Tens of thousands of syringes have arrived in the country ahead of the arrival of COVID-19 vaccine in a major leap in the fight against the deadly disease.

In a statement by the Ministry of Health, UNICEF AND WHO, the global collaboration for equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines, COVAX, has delivered more than 37,000 syringes to the Ministry of Health of The Gambia, through UNICEF.

“The first tranche of syringes was shipped from the Gavi-funded stockpile at UNICEF’s humanitarian warehouse in Dubai and arrived at the Banjul International Airport late Sunday night. The shipment also includes 375 safety boxes for the safe disposal of syringes,” a statement said.

“The arrival of these syringes is a springboard that better prepares us for the task ahead – the equitable administration of vaccines to Gambians,” said Dr. Ahmadou Lamin Samateh, Minister of Health of The Gambia. “We are finalizing preparations for the vaccine rollout and our priority is to give the first injections to frontline health workers and other vulnerable groups such as the elderly and those with underlying medical conditions. Global partnerships and solidarity are taking us further in this journey and we commend all COVAX partners and donors for supporting this worthy cause.”

The Ministry of Health has been leading and coordinating efforts to prepare for the delivery of COVID-19 syringes and vaccines to The Gambia, including facilitating the required documentation for the importation of the vaccines and guaranteeing the readiness of the cold chain system for the safe storage of the vaccines.

The Gambia is among the first countries to receive syringes from the COVAX facility. The arrival of the syringes sets the ground for inoculations once the vaccines arrive, expected in a few days.

“After more than a year of uncertainty created by the COVID-19 pandemic, hope is now on the horizon,” said Gordon Jonathan Lewis, UNICEF The Gambia Representative. “With the delivery of these syringes, we have taken an important step to prepare for a historic vaccination programme in The Gambia. Like all other countries, The Gambia also must have equitable access to sufficient syringes and vaccines to protect its people, especially the most vulnerable groups, from COVID-19.”

“I am delighted with the arrival in The Gambia of the first consignment of syringes from the COVAX facility. The COVID-19 vaccination is safe and effective, it reduces the risk of disease among all vulnerable population groups and saves lives. We look forward to supporting the roll-out of the COVID-19 vaccinations, once the vaccines arrive in country in the coming days.” Dr Desta Alamerew Tiruneh, World Health Organization Representative in The Gambia stated.

COVAX is co-led by the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance, and the World Health Organization (WHO), alongside key implementing partner UNICEF, working to ensure equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines for all countries.

The 0.5 ml syringes delivered to the Ministry of Health on Sunday are of the auto-disable type, which means they cannot be used again after a single dose of vaccine has been administered. This reduces the risk of infection from blood-borne diseases as a result of syringe re-use.

By Matty Senghore

Fatoumatta Njai on Monday announced an ‘alternative’ PPP executive of which she declared herself leader and secretary general of PPP.

Njai refused to take part in an election at PPP’s congress on Saturday after she claimed fraud had discredited the process. The election went ahead all the same with delegates that stayed voting for Kebba Jallow.

In a news conference on Monday, Njai maintained that the process was fraudulent and she was rejecting it.

“To this effect, we the undersigned reject the constituted executive and demand for fresh elections to be held. Meanwhile, we’re here to tell you that we have established an alternative executive pending proper free and fair elections. And to that effect, I declare myself the party leader and the secretary general of the PPP,” she said.

According to Njai, lack of trust is hindering the growth of People’s Progressive Party.

“I therefore strongly believe that a responsible leader should not wait to be asked for such. As a political party and a government in waiting one must be seen to be transparent and ready to be held accountable, demonstrating responsible leadership whilst at the same time building trust. Absence of trust, as we all know, does enable growth and I am convinced that this is what holds this party back,” she said.

“The lack of trust has been manifested at the just concluded congress and has demonstrated that the love our people have for this party has been lost in transition. This is epitomized by lack of genuineness and sincerity in leadership. Leaders should inspire and not be timid to talk to delegates,” she also argued.

The Association of Gambian Students in Turkey (AGAST) has raised the alarm of the presence of persons who disguise themselves as good Samaritans by claiming to be providers of opportunities or incentives such as scholarships that would enable prospective students from the country  to  pursue higher education in Turkey.

Most of these ‘agents’ would go about assuring Gambians that they can get them Turkish visas and university admission certificates for D100,000 (hundred GMD), the association said in a statement.

They would  further seduce them by telling them that this amount covers their lodging and part of their university fees, which would turn out to be blatant lies these students face, the association said.

