Saihou Mballow has said he would not offer GDC leader Mamma Kandeh one million dalasis talk less of a man who sits on a village ‘Benteng’ sofa – as he reacts to claims by GDC Niamina West chairman Birom Jallow he offered him one million dalasis to join NPP.

“That is not true.Do I have one million to give someone? What importance does he have? Even Mamma Kandeh, I will not offer him one million much more an ordinary man sitting on a Benteng. I think they (GDC) are just desperate,” Mr Mballow told The Fatu Network.

He then explained his encounter with Birom: “I passed through Niamina because there was a funeral there. I passed through Choya and found this Birom sitting down with some boys on a Bente (local sofa made of tree branches). I stopped there to wait for my second vehicle which was trailing behind me.

“I wanted to use the bathroom and he asked me to go inside. I went inside and found a lady using the bathroom. I had to wait until she was ready. After using the bathroom, I came out and sat down to wait for my vehicle that was trailing behind.

“They were brewing attaya but unfortunately the attaya fell into water. They then put it on top of the Bente to dry it. I then asked them if they were going to wait until it got dry and they said yes. I then took out D50 and asked them to go and buy some attaya since I was also going to drink.

“Birom then told me there is Quranic recitation that he wanted to go to. I told him he would then not find me there when he returns. I then gave him D100 for him to buy kolanut for him to take it to the event. What I’m telling you is exactly what happened and nothing else.”

Opposition GDC top official in Niamina West has said President Adama Barrow’s National People’s Party offered him one million dalasis and a car to join the party.

It’s true, it happened,” Birom Jallow told The Fatu Network adding the incident happened on Wednesday.

“It was Saihou Mballow that approached me with the offer,” he added.

A history teacher was decapitated in a Paris suburb Friday after he showed caricatures of Prophet Muhammed to his students.

The teacher had discussed caricatures of Islam’s Prophet Muhammad with his class, authorities said.

The suspected attacker was shot to death by police after Friday’s beheading.

Food Safety and Quality Authority has ordered the immediate closure of Great Hands Emeka Restaurant over poor hygienic condition – a restaurant popular among fufu-eaters.

The authority told the restaurant in a letter seen by The Fatu Network the decree was as a result of an inspection ‘conducted at your establishment in Westfield on 14th October 2020, following a consumer complaints on your restaurant’.

“The inspection generally has shown gross violations of the provisions of the Food Safety and Quality Act 2011,” the authority told the restaurant in its 16 October letter before going on to outline some of the alleged violations.

According to the authority, the restaurant was operating a food business without registering with the authority.

The authority also advanced poor hygienic condition at ‘your establishment’ and close proximity of the cooking area to stagnant water bodies and indiscriminate waste dumps.

Officials of the restaurant could not be immediately reached for comment. The Fatu Network would carry their side of the story as soon as it gets it.

A 36-year-old woman killed herself on Friday in Thianock, a village in the Vélingara-Ferlo district in Senegal by throwing herself into a well, according to Senego.

Relying on agency reports, Senego said the victim’s body was extracted from the well by residents and then taken to the Ranérou health post.

The woman leaves behind 7 children.

UDP will perform dismally in a snap election and the shock would cause its supporters in the diaspora to fall sick, top President Barrow adviser Saihou Mballow has claimed.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with The Fatu Network, the deputy youth adviser to President Barrow insisted the emergence of NPP has ‘killed’ UDP.

Saihou Mballow argued: “The emergence of NPP has killed UDP. UDP is done in this country. Take it from me. In the coming presidential election, President Barrow is going to win the election with a landslide victory, according to what I have seen, the opinions that are coming right now.

“For UDP to come to power in this country, they have lost that opportunity. You hold presidential election today, everybody will be disappointed. Let me tell you what UDP is left with now: UDP is left with the social media, that is the Facebook. They have people who are very active in the social media. That is a fact. People in the diaspora on the Facebook but on the ground, people with the voter’s card today are not with UDP. On the ground today, you call for elections next week, people in the diaspora will be sick.”

Banjul International Airport is expected to resume full scale operations by October 31, the government said on Friday.

The country’s only airport has been undergoing reconstruction coupled with its coronavirus-enforced shutting.

It now is expected to resume full scale operations by the 31st October, 2020, government spokesperson Ebrima Sankareh said on Friday.

President Adama Barrow has withdrawn the restrictions placed on night clubs and casinos, two they after they were left out of a decision by the Gambian leader to reopen certain public places.

Government spokesperson Ebrima Sankareh in a statement on Friday said “based on the technical advice of the Covid-19 and National Health Emergency Committees and subject to the specific guidelines of The Public Health (Dangerous Infectious Diseases) Protection Regulations, 2020, President Barrow hereby relaxes the restrictions governing night clubs and casinos throughout The Gambia”.

The government had on Wednesday announced it was allowing restaurants, hotels, bars, swimming pools, video clubs and gyms to reopen. Night clubs and casinos were left out.

A 21-year-old man receiving treatment after freshly contracting coronavirus has escaped, the ministry of health has said.

“One of the newly confirmed COVID-19 patients absconded from the treatment centre – a 21-year-old male,” the health ministry said in a new report.

According to the ministry, security needs to be beefed up at all COVID-19 treatment and isolation centers to prevent the abscondence of patients.

It comes as the ministry revealed no new coronavirus cases have been recorded in the country.

