The Gambia Center for Victims of Human Rights Violations has issued a statement saying it is’ deeply’ concerned and ‘highly’ disappointed by the recent remarks made by the Minister of Defence Sheikh Omar Faye.

According to the Centre, Faye on the 4th April, 2021 during his interview on the For the People By the People Show on The Fatu Network said, “Let us suck it up, Let us understand that we made mistakes, Let us stop crying over spilled milk, Let us look for a way out, Let us move on” making reference to the victims of human rights violations of the former regime of Yaya Jammeh.

“This demeaning and highly insensitive statement is coming at a time when the TRRC is at the tail end of its mandate and subsequent submission of its final report and recommendations to the government. This statement coming from a Cabinet Minister is perceived as a threat that may affect the implementation of TRRC recommendations by the government as well as the healing process of victims,” the Centre said in a statement.

The statement added: “The Victims Center is dismayed by this frivolous statement from Hon. Faye, and as a result, the Center cannot let it go without expressing its repugnance to such irresponsible and callous remarks. It’s totally unacceptable and deserves absolute condemnation to the strongest terms. As a cabinet minister, he ought to speak responsibly and advocate for swift deliverance of justice for all victims.

“Furthermore, the victims Center is flabbergasted with the clarifications issued by the Ministry of Defence, dated 5th April,2021 on the remarks by Hon. Faye on the “For the People By the People Show” stating that the Ministry of Defence is working closely with victims through the Victims Center.

“Contrary to this statement, the Victims Center want to make it categorically clear that it has never worked with the Ministry of Defence in matters related to the welfare of victims of the past regime. However, the Victims Center would like to acknowledge and appreciate the courtesy visit paid by the current CDS Lt. General Yankuba Drammeh on the 20th July, 2020 as part of his familiarization tour of institution following his appointment.

“We therefore call on Hon. Faye to urgently withdraw his irresponsible and callous statement and apologize to all the victims of human rights violations of the former regime and honorably resign from his portfolio as a minister or be sacked by the President.

“The Gambia Center for victims of Human Rights Violations will continue to work with all players in fighting for justice for victims, and ensure that peace continues to prevail in our country, the Smiling Coast.”

Police have said they have arrested 25 people at various criminal hideouts as their Operation Zero Crime campaign persists.

Police said sis people were arrested in the Banjul region and 19 in the Kanifing region. Their arrests came for allegedly going “armed in public, possession of suspected drugs, possession of suspected stolen properties, attempt to commit felony, breaking and stealing, among others”.

The usual cooperation and compliance of the public is highly solicited, police said.

The latest arrests have however shown a consistent drop in the number of people being arrested. On day one of the campaign, police arrested 117 people. That dropped to a little over 90 the next day and then a little over 60 people the next day, and the 25 people.

The ministry of health issued a statement on Tuesday to react to a story by Malagen that uncovered corruption in the nation’s health sector.

Malagen investigation published last week revealed how health workers are selling fake COVID-19 negative test results, an act that could spell danger to the health of citizens.

The ministry has now issued a statement and it said: “The Ministry of Health wishes to update the public on the recent “Malagen” online video publication “entitled COVID-19 and an Outbreak of Bribery, 2nd April 2021”, featuring Mr. Lamin Nyassi working in the COVID-19 response team and Mr. Lamin Sanneh former Laboratory Staff of both the National Public Health Laboratories and AFRIMED clinic laboratory.

This video is considered with utmost seriousness by the Ministry of Health. It will be investigated and appropriate action will be taken. The Ministry will continue to strengthen the internal controls and procedures to prevent such possibilities.

“Mr. Nyassi vehemently denied involvement in selling COVID-19 test results as indicated in the video. However, this matter will further be thoroughly investigated and appropriate actions will be taken. The Ministry of Health does not condone any malpractice as a result investigated any hints of misconduct. A similar allegation had resulted in intercepting a gentleman who is still detained at the police station whilst investigation continue. The public is assured that the Ministry has been making efforts already to strengthen the system even before the production of the video currently in circulation.

“Regarding Mr. Lamin Sanneh who was a former staff of the National Public Health Laboratories (NPHL) and AFRIMED Clinic, available information indicates that he was a staff of NPHL up to 2019 when he was found missing during the head count which led to the suspension of his salary and later to his dismissal. Hence, Mr. Sanneh therefore, is not a staff of the Ministry of Health. Since then Mr. Sanneh has not come to work at NPHL as a staff. Subsequently, Mr. Sanneh was said to have started work with AFRICMED as a laboratory staff. His involvement in the COVID-19 work was through AFRICMED but not through NPHL.

