured today Tuesday 30th March, 2021 in the United States of America.

“His passing is a monumental loss to both the Authority and the country at large.

“We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family and friends. The burial arrangements will be duly communicated.”

Economist Nyang Njie has opined that President Adama Barrow has hijacked The Gambia – and has looked at his personal interest over the collective good.

Njie stated this during an exclusive interview with The Fatu Network on Monday.

The pundit said: “This transitional government has completely failed. Why did it fail? What brought them together was smaller than what can keep them together. What does that mean? They came together for one purpose and one purpose only: to boot out Yahya Jammeh. There was no sincerity in transforming this country and it has shown thereafter. The Janneh Commission has failed woefully, we all know that.

“The draft constitution has been butchered and killed by the very champion who should have championed the draft constitution because that’s what he sold to the Gambians. He is the one responsible for the mess this country finds itself and truth be told, it has to be told as it is. What does that mean?

“The president was supposed to be an arbiter, a referee, make sure that the ground is level, the playing field is good, put the institutional structures in place, put the reparations and other things in place, call for an election, eject himself out of the political process and allow the country to move on. He has hijacked Gambia, he has strangulated Gambia and he is responsible and history will not be kind to him.

“Because we had a unique golden opportunity to transform this country through its institutions and making sure what happened in the past will never repeat itself but he looked at his personal ambition over our collective good and that’s why I cannot see him as a statesman. A statesman would put country before self and everything that this president has done is to advance his personal interest over our collective good.”

Friday and Monday have been declared public holiday in The Gambia on the occasion of this year’s Easter.

A statement by the Office of the President Tuesday said: “In accordance with the provisions of section 76 (1) of the Constitution of the Republic of The Gambia, the Office of the President informs the public that Friday, 2nd and Monday 4th April 2021 will be public holidays throughout The Gambia in observance of the Christian Holy feast of Easter.

“On behalf of the President, H.E., Adama Barrow, the Office of the President extends best wishes of a blessed Easter feast to the Christian community, at home and abroad.

“As The Gambia continues to fight against the global Coronavirus pandemic, Christians are urged to continue praying for the country, those who have loss their lives from the virus, or have been infected. Everyone is reminded that adhering to the COVID-19 safety guidelines could safe lives.”

Momodou Sabally has leapt to Kexx Sanneh’s support writing: Kexx is our Kexx.

Police arrested Sanneh on Monday as they said their investigations revealed he was never kidnapped or abducted.

Sabally writing on Tuesday said: “We stand by our brother Kexx in these difficult moments. Despite his multifaceted shenanigans, Kexx is our Kexx!

“Once a brother always a brother.”

Zakaria Kemo Konteh has opined for the sacking by PDOIS of youth bureau chief Kexx Sanneh as Sanneh’s PR stunt continued to unravel.

Sanneh claimed at the weekend he was kidnapped, threatened and later dumped at Bakoteh cemetery. The story later changed to Erinjang cemetery.

And police on Monday said Sanneh lied about his kidnapping.

Zakaria Kemo Konteh, ZKK who had penned an opinion piece condemning the act in the strongest terms has now said Sanneh should be dismissed by PDOIS.

He wrote Monday: “Come to think of it,PDOIS should just expell Kexx Sanneh for causing this monumental  embarrassment to himself, family, friends and, most importantly, to the country.

“Personally, I believed in his story not because I was gullible or didn’t have questions, but because I didn’t think Kexx, given his standing in the society, would be capable of orchestrating such outlandish and fairy tales with irredeemably damaging implications. I was wrong! I am pissed for being wrong about him!

“Just so we are clear: am not in any damn solidarity with him over this self-inflicted skirmish with the law. Just as I had wished the alleged criminals be apprehended and brought to book, so should Kess be held to account in the same way for giving false information to the police and wasting our time and resources.

“Kudos to Gambia Police Force for quickly resolving this matter with maximum transparency.”

Kemeseng Sanneh’s wife Sai Touray has reacted amid the arrest of the famous PDOIS member on Monday.

Police issued a statement Monday saying they have arrested the PDOIS Youth Bureau chief after he admitted to lying about being kidnapped.