Madi Jobarteh has called the National Human Rights Commission’s recommendation for Gorgi Mboob to be transferred after establishing he tortured Ebrima Sanneh as a reward.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with The Fatu Network, Mr Jobarteh said: “For me for that body to sit down, to look at this clear case of abuse of power and only to reward the perpetrator. Because for me, what happened is a reward.

“And I am so disappointed and I hereby call on the National Human Rights Commission, the Gambia Bar Association, TANGO and the police themselves, to get back, to reverse that decision, to withdraw their report.

“But failing that, I’m demanding that the president not only ensure Gorgi Mboob faces justice and accountability but that anti-crime unit need to be disbanded so that we create a proper structure on very strong values and standards.”

The ministry of higher education, research, science and technology has revealed it has completed doling out money to Gambian students that are studying abroad.

According to the ministry on Thursday, payments amounting to “D32, 915, 880 meant to serve as a stimulus package for non-government funded Gambian students studying abroad, had already been effected”.

The ministry said: “These payments were done in two different phases. The initial D12, 915, 880, paid on the 5th of May, 2020 was given to 836 Gambian students, and immediately upon approval of the Appropriation Bill by the National Assembly, the Ministry made a second round of payments of 20 million dalasis to 1, 243 Gambian students. Likewise, payments for government funded Gambian students have also been made.

“Notwithstanding, MoHERST is aware of concerns and challenges raised by students studying abroad; especially with regard the relief package not reaching their end. The Ministry wants to reassure students that funds have already been released from its end. Students who are yet to receive their shares from the stimulus package should contact and make follow-ups with The Gambian embassies in their respective countries of study.

“In these trying times of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ministry of Higher Education understands the frustration and hardships of students affected and urges all to exercise patience, while following up with their respective embassies of study.

“Meanwhile, the Ministry will continue to do all it can to ensure payments are made by the Gambian embassies as soon as possible.”

By Fatou Camara II

Claims the law around the wearing of face mask has been scrapped have been dismissed as ‘absolutely’ false.

There have been claims the public health emergency regulation around face mask and public gathering has been dismantled.

President Barrow’s deputy youth adviser told The Fatu Network the law no longer exists.

“That is absolutely false. In fact, in the wake of all the relaxations across the spectrum, facemasking becomes all the more relevant,” Ebrima Sankareh, government spokesperson told The Fatu Network.

By Sarjo Brito

National Unity Party will declare a comprehensive war on corruption if it takes power – a war that will include mandatory jailing of officials found guilty of the crime.

The new party made its position known on corruption on Thursday shortly after its registration certificate was collected by its officials.

Party Leader Ousman Jammeh told The Fatu Network that when he comes into power, anyone found liable of corruption will serve a mandatory jail term no matter who you are.

Jammeh described corruption as the cancer that kills nations and said an NUP government will wage a battle against it. He reiterated his party’s commitment in aggressively fighting corruption, nepotism and all other economic crimes through the establishment and empowerment of relevant institutions, and strict enforcement of punitive anti-corruption laws.

“This is what progressive countries around the world do,” NUP leader Ousman Jammeh said.

Asked on what an NUP government would have done regarding the current allegation scandal involving the Permanent Secretary of Fisheries and Water Resources, Jammeh replied: “We would have taken swift action.”

Top President Adama Barrow counsellor Saihou Mballow has claimed UDP disappointed the Gambian leader ‘seriously’.

Relations between President Barrow and UDP went through a rough phase and all reached a head when the president sensationally fired all of the party’s officials from his government in March 2019. They included leader Ousainou Darboe.

The president’s deputy youth adviser Saihou Mballow speaking to The Fatu Network on why the president decided to work with those that worked with Jammeh said: “I will tell you why: because he got disappointment with the people that he came to power [with]. Like UDP-Ousainou Darboe. We all know Barrow had high respect and high regard for the United Democratic Party.

“You know why I’m singling United Democratic Party? Because Barrow was a member, part and parcel of the United Democratic Party. So he expected that he is going to work with this party. They were not fair to the president. They disappointed the president seriously.”

The ministry of health has revealed the country’s mandatory coronavirus quarantine currently stands at zero person.

Hundreds have been made to undergo quarantine since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in the country this March. The health ministry said in its latest report one is currently in quarantine.

It comes as the ministry revealed the country has 881 active coronavirus cases.

By Jaka Ceesay Jaiteh

The mayor of Kanifing Municipality on Wednesday explained the urgency around new by-laws by his council.

“Since we came into office in 2018, we have heard many complaints from members of our community about the lack of order, civil disobedience, conflicts between neighbours and community members all because of lack of local governance. One of council’s biggest responsibilities as a local government authority is to establish order and the rule of law within its communities,” Mayor Bensouda told reporters at a news conference on Wednesday held at KMC.

The by-laws include nuisance, sale and transfer of property, maintenance of property, disposal of waste products and hazardous substances, controls of markets and canteens amongst others.

The by-Laws will come a long way in making sure that people respect one another’s rights in society and as well promote unity and peace.

The mayor calls on every individual to participate in the law enforcement efforts.

Any individual caught violating any of these By-laws will be liable to a fine of nothing more than D1000 or imprisonment for a term not more than 3 months.

Night clubs and casinos across the country would remain closed after they failed to make the list of newly opened public places by the government.

The government announced the reopening of hotels, motels, restaurants, bars, gyms, video clubs, museums and swimming pools on Wednesday – as it continues to relax various measures put in place due to coronavirus. A statement said President Adama Barrow was behind the move.

Night clubs and casinos have however been left out.

“All night clubs and casinos shall remain closed,” government spokesperson Ebrima Sankareh said in the Wednesday statement.