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.”

The Ministry of Trade has given businesspeople in rice, cement and other food commodities until May 1 to obtain a license from the ministry.

“In addition to cement, all importers, distributors, and major retailers of the following essential commodities are reminded to obtain a license from MOTIE by the 1st of May 2021: rice, sugar, edible oil, onions, potatoes, flour, chicken legs and whole chicken,” the ministry said in a statement.

It comes as Gambians continued to rail against the continued rise in the price of essential commodities in the country.

Cement is particularly getting more and more expensive and the ministry said it conducted consultations with stakeholders and it was confirmed that there is disproportional increase between the wholesale and retail prices of cement.

The factory price according to the trade ministry ranged from D265 TO D285 whereas the retail price ranged from D340 to D400 in the past few weeks.

Senegalese President Macky Sall has announced an 80 billion CFA package for the employment of 65,000 young people in Senegal.

Speaking on the occasion of Senegal’s 61st independence anniversary on Saturday, Sall said the package would be available by May.

The money will be distributed across various sectors including education, security, agriculture and construction.

If implemented, it will help in addressing the issue of youth unemployment in Senegal.

Gambians have laid siege to State House’s official Facebook page demanding explanation after it announced the postponement of President Adama Barrow’s trip to Dubai.

State House through its official Facebook page and elsewhere announced the president’s Dubai trip was being postponed – and Gambians went to the platform to demand explanation.

Madi Jobarteh commenting, said: “The State of The Gambia is not a private estate. It is not to serve a private interest. It’s a public institution created and mandated to promote and protect the interests of citizens. Hence how and where the Head of State takes that State is a matter of legitimate public interest.

“Therefore I demand State House to shed more light on this so-called official visit to Dubai as to why was it canceled and who canceled it. In the first place, citizens must be told the purpose of this supposedly 5-day working visit to Dubai.”

Bubacarr Jallow wrote: “When one is surrounded by greedy clueless uneducated so-called advisers you will always make embarrassing decisions.

“They won’t tell us why the trip is cancelled because as Momodou Sabally said it’s not an official trip but rather a private undertaking.”

Karamba Touray: “We demand a full explanation for the proposed trip and why it was abruptly cancelled. This was a suspicious trip in the manner it was announced and its sudden cancellation only amplifies that suspicion.”

President Adama Barrow’s trip to Dubai has been postponed, according to State House on Saturday evening.

The president was supposed to fly out to Dubai on Saturday in what State House said was a five-day working visit. The president had said the president had been invited to Dubai by the ‘private’ office of Sheikh Marwan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum of Dubai.

But in a terse statement shared by State House press secretary Amie Bojang Sissoho, the president’s trip was being postponed. No reason was given and the official did not get back to The Fatu Network editor-in-chief Lamin Njie over what prompted the president to postpone the trip.

Instead, State House only proceeded to announce the president’s return to work on Tuesday.

GMC leader Mai Ahmad Fatty said on Saturday he sees critics as his partners who help make him a better person.

Fatty writing on his official Facebook page said: “It’s noble to admit when one is wrong, change direction and make amends. The reverse is dishonorable and should be banished from our body politic. We all do make mistakes, but we must admit and be humble enough to learn from them, to make us better serve each other and our society.

“I am grateful to my most ardent critics and detractors for pointing out my fallibility and help make me a better person. I see critics as partners because they invest their time, energy, emotion and may be resources on me, to give prominence to areas I may need to improve, change or strengthen. The good part is, it’s all free, though I concede it’s sometimes tough to stomach.

“Each time a missile of destructive swipe comes my way – and that’s often very routine – my agility in managing them becomes more settled; improves my knowledge about myself, environment and better prepare me to serve. Thank you to all those who are kind enough to enable me acknowledge my human limitations away from the public glare. As imperfect as we all are, my determination to serve you, is perfect. And we shall triumph against all odds!”