The President of AGAST Muhammed Trawally says:  “By confidently saying these enticing words, many students fall into their traps. What they tell these students and what actually is in  Turkey are poles apart. There are many gaslighted victims in Turkey due to these insensitive agents. They apply to some of the poorest and lowest-scoring universities on the outskirts of Ankara and Istanbul; and when these students come here, they get disenchanted. As a result, some of them work for 10 hours a day to eke a living without a work permit. Clearly, a foreigner without a work permit is very susceptible to exploitation by their employers. Frankly, it is not easy to get a job in Turkey to pay for house and utility bills, let alone tuition fees.”

Recently, a Turk and a Nigerian were in The Gambia claiming  that they offer 90% of scholarships for prospective students to go and study in Turkey. Please, beware of these kinds of people. While much cannot be written about them, we found out that they are charging Gambians $700 for the entrance examination (YOS)  intended for foreign students  who wish to study at Turkish universities, whereas this exam fee is just pegged at $50 in Turkey. The sole intention of these people is to  exploit our brothers and sisters and consequently  leave  them to wander alone in the land of disillusionment.

“As an association, we consider it our responsibility to facilitate the study of Gambian students in Turkey. We are equally concerned about  every  Gambian student in Turkey. As such, we cannot sit idly by and watch our brothers and sisters in disheartening situations.  It is in the same spirit that, we deem it necessary to inform Gambians that announcements/advertisements made on some social media platforms on the subject of  ‘Scholarship to study in Turkey’ are mostly  fraudulent, and therefore people must be mindful of them,” Muhammed Trawally further indicates.

Police have denied any claim an armed robbery took place in Basse.

Reports abounded on Sunday of armed robbers striking at Basse and carting away D200,000.

But police said: “Information circulating on social media platforms that armed robbers attacked Basse and ran away with millions of Dalasis is false and unfounded.

“The Inspector General’s Office wishes to inform the public that it has not received any report of armed robbery within Basse and the entire URR.

“The public, particularly social media users, are urged to verify facts before spreading information that may be misleading to the public.”

Almost 100 migrants were rescued off Libya’s west coast on Sunday as they made failed attempts to reach Europe, while around 20 were missing, AFP reporters and the coastguard said.

People traffickers have thrived amid the lawlessness that followed the overthrow of dictator Moamer Kadhafi’s regime in 2011, making the North African country an important conduit for migrants seeking safety and a better life in Europe.

The Libyan coastguard rescued the mostly African migrants as they attempted perilous sea crossings to Italy and brought them to a naval base in the capital Tripoli, where they were met by a team from the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

The majority of the migrants were from Cameroon, Sudan and Mali, an IOM representative said.

The survivors included six women and two children. Two people in critical condition were transported to a hospital in the Libyan capital.

Some 20 people were still missing, according to the coastguard.

“The additional tragedy is that in most cases, there is very little search to recover the bodies of those who drown,” Safa Msehli, IOM spokesperson in Geneva, told AFP.

“The sight of bodies washing ashore later has become too familiar.”

More than 1,200 migrants and asylum-seekers died while crossing the Mediterranean in 2020, according to the IOM.

On Saturday, German charity Sea-Watch said it had saved nearly 150 migrants off the Libyan coast in two operations.

International agencies frequently denounce the return to Libya of migrants intercepted at sea due to the chaotic situation in the country and poor conditions in detention centers.

“At least 3,700 men, women, and children, were returned to (Libya) this year,” the IOM said Friday on Twitter.

“Most were taken to detention, where already dire conditions continue to worsen.” (AFP)

MP Omar Ceesay who doubles as national chairman of Gambia Democratic Congress has called on opposition parties to ‘compromise’ the retroactive clause.

A retroactive clause in the draft constitution that will bar President Barrow from serving two fresh five-year terms caused a collapse of the charter at the national assembly last year.

UDP has been standing its ground saying it is the Gambian people who want the president’s current term to be counted as his first of two terms under the new constitution. The party has since rejected any idea to tinker with that, the only party that appears to have done so.

GDC has been participating in talks spearheaded by former Nigerian president Dr Goodluck Jonathan alongside fellow political parties. Talks last week in Nigeria however failed to deliver a breakthrough after UDP rejected the scrapping of the retroactive clause.

GDC’s national chairman Omar Ceesay said on Sunday: “If you know something is going to get better when you leave it, then leave it because it may get better , but if you know it is going to get worst when you leave it, then it is totally irresponsible to leave it.

“The razzmatazz surrounding the draft constitution especially the retroactive clause should be a thing of the past if we are really committed to get Gambians a new constitution by simply reaching a common ground.

