Samsudeen Sarr has doubled down on his stance former President Yahya Jammeh should be let to return to the country.

Mr Sarr last Monday met President Barrow but the meeting was condemned by a lot of Gambians, as Mr Sarr revealed the contents of the meeting include his proposal for the return to the country of Jammeh.

However, Mr Sarr today doubled down on his position, saying: “If you can take UDP, you can take APRC. But I have seen if UDP people join your party, no one would say anything. But APRC supporters come to your party, they say no one should hear that.

“They say why the likes of Omar Faye and Seedy Njie were taken but they do not have a problem with why Masanneh Kinteh or Yankuba Drammeh was taken who was with Yahya Jammeh until the last minute.

“I want to beg you (President Barrow) in the name of God: do for Yahya Jammeh what he did for Jawara. Bring him and let his home be in Kanilai. The army occupying his home is wrong and they should leave there. Let him come and leave with his people.”

Police have revealed arresting 681 people since the start of its much-praised Operation Zero Crime campaign last month.

“From the commencement of Operation Zero on the 2nd April 2021, a total number of 681 people were arrested at various criminal hideouts within Banjul, Kanifing and West Coast Regions,” police said today.

But according to police, 304 people out of that number were found not connected to any crime and therefore released.

Police said 119 people were found to be undocumented immigrants and handed over to the Gambia Immigration Department for necessary actions while 153 people were found with suspected drugs and handed over to the Drug Law Enforcement Agency for necessary actions.

Still, police said 105 people were charged with various crimes including going armed in public, possession of suspected stolen properties, breaking and stealing, drink and drive, assault, robbery, stealing, escape from lawful custody and obstructing a police officer.

Seedy Njie has said Momodou Sabally must not confuse himself by claiming President Adama Barrow threatened him.

“Sabally must not confuse himself and confuse the fact that a villager from somewhere announced that as a concerned villager as indicated in that audio which of course no sane person would associate to the National People’s Party. You cannot also just associate that to President Adama Barrow by saying ‘threats from President Adama Barrow and his supporters’,” the NPP deputy spokesman in an audio sent to The Fatu Network said.

Mr Sabally had over the weekend said threats from the president and his supporters could only embolden him but according to Mr Njie, the president has never threatened the UDP behemoth.

Mr Njie added: “President Adama Barrow has never threatened Momodou Sabally and he cannot bring himself and he will never bring himself that low to Momodou Sabally and issue threats to him. We all know the person of President Adama Barrow and he is committed to rule of law and democratic dispensation and the National People’s Party is founded on the principles of pluralism and democratic dispensation.

“We believe in a lever playing field and that’s what President Adama Barrow believes and he ushered in a new dawn where every Gambian, irrespective of your political affiliation or religion, exercise those rights to freely express yourself and to associate yourself with political parties or religion or association.

“And you’re free to express yourself without any fear as Momodou Sabally, of course, vomiting venom from his mouth against the person of the president. Of course [due to] personal grudges and vendetta. But with all that, President Adama Barrow has never uttered a word.

“The president is not any way following the activities or Momodou Sabally or any other person in his category. We want to say that the National People’s Party is disappointed with that statement of associating such to President Adama Barrow.”

Momodou Sabally has responded to threats his legs will be broken if he ever stepped foot in Gambisara saying: ‘I have no business in Gambisara but if God permits it if I’m going to Wulli I will make a stop there’.

An unidentified man in an audio that has emerged online ranted Sabally is ill-mannered and disrespectful.

“He’s not crazy to come to Gambisara. If he comes to Gambisara, we will ask kids to beat him until they break his legs,” the man said in the audio.

And he added: “He is a trouble-maker and useless. He is impertinent and insults the leaders. But if he faces some of us and says the things he says, we will destroy his mouth.”

But according to Sabally, threats from President Barrow and his supporters can only embolden him.

“You say you’re bad-mouthing and threatening me. That can only embolden me. I have no business in Gambisara but if God permits it if I’m going to Wulli I will make a stop there,” Sabally said.

The former secretary general also disclosed he enjoys great respect and love in Gambisara.

“I have great relationship with Serahules and no one can sow discord between us. I’m well-respected in Gambisara and I have great elders there who I love very much. So the words of one individual cannot get to me and make me say things to people I respect so much,” he said.

Morocco announced on Saturday that it has foiled an illegal immigration attempt across the Mediterranean and arrested 19 people.

During the operation, the police arrested in the coast of the northern city of El Hoceima one person for alleged involvement in human trafficking and migrant smuggling and seized two boasts, official news agency MAP said.

On Friday, the police arrested eight would-be immigrants and one individual in the northern city of Nador for alleged links with a criminal network active in the organization of illegal immigration.

