Independent Electoral Commission has said in a terse statement on Tuesday its chairman Alieu Momar Njie is alive, hours after his death was reported.
Reports of Mr Njie’s passing emerged on Monday.
“The commission wishes to emphatically state that its chairman is fully alive, well and still at the helm of affairs at the IEC,” Election House said in a statement as it also said it got reports of the octogenarian’s death with ‘utter’ shock and dismay.
The ministry of health said today five new Covid-19 deaths have been registered, hours after ministry of information officials confirmed four died of the virus.
An update by 3:00am today showed one more death taking to five the number of new deaths over the past four days – with the total death figure now standing at 14.
It comes as the ministry of health confirmed 173 new cases registered, over a period of 4 days, taking the total number of COVID-19 cases ever confirmed in the country to 671 cases.
This represents an average of 43 cases per day over the last 4 days, the health ministry added in its situation report (sitrep) No. 110.
Madi Jobarteh has said he trusts in claims NIA Director General Ousman Sowe plans to disable a list of citizens including himself.
Mr Jobarteh writing on Monday alleged he on July 29 received information from a source inside the NIA that the agency’s chief Ousman Sowe convened a meeting recently where they discussed how to disable a list of citizens ‘including myself’.
“They intend to do this by implicating us in various crimes such as implanting drugs in our homes, vehicles and offices. The agent said Ousman Sowe has already identified a team of agents to execute this plan. Furthermore, the source noted that it was Ousman Sowe who in fact instigated IGP Mamour Jobe to kidnap me on June 30 and then imposed bogus charges with the intention to silence me,” the vociferous commentator said.
He added: “I hereby state that I believe this information 100% until Pres. Adama Barrow and Ousman Sowe come out to publicly refute with evidence that such a meeting ever took place and such a plan ever existed.
“A lot of people including myself had already shared this information on social media. It is already more than 72 hours yet neither the Office of the President nor the NIA came to refute the information. Therefore, I take it that the information is true.”
The Fatu Network contacted Sowe but he did not respond to a request for comment. He also did not pick calls.
The Gambia Immigration Department said on Tuesday reports its officers at Banjul International Airport are helping arriving passengers to ‘circumvent’ and ‘escape’ coronavirus quarantine are false.
“We refute all such claims and allegations as unfounded and misleading. Our investigations revealed that no such practice is being entertained by our hard working officers,” the Seedy Touray-led department said in a statement made available to The Fatu Network by the department’s public relations office.
The statement continued: “It is true that The Gambia Immigration Department bears the statutory mandate of monitoring and managing the movement of persons coming into and going out of the Gambia. However, according to article 22 of the International Health Regulations (2005) which sought compliance from all WHO member states (including the Gambia), the responsibility for management of the risk of communicable diseases at airport rests primarily on the national public health authority, even though this cannot be done in isolation; meaning that the latter needs the collaboration of other stakeholders like the migration control authority.
“Cognizant of this reality and the fact that migration is a key determinant of public health as evident in the Gambia scenario where most of the first cases of Covid-19 registered in the country were imported, The Gambia Immigration Department work closely with the ministry health at all points of entry and exit of which Banjul International airport is no exception.
“The design of operations conducted at the Banjul International Airport during Covid-19 makes it very difficult if not impossible for any Immigration officer to have a chance of aiding passengers to escape quarantine procedures contrary to the rumors making rounds on social media. The GID leadership take such rumors and allegations very serious thus making some extensive investigations into the matter. So far our investigations revealed that such claims are unfounded and misleading.
“Before each operation at the airport, a taskforce comprising of Public Health officials, GID, GPF, GCAA, DLEAG and SIS meets and discuss the operational modalities and responsibilities with regards to the arriving aircraft and passengers. During such briefings, all agencies that form part of the operations are availed a copy of the passenger manifest.
“Note that it is an important international requirement, that before any flight arrive at a port of disembarkation, the flight manifest must be availed to the authorities at the airport.
“Upon arrival, passengers are received at the foot of the aircraft by bus and escorted to the arrival hall which is jointly guarded by the Police Intervention Unit personnel and Gambia Civil Aviation security.
“Passengers then go through Immigration checks and procedures supervised by the GID staff. There are four booths and each of them have two officers operating a work station. These booths are strictly monitored by supervisors on site in addition to the CCTV camera monitoring system that ensures that every transaction that takes place is recorded.
“Due to the Covid-19, immigration enrollment is reduced to only two things which is documents and Iris enrollment. The fingerprint enrollment is ceased as a health precaution to avoid the spread of Covid-19.
“After enrollment, all passports are handed over to the health personnel in the presence of everyone and they do countercheck to confirm that the number of passports received tallies with the numbers and names on the manifest. Health officials need these passports not just to account for all arriving passengers but also to help in the check-in formalities at quarantine centers as a guarantee for passengers to fully undergo quarantine procedures. This is where the immigration role ends.
“After the enrolment and handing over of passports to health officials, the passengers are now allowed to go collect their baggages and follow customs procedures. All these is done in a secured environment with only one exit under the guard of the PIU and aviation security. After exhausting all these procedures, passengers are then escorted to the various quarantine centers.
“It is worth mentioning that there are no immigration officers posted to these places and what might happen there would not be the responsibility of GID.
“The GID assures the general public that the safety of our citizens and residents of the Gambia is our greatest interest and that we will continue to do our best in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic.”
The TRRC has suspended its public hearings, with chairman Lamin J Sise saying today the suspension is in the light of the growing seriousness of the Covid-19 situation in The Gambia.
“The suspension will take effect immediately. The decision to suspend hearings was reached after careful consideration and consultations at the level of the Commission and between the Commission and the Ministry of Justice,” Sise said in a statement, even as he said the move will last till further notice.