“In any negotiation where parties involved would never reach a common ground, is a negotiation that should not have started in the first place.

“The success of the draft constitution rest entirely in the hands of the opposition parties as they have the option of compromising the retroactive clause in order to get Gambians a new constitution but again they have the option of uniting to vote out the president come next election as power belongs to the people.

“I am urging all opposition Political parties to compromise the retroactive clause of the draft constitution if it is the only clause that can lead to another setback.

“I can compromise because together we can remove the president to whom the compromise is meant for.”

By Lamin Njie, editor-in-chief

People’s Progessive Party’s national congress controversially churned out Kebba Jallow as the new leader of the party – a congress that will be remembered for delegates hauling insults at each other and riot police called.

Ninety-two delegates gave Jallow the nod by raising their hand in an open ballot at PPP’s congress in Brikama-ba on Saturday. His abnormal victory came amid his opponent Touma Njai and her delegate supporters storming out of the meeting.

What exactly happened?

PPP’s congress was always bound to run into troube; the first visible sign of trouble came in the morning when a party chairman protested the non-inclusion of his hand-picked delegates on a list of delegates voting.

Kebba Bah, who says he is the party’s chairman for CRR North told The Fatu Netwotk: ““They want to put labaj (fraud) in the politics of the party.

“We have seen the time of Papa Njie which resulted in the party going to court. On this occasion, the party is facing that same fate. Because Demba said it is OJ who told him that delegates who support Touma Njai should be removed from the list.

“We will not accept it. If my people do not vote, no one will vote. No one will vote and it’s our lives that we have put forward and we’re ready for them to take us (arrest us).”

OJ told The Fatu Network he never spoke with anyone about anything, even delegates who travelled from Serrekunda. Riot police were drafted in as soon as the few regular and un-armed security officers on the ground sensed uncertainty.

Still, PPP’s congress stared at greater trouble when Touma Njai took to the mic early on to make a proposal for delegates to decide if they want an open or secret ballot in line with the party’s constitution. Most of her supporters were in for a secret ballot.

Her comments were quickly tackled by a top chieftain of the party James Gomez who also happens to be the minister of fisheries.

“Honourable Touma and the central committee had been sitting and discussing about the party’s constitution. If she had seen something like this, it would have helped us a lot if she had said it in those meetings and we will see what we will do before we come to congress. She has spoken about the issue of voting but I know in the whole world where they practice democracy, they have a raise-your-hand voting system”, Gomez said.

Touma then returned to the mic to bite back at Gomez’s comments.

“I’m a member of parliament. When we were voting for the majority and minority members of parliament, it was done through secret ballot. In this day and age, secret ballot is what exists,” she said standing her ground for a secret ballot and not an open raise-your-one vote. The politician insisted the constitution of the party could be amended and everyone should agree to way the party holds an election changed.

“They say PPP is one house, anyone who votes for me and another person are all one because in the end we will all work together. And I have shown that here. In the last congress, I supported BB Darbo but when he didn’t win and left, I stayed in the party because I believe in the party. And here too if anyone wins, I will work with you,” she said.

She then spoke directly to the young people attending the congress that it was time for them to take charge of things in the party.

“All of you have heard OJ saying when Sir Dawda appointed him he was 32 years. But just look at our table, you don’t see any youth, you don’t see any women. This is why we need to take women and empower them and take the youth,” she insisted.

MP Muhammed Ndow who was vying for deputy leader of the party then stepped forward and complained that the back and forth was jeopardizing their congress.

“All the work and efforts we put in to get to this day, we can ill-afford not to hold a congress,”Ndow said.

He then responded to Touma’s comment of MPs voting secretly in the instance of minority and majority leaders: “Maybe Honourable Fatoumatta Touma Njai forgot. When we were electing majority and minority leaders, we all raised our hand. We have never had secret ballot at parliament.”

Sanusi Touray who sat in for the party’s national president Lamin Nanko who died then addressed the delegates where he said he believes in the philosophy of one respecting his elders.

“Hon James and OJ who are sitting here are my elders. Whatever they tell me, I do not say a word [to protest]. By this [tradition], anyone who is younger than me should also listen when I speak to them. A child cannot claim the role of elder when the elder is around. That is not respect and I will not be with any child who does that,” Touray said.

Kebba Jallow was by the beginning of the congress the interim leader of the party. He was asked to address delegates on the affairs of the party in the four months he has been in the role.

Speaking to the delegates, Jallow steered clear of anything that has to do with the tension that is raring its head at the congress. Instead he focused on what he has achieved.