A Moroccan navy unit operating in the Mediterranean on Friday night thwarted a drug trafficking operation and seized 3 tonnes of cannabis off the coast of Nador, MAP reported. (XINHUA)

President Adama Barrow made a move on a shot looking to beat a young goalkeeper in a photo that has triggered reaction online.

The photo, shared on the social media network Facebook by the president’s photographer Sulayman Touray, shows the president taking on a young goalkeeper in impressive style.

The Fatu Network understands the act took place on the beach in Banjul a few days ago.

A man threatened to break former secretary general Momodou Sabally’s legs if he stepped foot in Gambisara.

The unidentified man in an audio that has emerged online rants that Momodou Sabally is ill-mannered and disrespectful.

“He’s not crazy to come to Gambisara. If he comes to Gambisara, we will ask kids to beat him until they break his legs,” the man says in the audio.

“He is a trouble-maker and useless. He is impertinent and insults the leaders. But if he faces some of us and says the things he says, we will destroy his mouth.”

President Adama Barrow pledged his Government’s support for the improvement and expansion of the Gam-Petroleum fuel storage facility in Mandinari during a surprise visit to the depot and other government institutions on Thursday, State House has said.

Commenting on the purpose of the visit, the Gambian Leader said it was to familiarize himself with the facility and the management, State House said in a statement.

The statement continued: “He added that the viability and security of the fuel depot is a matter of national security and priority hence it is managed and secured by Gambians.

“While on a conducted tour of the facility by the management team, President Barrow commented that it was critical to adopt a strategy with clearly outlined steps to secure the facility as a national entity.

“In line with his government’s policy to promote the Gambian private sector growth, President Barrow also encouraged Gambian Investors to invest in the petroleum industry to ensure a level playing field and competitive market rates in the industry.

“Responding to the Human Resource capacity concerns, the Gambian President revealed that there are ongoing plans for local and international training programmes for personnel on new and emerging technologies to operate and manage the multi-million dollar infrastructure effectively.  He stated his commitment to this cause while urging the staff and management to be aware of illegal and unauthorised activities.

“On his immediate reaction to the visit, President Barrow noted that he has made observations that are key to the facility’s operation and that the presidency will collaborate with experts to map out protocols that will ensure more efficient management of the infrastructure.”

The chief executive officer of GACH global Abubakary Jawara has given 13 cows to mosques across the country on the occasion of this year’s Laylatul Qadr to be observed on Saturday.

The nation’s Muslim faithful have been marking this year’s Ramadan fast and Laylatul Qadr (Night of Power) is observed on the 27th day of Ramadan.

According to narrations in Islam, the night is better than a thousand months – and Muslims set sleep to one side and spend the night worshipping Allah.

The night itself is not known but the Prophet Muhammad said it can be found in the odd days of the last ten days of Ramadan. And the 27th day is offered special attention when many Muslims stay up to pray and engage in other acts of worship.

Saikou Marong has aimed a sly dig at UDP leader Ousainou Darboe by saying he lost all the elections he contested in.

Darboe has confidently said he will be declared president-elected at the December 4 presidential election.

But Latrikunda Sabiji MP Marong wrote on Thursday: “He said he will be declared a winner 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011 and he lost all. Adama Barrow said he will be declared a winner in 2016 and he won.

“So if he said he will be declared a winner come 5th December 2021 should I bother myself? I’m at my corner waiting for December 5^th.”

The Supreme Court this week ruled the 54 million dalasis loan scheme by members of the National Assembly was unconstitutional and ordered for its scrapping from the budget.

Below is the full judgment;

JUDGMENT FROM THE SUPREME COURT BETWEEN GAMBIA PARTICIPATES AND NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

file:///C:/Users/newse/Downloads/JUDGMENT%20FROM%20THE%20SUPREME%20COURT%20BETWEEN%20GAMBIA%20PARTICIPATES%20AND%20NATIONAL%20ASSEMBLY.pdf

President Adama Barrow assured women activists of his government’s commitment to the advancement of women. The President made the remarks on Wednesday when he received members of the Gender Platform, an advocacy group promoting women’s political participation and leadership in governance.

State House said: “President Barrow expresses appreciation in receiving the team and called on educated women to step forward and participate in electoral politics and governance.

“The President of Gender Platform, Ms Tabu Njie-Sarr said their audience with President Barrow was to seek his support for a guaranteed quota of women representation in the National Assembly and other governance structures. Ms Njie-Sarr said since the attainment of independence women continued to be underrepresented in political office thus the call for reserving two seats in each region for contest among women, to change the status quo.