“During the COVID-19 response and as part of strengthening partnership with the private sector, Mr. Sanneh was trained as a staff of AFRIMED and not NPHL. Until recently barely three (3) months ago, the NPHL was made to understand that Mr. Sanneh has been dismissed from AFRICMED Clinic. The Ministry wishes to inform the public that Mr. Lamin Sanneh is not working with the NPHL at the Ministry of Health and his involvement in the COVID-19 work has nothing to do with the NPHL.

“Even though Mr. Sanneh is no longer a health worker under the Ministry of Health but the purported actions which we have no concrete evidence of, are highly condemned by the Ministry of Health as it goes to undermine our collective efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19 in The Gambia and beyond. The Ministry assures the public that it will take the allegation seriously and will mount an investigation into the matter immediately and the public will be informed of the outcome of the investigation and anyone found involved in the matter will face the full force of the law.

“Similarly, the public is hereby warned about the implication of seeking a negative COVID-19 test result without doing the test both nationally and internationally. The activity only is tantamount to undermining governments’ response efforts and favouring transmission of the infection to family members, friends, neighbours, work mates and the general public here and abroad. It is an offense under the laws of the country to illicitly seek for a negative COVID-19 test results without taking the test.

“There are robust measures put in place to ensure that these missteps do not happen again. Now all COVID- 19 certificates must be paid for at a bank and a verifiable receipt number is given before the test is done. This receipt number is also entered in the data base before a certificate is released.

“At the sample collection site, there is always a team of minimum two people to ensure that samples are not tampered with. The signature on the certificate is only done by one person. There is also a unique barcode on each certificate to avoid alteration or forgery.

“The cases mentioned in the video have been reported to the police station and due process is being instituted by the police. The Ministry had pursued in the past any allegation of corruption it was aware of and these new ones will be no exception.

“The Ministry therefore solicits the support and cooperation of the public in this trying time of the investigation and as well as its efforts to contain COVID-19 in the country.”

Gambia Football Federation warned on Tuesday it won’t be ‘kind’ towards future culprits after two people got busted for allegedly using Football House’s logo unlawfully.

In a statement, Gambia Football Federation said an operation led by the director of marketing and communications “on Monday apprehended two individuals who are involved in the illegal sale of Lacoste shirts with the GFF Logo printed on them”.

The statement said: “The operation, with help from The Gambia Police Force (GPF), and the Ebo Town Police Post, to be specific, led the team to one Mr. Mendy in Wellingara, West Coast Region, where 25 Lacoste shirts with GFF registered crest printed on them were recovered and confiscated. This individual led the operations team to a shop in Banjul called Galactic Fashion who does both wholesale and retail of general merchandise.

“Situated between The Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA) building and the Ferry Terminal, we met one Momodou Lamin Jallow, who had a hot press machine in his store with piles and piles of plain Lacoste shirts, which he used to illegally print our logos on for commercial gains.

“The two men were both escorted to the Ebo Town Police Post where they wrote statements and were later released on bail, having assured that they will cease to involve in the illegal act.

“In light if the above, the GFF further wishes to warn other individuals and businesses, who are involved in the illegal sale of the aforesaid Lacoste and jerseys for commercial gains to desist from the act, failure of which, Football House will not be kind to the next culprit(s) as the aforementioned duo.

“Finally, we would like to thank the GPF profoundly, and the Ebo Town Police Post, in particular, for the cooperation and collaboration during this operation.”

Senegalese women in the diaspora will stage a protest to show support to Adji Sarr, the woman who accused Ousmane Sonko of raping her.

Sarr accused Sonko of raping her at a massage parlour she worked at in Dakar. The case is now in court.

Famous Senegalese Aida Patra and women from the diaspora are now set to stage a protest in support of the woman, according to local media.

The protest will take place on Wednesday at the Place de la Nation in Dakar.

The government has declared cement an essential commodity putting it in the same group as rice and other food commodities.

The price of cement has in recent weeks gone up as demand soared on the commodity across the country. Dealers have been selling a bag of cement by up to D400.

The ministry of trade in a statement declared cement an essential commodity and imposed a price cap on the item.

“In view of this, government is imposing a price cap on the wholesale price of a bag of cement at D285 and a cap on the retail price at D305 with immediate effect.