“In the four months I have been leader, the work I was trying to continue was for PPP to have a bureau in all seven regions of the country, a requirement by IEC. God has enabled us to achieve that,” he said of one of his achievements. He then campaigned briefly for delegates to vote for someone who knows the party ‘yesterday’ adding, “I’m not a new member in the party”.

He also bragged that he has never lost an election.

“Since 1977 – that was my first election and I won as councilor. I have never lost an election and I will never lose an election,” he confidently said.

Omar Amadou Jallow alias OJ then got his moment to speak but his speech centred largely on PPP: how it came into being and its achievements.

“We should work hard to end the sufffering in our country. What Gambian did you hear had gone on the ‘back way’ and died during the time of Sir Dawda and PPP?” OJ said.

On the issue of the bubbling tension, OJ said, sending the congress to a prayer break: “You can wish anything for this country but peace and the development of this country should stand out. When it comes to PPP, all we know is peace and progress. I want to beg all seated here… A lot of parties held their congress but I did not see disagreement, I did not see quarrel, I did not see push and pull.”

The second half of the congress got underway after the prayer break shortly after 3pm with the issue of voting procedure not yet resolved. And to compound matters, a row erupted after Touma Njai proposed for the candidates to address the delegates where they will lay out their manifestoes to them.

“We came to hear from the candidates themselves, they must speak to us,” one angry Touma Njai supporter told The Fatu Network.

“You should know who you’re voting for. Stand your ground, don’t be afraid, don’t be scared,” Njai told her supporters.

Elsewhere, police separated other delegates as they nearly exchanged blows.

“Tell them to stop the insults,” one delegate tells a police officer.

Touma Njai then told reporters: “They took out the names of all the delegates and put their own names. This is what they did at the last congress and this is what they want to do again. If this is what they are going to do, I will accept the election. And if they hold an election, I will challenge it up to the IEC. I’m challenging the process that they want to take. That process is wrong and it is fraudulent.” She then stormed out with almost all her supporters.

She told The Fatu Network as she left: “PPP is dead, OJ has finally killed PPP.”

At the congress ground, delegates who stayed most of them Kebba Jallow supporters raised their hands in favour of Jallow. A total of 92 delegates voted for him and the EC of the party subsequently returned him as secretary general and leader of the party.

The congress also saw a high-power delegation which according to Kebba Jallow was dispatched by President Adama Barrow. Four NPP pickup trucks and a mini-bus carrying NPP officials came to the congress as well as the president’s special adviser Alkali Conteh and political adviser Siaka Jatta who stayed all throughout the congress. The NPP officials had on stood by the side of Jallow’s supporters on Friday night in a show of support, insisting it would be an embarrassment to them if Jallow did not win, a reporter who overheard the conversations told The Fatu Network.

Dr Ismaila Ceesay said ‘another award, another challenge’ on Saturday as he got nominated for the Award of Eminent Peace Ambassador by the International Association of World Peace Advocates, (IAWPA), a global non-governmental organization affiliated to the United Nations Global Compact.

The Eminent Peace Ambasador Award is the highest calling and most outstanding recognition to individuals whose life exemplify the ideals of living for the sake of others and who dedicate themselves to promoting moral values and the establishment of a cultural value system predicated on trust and peace.

The objective of IAWPA is to promote peace and harmony in various local communities across the globe and to ensure that the aims and objectives of the United Nations in the maintenance of global peace is being achieved. It networks international and regional organizations and recruits people of decent ethical manner as UN Eminent Peace Ambassador through effective screening. One IAWPA UN Eminent Peace Ambassador is George Weah, president of Liberia.

Dr Ceesay told The Fatu Network Saturday: “Another award, another challenge. Truly honored to be awarded this prestigious award.”

A PPP regional chairman Kebba Bah has said some officials of the party are planning to manipulate the election in favour of Kebba Jallow.

Kebba Bah is the PPP’s regional chairman for CRR North and he told The Fatu Network a fellow chairman said his delegates will not be allowed to vote in the election. Bah supports Touma Njai.

He said, as he pointed to three people as his witnesses: “They want to put labaj (fraud) in the politics of the party. We have seen the time of Papa Njie which resulted in the party going to court. On this occasion, the party is facing that same fate. Because Demba said it is OJ who told him that delegates who support Touma Njai should be removed from the list.”

He also said: “We will not accept it. If my people do not vote, no one will vote. No one will vote and it’s our lives that we have put forward and we’re ready for them to take us (arrest us).”