The United States on Friday lifted sanctions imposed by former President Donald Trump on officials of the International Criminal Court who are investigating the US and Israel for war crimes in Afghanistan and Palestine.

The executive action by President Joe Biden reverses one of the prior administration’s more aggressive moves to target international institutions, although Biden administration officials said the US still objects to the ICC assertion of jurisdiction over the US.

“We believe, however, that our concerns about these cases would be better addressed” through diplomacy “rather than through the imposition of sanctions”, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.

The ICC is a standing body based in The Hague created in 2002 to prosecute international claims of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. The US is not one of the roughly 120 member countries of the court.

“Our support for the rule of law, access to justice, and accountability for mass atrocities are important US national security interests that are protected and advanced by engaging with the rest of the world to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow,” Blinken said.

The Trump White House had imposed economic and travel sanctions against court officials in June 2020 saying the ICC’s investigations of abuses in Afghanistan “are an attack on the rights of the American people and threaten to infringe upon our national sovereignty”.

Trump’s sanctions had targeted ICC chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda and the court’s head of jurisdiction, Phakiso Mochochoko, for pressing ahead with investigations into the US and Israel.

A spokesman for the ICC on Friday said the court and its governing body of the member states welcomed the US move.

Rights groups applauded Biden for throwing out Trump’s sanctions — Amnesty International called them an “act of vandalism” against international justice — but called for Biden to go further, by supporting the court’s work and making the US a member country.

Previous US President Bill Clinton had expressed deep reservations about the ICC while former President Barack Obama had engaged in limited cooperation with it.

Israel is not a member of the ICC and, along with the US, opposed Palestinian accession to the court in 2015 because it is not a state.

The ICC ruled in February is has jurisdiction over the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories opening the way for the ICC to investigate alleged war crimes committed in the 2014 Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the besieged Gaza Strip by both the Israeli army and Palestinian armed factions. (Al Jazeera)

Police have said they have arrested 117 people after their new war on crime dubbed ‘Operation Zero Crime’ got underway on Friday.

In a statement, police said: “The Police High Command wishes to notify the public that, day one of the operation against crime was successful.

“A total number of 117 people including 3 females were arrested at various criminal hideouts within the Greater Banjul and West Coast Regions. Among the number of people arrested, 15 were arrested at Banjul Region, 75 arrested at Kanifing Region and 27 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.

“They are currently being processed for court actions.

“The public is assured that, the conduct of the security personnel shall be strictly within the confines of the Law. To ensure this, the Police High Command has instituted a strong Inspectorate Unit to regularly supervise and monitor  the activities of security personnel, in a bid to ensure respect for human rights and the rule of Law.

“The usual cooperation and compliance of the public particularly in the sharing of information by community members is highly solicited.”

Halifa Sallah has been saluted by a raft of Gambians online as the respected politician turned 68 years old on Saturday.

Sallah was born on April 3, 1953.

He is the leader of PDOIS and his career as a politician spans more than three decades.

PDOIS youth bureau chief Kexx Sanneh wrote: “You are not only a PRIDE of our generation, but a genuine voice for REAL CHANGE in our country and the continent of Africa. You are a symbol of our national pride. You have set yourself apart by inspiring and impacting generations.”

Annetta Titita said: 2If anyone person is looking for a role model, look no further. For this man right here, Hon. Halifa Sallah represents all that an upright citizen seeks to become. When others were thinking of self, he demonstrated the collective interest.

“When people ran away with their emotions to change positions to please the crowd and their own interest. He stood resolute to the truth, even though it was unpopular.”

Spicy Jatta wrote: “Happy blessed birthday to this statesman. Here’s a man who dedicated all his entire life to the service of his Nation and her people selflessly. This is a man who demonstrated all great characters of leadership, discipline, contentment, integrity and humility.”

The government has created new protocols around coronavirus quarantine procedures and testing guidelines for travellers arriving into the country.

The government in a statement on Friday signed by spokesperson Ebrima Sankareh said the ministry of health in collaboration with the WHO have progressed to conduct rapid Covid-19 test for passengers arriving into the country.