Police said their investigations revealed Sanneh was never kidnapped or abducted.

His UK-based wife Sai Touray has now reacted as Gambians online continued to react variously on the issue.

“I have duty and obligation to my husband to be there for him in good times and bad, love, protect and support him and I will be right here for him to the end. I believe in Kexx Sanneh. Innocent until proven guilty,” she wrote on her Facebook on Monday evening.

International e-commerce direct selling company QNET’s flagship annual event, the V-Convention, is back with a renewed vigor in the new decade. Originally a bi-annual convention that would take place on the island of Penang, Malaysia, the convention took on the moniker V-Convention Connect (VCC) as it was adapted into a virtual format last year in the face of COVID-19. The event that spanned over 3 days attracted a record-breaking viewership of nearly  350,000 people from over 50 countries.

Aptly themed: “Renew, Revive, Reborn”, this year’s convention was planned with a singular goal: to bring together QNET’s community of distributors and customers to rise against all odds and achieve their dreams.

The V-Convention Connect was designed to create an immersive and enjoyable experience that rivalled an in-person convention. Prior to commencement of the event, the official V-Convention website featured a virtual space where one could freely “visit” the various booths and browse QNET’s host of lifestyle, wellness, and luxury products.

The virtual 3-day event featured training programmes by top distributors and leadership professionals, information sessions about the direct selling industry, virtual product training sessions, new product launches and a showcase of QNET’s history, partnerships and sponsorships. Some of the highlights included a virtual celebration of the 150th Anniversary of the Bernhard H. Mayer brand, the supplier of QNET’s luxury watches and jewellery. This included an announcement about the upcoming limited edition 150th anniversary collection featuring two stunning Swiss-Made timepieces in Stainless Steel and Rose Gold; the introduction of Banago, an online marketplace featuring products from QNET and a variety of vendors set to go live in the second quarter of 2021 in the Middle East; the launch of the next generation of QNET’s iconic wellness product, the Amezcua Chi Pendant 4; [and] a segment dedicated to showcasing QNET’s social impact in communities worldwide through RYTHM Foundation.

Chief Executive Officer of QNET, Ms Malou Caluza, remarks upon the success of this year’s convention, “This is the new normal! After the success of last year’s virtual convention, we were a lot more confident this year about the impact we can make. We realised that even after the world opens up and physical events can be held safely, we must continue to arrange virtual events such as this as it allows us to reach a much broader audience from so many more countries. For participants with limited resources who want to be part of such events to learn and be inspired, the VCC is a real blessing as they do not have to worry about travel arrangements, visas, hotel costs, and other logistics.

2020 was a tough year for everyone and we wanted this year’s V-Convention Connect to reignite dreams and fuel the passion of our community. Seeing the positive reactions and stories our distributors shared on social media throughout the event made all the hard work and preparation worth it.”

QNET won an Honorable Mention at the 2020 MarCom Awards in the Digital Media (Instagram) Category for last year’s VCC official hashtag, #VCC2020. The success of the last VCC was also featured in numerous online and print publications, such as Yahoo! News and Direct Selling News.

QNET is one of Asia’s leading e-commerce based direct selling companies offering a wide range of health, wellness and lifestyle products that enable people to lead better lives. QNET’s grass-roots business model fueled by the power of e-commerce has helped empower millions of entrepreneurs in more than 100 countries worldwide.

QNET is headquartered in Hong Kong and has a presence in more than 25 countries around the world through subsidiaries, branch offices, agency partnerships, and franchisees.

QNET is a member of the Direct Selling Association in several countries and is also a part of the Hong Kong Health Food Association and the Health Supplements Industry Association of Singapore among others.

QNET is also active in sports sponsorships around the world. Some of the more prominent partnerships include being the Direct Selling Partner of Manchester City Football Club and the African Club League Championships of CAF.

Police have said their investigations have revealed Kexx Sanneh was never kidnapped or abducted and that they have now arrested him for lying.

Police in a statement said: “The Police High Command wishes to inform the public that Kemeseng Sanneh known as Kexx Sanneh is currently under arrest and helping the Police in their investigations.