“Any entity/person found selling cement above the capped prices will be subject to the full penalty of the law as stipulated in the Consumer Protection Act 2014,” the ministry said in a statement on April 1.

Ousman Ceesay who escaped from Jeshwang prison in Jeshwang has been re-arrested, according to police.

Police in a statement said Kanifing Region day time patrol team arrested “Ousman Ceesay who escaped at Jeshwang prisons and handed him over to Gambia Prisons authorities”.

Fourteen inmates in January escaped from the Jeshwang prisoners, the third time prisoners are escaping from the facility since August 2018. It was not immediately clear if Ceesay was part of that group.

Police said Monday night they have arrested 60 people as their Operation Zero Crime campaign intensifies.

Police said: “A total number of 60 people were arrested at various criminal hideouts. Among them 5 are non Gambians. Number of people arrested per region: Banjul Region, 16; Kanifing Region 25; West Coast Region, 19.

“Offenses: going armed in public, assault causing actual bodily harm, possession of suspected drugs, possession of suspected stolen properties, idle and disorderly manners, attempt to commit felony, breaking and stealing, among others.”

The Ministry of Defence has issued a statement saying comments made by the Minister of Defence Sheikh Omar Faye on Sunday on The For The People By The People Show were distorted.

The minister during the show said Gambians should forget what’s happened in the 22 years rule of Jammeh and move on – comments that did not sit well with a lot of Gambians.

The ministry said: “The attention of the Ministry of Defence (MOD) was drawn to several social media comments about the remarks made by the Honourable Minister of Defence (Hon MOD), Ambassador Sheikh Omar Faye on the “For the People By the People” Show on the online platform of the Fatu Network on Sunday 4 April 2021. Among other issues discussed on this very important platform was the plight of the Victims of the 22 years of the Jammeh regime in The Gambia.

“The MOD wishes to state that the Honourable Minister’s remarks were distorted by unscrupulous persons with the intention of maligning and discrediting Ambassador Sheikh Omar Faye and the efforts of the MOD in the reconciliation process. It is the expressed view of the MOD that the victims of the former President Jammeh’s regime cut across all sectors of Gambian society and include several members of the Gambia Armed Forcces, an institution that is directly under the purview of the Honourable Minister of Defence. The MOD cherishes the role it is currently playing in the healing process in the country as it believes in being part of the solution to a healing and reconciling nation.

“It may be instructive, therefore to state that the MOD is working very closely with these victims, through the Victims Center and the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) in bringing closure to their plight through the healing, reconciliation and reparation process. Therefore, the Hon MOD wishes to reiterate his commitment to this national healing process and would like to also call on all well-meaning Gambians to rededicate themselves to this process and ultimately to the task of nation-building. It is important that we all avoid any discourse that has the tendency to underrate or negate the plight of so many Gambians who have suffered so much and for so long during the course of the last 22 years.

“Finally, the Honourable Minister of Defence Ambassador Sheikh Omar Faye wishes to, once again commiserate with the Victims Center and reassure all Gambians of his resolute and firm commitment to a One Gambia, One Nation and One People!!!”

NAWEC has issued a statement given reason for the erratic power supply in the Greater Banjul Area.

In a statement, NAWEC said: “NAWEC wishes to inform the general public that some engines in Brikama and Kotu Power Stations have been shut down due to some mechanical faults, while KARPOWER was already shut down for some routine maintenance.

“These are the reason for the current erratic power supply in the GBA which is due to mainly inadequate capacity.

“The engineers have already started restoring some of the feeders that were shut down and hopefully they will complete as soon as possible.

“We apologize for the inconvenience this may have caused.”

PPP’s leadership problem has continued to fester as Touma Njai reminded citizens at the weekend she is the interim leader of PPP.

In a statement on her personal Facebook page, the MP said: “I promised that once I get a respond from the IEC, I shall go public. I have received a letter that I shared publicly, I have also engaged my lawyers to pursue the matter in the courts. In the coming week, we shall have a meeting to be followed by another press engagement to keep the public abreast on the matters going.

“Each and every regional chairperson shall take the floor to discuss matters affecting them and the issues they had encountered in the process.  No stone shall be left untouched. We must get to the bottom of the matter as what happened in 2018 shall not be allowed to be repeated.

“The PPP is a respected party, reputable for that matter and a selected few shall not taint its reputation due to greed and selfish personal interests. Once a date is agreed by the team, it shall be duly communicated and all media houses formally and cordially invited.  Meanwhile as was declared on 1st  March, I remain the Interim leader pending free and fair elections.”