Travellers coming into the country from hotspot countries will now undergo a rapid Covi-19 test upon arrival at the airport in addition to having a valid Covid-19 PCR test results of 72 hours.

Countries affected by the new rule include the UK, Belgium, Italy, US, Spain and France.

UDP leader Ousainou Darboe and his top lieutenants on Friday traveled to Kani Kunda in Jara for the launch of the village’s mosque.

The people of Kani Kunda greeted and appreciated Darboe throughout as he honoured one of the village’s most important religious events with his presence.

Darboe was accompanied by top officials including his deputy Aji Yam Secka, Mayors Talib Ahmed Bensouda and Rohey Lowe and Momodou Sanneh.

The Police High Command under the leadership of the Deputy Inspector General of Police Abdoulie Sanyang has activated a joint security high visibility patrols targeting criminal hideouts within the Greater Banjul and West Coast Regions.

The objective of the operation is to tackle crime and criminal activities within communities and to dismantle all criminal hideouts, as well as prosecute offenders in accordance with the Law, police said in a statement Friday.

The statement added: “The public is hereby notified that, they maybe seeing high presence of security movements within their vicinities as routine patrols will be intensified. However, people are urged not to panic and should go about doing their lawful businesses.

“Individuals going armed in public with knives and other small weapons will be stopped and searched and anyone found wanting will be processed and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the Law.

“Similarly, all criminal dens, vous, ghettos, and criminal hideouts will be targeted during the exercise.

“Members of the public who wish to travel outside or leave their homes for other reasons during odd hours of the night are accordingly encouraged to carry with them documents for identification purposes.

“The public is further reminded that, it is our collective responsibility to collaborate and partner with the security in the fight against crime.”

Citizens’ Alliance has issued a statement greeting the nation’s Christians on the occasion of this year’s Easter.

The party’s leader Dr Ismaila Ceesay said in a statement he signed: “As the Christian community observe Good Friday today, following a prayerful Lenten season, My party and I join all Christians to reflect on the Crucifixion of Jesus whose compassion, love and sacrifice for humanity inspires us to serve and fight hardship. Wishing you and your families a blessed, sacred and holy Good Friday.”

The rape case of a self-proclaimed prophet in Senegal Daouda Bâ otherwise called Baba Malabé Mbackérouhou of Saré Ngagne has taken a new twist.

Senegalese media reported on Friday the underage girls who lived with the prophet were reunited with their families this week. They’d been under the custody of an NGO since allegations of child abuse and rape were made against the prophet.

The oldest among the girls was said to be 16 years old but medical examinations concluded there were no sexual intercourse, effectively exonerating the prophet and his three disciples who were arrested for pedophilia and rape.

Baba Malabe is following the ways of his late father who he says is a prophet. They have their own scripture called the Jam Jam Padar and pray in the Fula language.

Momodou Sabally has branded President Adama Barrow and his government thieves as he says the president was never invited by the government of UAE but a private individual.

Speaking to Gambians in an audio message, Sabally said: “I’m confused because they said the private office of his Highness. So private office means the Dubai government never invited Adama Barrow, rather one individual from the royal family who invited him.

“It’s belittling for our government and our president to get up and not to go and answer to another president but a private person. Diplomatically it’s wrong. But I’m saddened because the reports I have is that a few Gambian businessmen are the one who organized this trip and are already in Dubai.

“One of them is in telecommunications, you have another who is in petroleum products and another in construction. Barrow doesn’t know what he enters into and what he emerges out of. Let’s kick Barrow out of power before he destroys this country. What these businessmen want is to sell our petroleum and our port to these Arabs.

“His squirrel government also increased the tax on Gambians because they have increased the price of fuel. A litre of petrol has increased from D47 to D52 and a litre of gasoil has increased from D46 to D50. Barrow and his people did not want this to come out. So these government are thieves.”