“Also present at the meeting at the State House was the Minister of Women, Children and Social Welfare, Honourable Fatou Kinteh, who welcomed the advocacy to increase women’s representation. She called on the Gender Platform team to continue to work closely with relevant stakeholders in all the processes to attain their objective.

“Other speakers included Honourable Fatoumatta Njie, National Assembly member for Banjul South and Maimuna Secka, representative of the Gambia Association for the Physically Disabled including rural women’s representatives, all of whom emphasised the importance of ensuring women are equally represented in elective and other leadership positions.”

Yakumba Jaiteh insisted the Supreme Court vindicated her intentions for a multi-million dalasis loan scheme proposal she sponsored for MPs.

Jaiteh last year moved a motion for 54 million dalasis to be given to MPs as loan so that they could build their houses. The MPs had slashed the budget of a number of government departments and allocated it to themselves.

Two civil society groups then sued them insisting it was illegal – and the Supreme Court this week held that the act was unconstitutional.

But Mrs Jaiteh insisted on Thursday: “The Supreme Court Ruling on the 54million  Loan  Scheme is partly bizarre, giving its  interpretation of  word ‘amend’ in S101 of the constitution,  which I do not agree with and will give my reasons in another post.

“Although the SC did not agree with the procedure used by National Assembly in approving the loan scheme. The Supreme Court vindicated my intentions for a loan scheme and proffered the exact same reasons and arguments I gave on the floor of the house.

“To those that were opposed to the loan Scheme and viewed it as “self serving” or a “conduct to improperly enrich NAMs”,  the SC has completely disagreed with you lot.”

The chairman of the now-defunct Operation Three Years Jotna Abdou Njie has reacted to President Adama Barrow’s comments NPP would choose death over shame at the December election.

Speaking to over 50 former MPs at State House, President Barrow said: “This election is worth everything to us. Whatever we should do we will. If you’re going into a fight, you should cast your mind to two things: shame and death.

“If you get shamed, you should know you have been hit by something of which you must die. The agony lives with you. So you rather choose death over shame. So we (NPP) will take death and not shame.”

But speaking to The Fatu Network, Abdou Njie of Three Years Jotna said: “He made the death comments because he knows it’s shame that awaits him. So he’d better started measuring his grave. But I will want him to live with the shame for a long time.”

The Gambian Ambassador to France Ebrima Ousman Camara on April 12, 2021 presented his Letters of Credence to the President of France Emmanuel Macron, at a ceremony held at Élysée Palace in Paris.

Following the presentation of his Letters of Credence, Ambassador Camara conveyed fraternal greetings from President Adama Barrow to the French President Emmanuel Macron, the Government and the people of France, the foreign ministry said in a statement.

The statement added: “During diplomatic engagement with the French President, Ambassador Camara highlighted the need for both countries to explore cooperation in the areas of trade and business opportunities for both Gambian and French companies. He also suggested the promotion of  exchange between people and institutions as France is one of Gambia’s biggest bilateral aid provider with support focusing on agriculture, water supply and budget support.

“Subsequently, Ambassador Camara would present his Letters of Credence to Heads of State in Portugal, Hungary and Romania which are all under his jurisdiction as Gambia’s Ambassador to France.

“It could be recalled that The Gambia established diplomatic relations with France in 1965 following the attainment of independence from Britain. In what was considered a smooth and beneficial relations cooled off following the 1994 military coup that resulted in the creation of authoritarian rule. During this period, development cooperation between Gambia and France dwindled. But with the 2017 ascension to power of His Excellency President Barrow, development cooperation surged for the mutual benefit of both peoples.”

Aja Maimuna Baldeh has assured President Adama Barrow of her unflinching support as she predicted 98% win for the president at the December election.

“He will get 98%, I’m 100% sure. For me, I stay put wherever I am, until death. So I can assure President Adama Barrow that I have come to not just do politics for him but real politics,” the respected politician said via a Facebook live video on Wednesday.

NPP last weekend put together its national executive after many months of delay. Mai Baldeh was appointed the party’s national women mobiliser.

The Gambia Prisons Service has been given a new ambulance and fuel coupons worth D100,000 by Gambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The gesture came on Wednesday and it formed part of GCCI’s ‘businesses against Covi-19’ campaign.

GCCI chief Edrissa Mass Jobe wrote Wednesday: “This ambulance is yet to further the agenda of equivalence of healthcare and the right to health is a principle that applies to all prisoners, who are entitled to receive the same quality of medical care that is available in the community.”

Salihu Kemo Barrow has jetted back to Italy after spending months in The Gambia helping President Adama Barrow with his politics.

Barrow who is not related to President Barrow was in the country for nearly six months.

He announced two days ago he has arrived back in Europe as fellow NPP supporters in Europe welcomed him on his return.