Citizens’ Alliance’s Raffie Diab aimed a sly dig Sunday at critics following a successful inter-village football tournament in the Kombos.

Madiana United and Tintinto battled it out for glory at Sunday’s final. The former won the final.

And reacting after the event turned out successful, Raffie Diab said: “When we started they wrote us off as a football team party. Well I wonder what name they will come up with now.

“Dr Ceesay Inter Village tournament was a huge success. The people of Madiana and the surrounding villages came out in their numbers to support their respective teams. Special thanks to Bwinners for sponsoring the tournament.

“Congrats to Madiana United. It was a wonderful and entertaining final.”

Gambian people are tired of half-baked intellectuals posing as scholars, presidential hopeful Alhaji Kurang said on Monday.

Writing on his Facebook page, the former Janneh Commission secretary said: “Gambian people are tired of half-baked intellectuals posing as scholars we are all tired.

“If Femi Mahoney or whoever he is or the so-called Gambia’s Pen Momodou Sabally are ready to be exposed they are free to come out for a public debate on any topic all expenses paid at a place and time of their choosing before we take on the party leadership we need to deal with the Goebells of our time!”

Kurang in an exclusive interview with The Fatu Network announced his plan to run for president in December.

President Adama Barrow revealed on Monday the only person he spoke with every day was the late Inspector General of Police Mamour Jobe.

The president made the revelation while meeting with the family of Jobe and commiserating with them on the death of their loved one. Jobe died last month aged 61.

And the president while heaping praise on Jobe said he was the only person whom he spoke with each day.

The president said: “His death is a death of the whole nation, not just Jobe Kunda or Ballangar. Mamour was head of police but his role went beyond. In my government, I can say Mamour was the only person I spoke with every day. He calls me at 8:30am every morning.

“We would talk and sometimes we would talk again in the afternoon. So he was just my IGP but also my friend. And there was strong trust and respect between us.”

President Adama Barrow said he told the late police chief Mamour Jobe ‘we cannot lose you’ – as he shared his last conversation with the fallen cop.

The president travelled to Sinchu Alagie Monday afternoon to meet with the family of Jobe following his passing aged 61 last month.

And the president speaking at the event, said: “Before he died on Wednesday, I spoke with him on the telephone and he told me how he got sick. He told me, ‘you almost lost an IG’. I told him ‘Mamour, we cannot lose you’. He told me the illness and I told him we must not play with that illness. He said ‘another doctor has checked me’.

“I told him, ‘no, it’s my doctor who will take you and check you’. But if a man’s time is right [to die], you can’t be wise. When my doctor came, he suspected something and told him ‘I will take you to the hospital and admit you’. He said he didn’t want that. He refused. But that person (doctor) suspected something but he refused for that person to take him.

“I wasn’t here. I had however sent people to represent me and I sent people again but I said that’s not enough. That however I sent people, if I didn’t come myself, Mamour will not forgive me. There was nothing between me and Mamour. There was only peace.”

Police have announced the arrest of a man who they say confessed to looting D158,000 from Sanyang fishmeal factory.

Police have been engulfed in a new operation dubbed Operation Zero Crime and Alagie Manneh’s arrest is said to have come from the operation.

Police said: “Patrol Team B of Upper West Coast Region arrested Alagie Manneh of Kombo Sanyang at Duromo Kolong Brikama with One Hundred and Fifty-Eight Thousand Dalasis (D158, 000.00).

“According to the suspect the money was looted at the burnt Fish Meal Factory at Sanyang. Meanwhile, investigation continues.”

Police said on Sunday they have made a latest arrest of 96 people after initially arresting 117.

Police launched a new campaign against crime dubbed ‘Operation Zero Crime’ a few days ago.

Police said Sunday: “A total number of 96 people were arrested at various criminal hideouts within the Greater Banjul and West Coast Regions. Among the total number of people arrested 27 are non Gambians, while the rest are Gambians.

“Forty-five people were arrested at Banjul Region including 3 females, 30 arrested at Kanifing Region and 21 arrested at West Coast Region.

“They were arrested in connection to several offenses including going armed in public, assault causing actual bodily harm, possession of suspected drugs, possession of suspected stolen properties, idle and disorderly manners, attempt to commit felony among others.

“We continue to count on your usual cooperation and compliance, particularly in the sharing of information.”