“His arrest came following a case report he filed at the LK German Police Station on Saturday 27th March 2021, alleging being kidnapped by unidentified individuals.

“He claimed to have been dumped at Erinjang Cemetery on the 24th March 2021, which information he knew to be false and misleading.

“The Crime Investigation Department opened a swift investigation into the circumstances leading to his alleged kidnapping with a view to prosecute anyone found responsible in accordance with the Laws.

“However, investigations revealed that, Kemeseng Sanneh was never kidnapped or abducted by any individual.

“Sufficient evidence gathered showed that he  was not kidnapped and placed in a car as alleged; but instead, he spent that very night in his house with a Marabout from Senegal who’s service he hired.

“Further investigations revealed that Kemeseng Sanneh was involved in a fraudulent marabout scam, details of which are subject of further investigations.

“The GPF High Command hereby commends the public for the swift response in providing relevant information useful to the Investigation.

“Members of the public are further encouraged to be law abiding and warned against spreading false and misleading information on crime for any reason.

“The Police is also applying due diligence in ensuring the safety of Kemeseng as he continues to help in the investigations.”

The Gambia Press Union, GPU, on 24^th March, 2020 reviewed and validated two policies: one on Legal Assistance, and another on Membership Welfare.

The Legal Assistance Policy is intended to guide and facilitate the Union’s provision of effective and timely legal assistance, advice and representation for the journalists. It is also meant to provide basic legal training, knowledge and insights on aspects of law relating to the work of journalists.

The Membership Welfare Policy establishes a framework for the provision of services and access to facilities and amenities offered by the Union to its members. The policy outlines a range of direct and tangible benefits for union members. It also set rules and standards for service delivery in a manner that is efficient and equitable.

The two policies are developed with funding from the British Government’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office under the project “Promoting a culture of access to information and enhancing the capacity and welfare of journalists”.

“Over the past two years, there has been a paradigm shift, we focused more on initiatives that are geared towards promoting the welfare of journalists,” Lamin Jahateh, Programme Manager of GPU, said during the validation at the Baobab Hotel in Bijilo.

He said that the policies would serve as tools guiding the Union’s actions and engagement towards its members and the services it offers.

Over the last decade, two-thirds of funds spent on legal assistance went to non-members of the GPU. Now, the Union want to change this by ensuring benefit from its services is tied to membership.

“The policies are not intended to discriminate, rather they are meant to empower and encourage journalists to take more commitment towards the Union,” according to Sheriff Bojang Jnr., the President of the GPU. “We stand for the men and women who show commitment by registering formally and paying their dues.”

He said the policies are purely a contractual agreement between the GPU board and union members who voted them into office.

United Democratic Party have cast attention to selection of a flag-bearer for the December presidential election asking people to apply for the party’s presidential candidate position.

In a statement signed by senior administrative secretary Alhagie S Darboe, the party said “applications will remain open until Wednesday 7th April 2021 at 00.00 am”.

“All interested applicants are invited to submit their applications to the UDP Central Committee before that stipulated deadline.

“All interested applicants are advised to check and ensure that they meet the qualifications criteria for the office of President, as provided under Section 62 of the Constitution of The Gambia 1997.

“All applicants are further advised to address their applications to and submit the same to the Party’s Central Committee headed by the National President at our UDP Manjai Bureau before the stipulated deadline.

“All applications will be vetted and considered by the Party’s Central Committee for approval and subsequent selection by the Selection Committee, in accordance with Article 23,  paragraphs 3 (b and c) of the Party’s Constitution,” the statement said.

Leader Darboe told The Fatu Network last year he is interested in the job and that he will apply for the position.

“I hope the party selects me and I would want the party to select me and I am going to apply to the party to select me,” Mr Darboe told The Fatu Network in an exclusive interview last May.

A total of 37 people were buried at the Yoff cemetery in Senegal on Sunday after their families failed to collect their bodies.

The 37 people were placed under ‘unidentifiable bodies’ by authorities and buried after they exhausted the legal period of conversation of a corpse, according to Leral.net.

The unknown corpses are said to be wanderers, the mentally ill or accident victims admitted in hospital.