OJ told The Fatu Network he never spoke with anyone about anything, even delegates who travelled from Serrekunda.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said on Friday that more than 150 illegal migrants have been rescued off the Libyan coast.

“Over 150 migrants were intercepted and returned to Libya today by the coast guard,” the IOM said on Twitter.

Due to the state of insecurity and chaos in the North African nation following the overthrow of its leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, thousands of illegal migrants, mostly Africans, chose to cross the Mediterranean from Libya towards Europe.

The IOM estimates that in 2020, 323 migrants died and 417 others went missing on the Central Mediterranean route, while 11,891 illegal migrants were rescued and returned to Libya.

Many illegal migrants who were either rescued at sea or arrested by the authorities end up detained inside overcrowded reception centers in Libya, despite repeated international calls for closing those centers. (XINHUA)

Following the completion of their four-year deployment as part of the ECOMIG peacekeeping contingent in The Gambia, President Barrow awarded certificates of appreciation to 40 personnel of the Gendarmerie at a ceremony held at the Statehouse, State House said in a statement.

State House said: “Addressing the gathering, President Barrow heaped praises on the Senegalese contingent for their exemplary hard work, patriotism and professionalism.”

“You have been awarded these certificates of appreciation to show that we truly and sincerely appreciate your contributions. It will be a reference long into the future to show you have done well here,” he told the officers, according to State House’s statement.

State House’s statement continued: “Speaking at the ceremony, the Commander of the State Guard Col. Sait Njai commended the contingent for its discipline, hard work, and professionalism while expressing optimism that both sides will consolidate the gains of the relationship into the future.

“The Commander of the Squadron Maj Abdoulie Camara visibly emotional, thanked the President for the support to the contingent, adding that as servicemen, they are obliged to represent their country and the gendarmerie with utmost dedication and discipline.

“The personnel will depart for Senegal on Monday while their replacements are expected to arrive on Sunday.”

Gambia beat Central African Republic on Friday 3-0 to reach the AFCON U-20 semi-finals in Mauritania.

Gambia had both feet into the competition’s semi-finals in the first half following goals from Wally Fofana and prolific striker Momodou Bojang.

And Alieu Barry put the icing on the cake when he pounced when CAR’s keeper pushed a set-piece kick towards him late on in the second half.

The match ended 3-0, sending Gambia to the competition’s last four.

GMC leader Mai Ahmad Fatty has revealed GMC will share its position with the media after prior briefings with the party’s national leadership.

In a Facebook post on Friday, Fatty said: “GMC will share intricate details and our position on the matter with the media, following priority briefings on the Abuja trip with our national leadership FIRST.”

Fatty was one of over a dozen political leaders who travelled to Abuja, Nigeria for talks with Goodluck Jonathan regarding the draft constitution.

He returned to the country on Thursday.

MP Saikou Marong has warned they will reject the draft constitution ‘again and again’ if it is returned to parliament in its original form.

Marong is one of 23 MPs who shot down the draft constitution last September. Fingers of blame have since been pointed at President Barrow.

But Marong said on Friday: “Why blaming President Barrow(Executive) for the rejection of the draft constitution. Government have fulfilled all the requirements and table the bill before the parliament without any changes.

“MPs including myself realized that it is not fit for purpose and we rejected it. NB if it comes back in its original form we will reject it again and again.”

Talks are currently ongoing among the nation’s political leaders geared towards striking a consensus over the thorny issues of the draft constitution. One of the thorny issues is whether President Barrow’s current term should count if a new constitution is put into effect.

By Sarjo Brito

A visit to Nigeria by Gambian political Leaders for Constitutional talks has angered many Gambians, with some going as far as accusing the political leaders of trying to sell the country.

But speaking to The Fatu Network shortly after their arrival at the Banjul International Airport on Thursday February 25th, Leader of the Gambia Action Party Musa Ousainou Yali Batchilly, said the Gambian people have the right to be outraged but accusing political leaders of trying to sell this country is of grave concern to him as matters of national interest are of paramount importance to his political party.

“How can we the political Leaders fly from Gambia to Abuja just to sell our country? Who has that kind of money to buy Gambia? Like I said, we will never sell our homeland. I am urging Gambians to be incredibly careful of the things they say,” Batchilly said.

Commenting on the progress of their dialogue in Nigeria to resuscitate the draft constitution, the GAP Leader said he believe there will be a compromise at the end of the day.

“The meeting was okay. On the 8th of March when Dr Goodluck Jonathan will be around, we can further strengthen the conversation. There will be a compromise God willing,” Batchilly.