It is the second time the probe is shelving its public hearings due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The TRRC was supposed to resume its public hearings today – as the investigation continues to listen to both victims and perpetrators of former president Yahya Jammeh’s 22 years rule.
According to the probe’s chairman however, while the Commission is very keen on completing its work and submitting its final report and recommendations in good time, they are conscious of the fact that continuing our public hearings may put the lives of everybody concerned at risk of Covid-19 infection.
“We will therefore suspend the public hearings for now, and will inform the public as to when we will resume at the appropriate moment,” the probe’s chief truth hunter said.
Medicines Control Agency has said it is illegal for any person or entity to be engaged in unauthorized import, distribution, storage, sale and use of COVID -19 test kits or diagnostics in The Gambia.
“Therefore, a person or entity shall not be engaged in the import, distribution, storage, sale and use of COVID-19 test kits or Diagnostics unless authorized by the Medicines Control Agency,” the agency said in a statement on Monday, even as it says the statement was in collaboration with the Pharmacy Council, The Gambia.
The statement added: “Currently, only National Public Health Laboratory (NPHL) in Kotu and Medical Research Council (MRC) facilities are the recognized institutions authorized to conduct COVID-19 testing in The Gambia.
“Therefore, the public is hereby warned not to visit any drugstore, pharmacy, private diagnostic center, private laboratory, private clinic, or private hospital for COVID-19 testing as their test kits may be substandard and falsified (counterfeit). MCA strictly warn against the illegal import, sale and testing of customers using potentially unsafe or ineffective COVID-19 test kits. This is very dangerous, unethical and could pose a serious public health hazard.
“Individuals and entities who fail to abide shall face the full strength of the Law.”
By Fatou Camara II and Mudiwa Ngum
News of QTV staff testing positive for coronavirus has been on the lip of many Gambians for a while now amid suggestions the privately run TV station needs to shut its offices over the development.
However speaking to The Fatu Network, QTV Head of News and Current Affairs Ade Daramy said the institution has a duty to keep the public informed but an ‘even’ greater duty to keep the staff and public safe .
“Like the rest of the society, we have been affected, we have a duty to keep the public inform but even a greater duty to keep our staff and the public safe,” the QTV editor said.
He added: “Only those that have tested and returned negative results have been allowed to work . Colleagues who have not tested have not been allowed into the building until they have tested and received the all-clear . This is 2020, many people can do work from home myself included.
“Our premises are now now fumigated on a daily basis. Our duty to inform and educate , includes telling the public that even an institution such as ours which put in place precaution measures can still be affected. We have a very staff some of whom tested negative and came back from leave to work. We will never compromise and put the health of our staff or members of the community at risk , we follow the advise and guidelines of the WHO and the Health Ministry “.
Babucarr Sey staff of QTV said: “My co-workers are positive, yes but that should not stop us from feeding or informing our viewership. It is difficult things are not as it used to be.
“We are doing our outmost best to make sure that we make satisfy the needs of our listeners or viewership . The management is doing everything possible to make sure that we are protected while we are in the office.
“They are doing their best by providing us with all the materials needed as far as the WHO and Ministry of Health had advise in putting place the precaution measures, the place is been fumigated, protective gears are been to us. So working from home and here is all the same because the office is safe for us to come back and continue doing our work “
On July 29, I received information from a source inside the NIA that the Director General Ousman Sowe convened a meeting recently where they discussed how to disable a list of citizens including myself. They intend to do this by implicating us in various crimes such as implanting drugs in our homes, vehicles and offices. The agent said Ousman Sowe has already identified a team of agents to execute this plan. Furthermore, the source noted that it was Ousman Sowe who in fact instigated IGP Mamour Jobe to kidnap me on June 30 and then imposed bogus charges with the intention to silence me.
I hereby state that I believe this information 100% until Pres. Adama Barrow and Ousman Sowe come out to publicly refute with evidence that such a meeting ever took place and such a plan ever existed. A lot of people including myself had already shared this information on social media. It is already more than 72 hours yet neither the Office of the President nor the NIA came to refute the information. Therefore, I take it that the information is true.
This is no surprise news to me anyway because I had been under surveillance under the Yaya Jammeh Tyranny. I had many instances of interference with my phone calls. I had recorded many times when unidentified persons visited my home to inquire about my whereabouts. During TANGO activities we had noticed uninvited persons taking videos and pictures. Above all I had experienced numberless pickup trucks trail my vehicle several times. Many other Gambians also faced this kind of experience. I can confirm that all of them were either NIA agents or Junglers.
Therefore, this latest criminal attempt by the NIA does not surprise me. But indeed it concerns me greatly for the simple reason that this kind of terrorism by the Government should have ended on 17 January 2017. The continued occurrence of this malpractice highlights the gross failure of Pres. Adama Barrow to ensure the necessary legal and institutional reforms of the security sector in particular. For that matter I place full responsibility for this hit list on the hands of Adama Barrow.
This is because it is Pres. Adama Barrow who decided to maintain the NIA today as it was under Yaya Jammeh, and to appoint a notorious enabler in the person of Ousman Sowe to head this institution. NIA is directly under the Office of the President. Section 5 of the NIA Decree states that the Director General reports directly to the President. Section 6 gives power to the President to determine appointments to the NIA. Hence anything that happens within the NIA and by the Director General is the full responsibility of the President. Therefore, if anything happens to me and the 19 other persons in that hit list, none is responsible but Adama Barrow.
The National Intelligence Agency is mandated, under Section 3 of the NIA Decree, to protect the security of the state by combating such crimes and threats as espionage, terrorism, sabotage, overthrow of the Government or serious economic crimes. Neither Madi Jobarteh nor Nyang Njie or Fatu Camara or MC Cham Jnr or Lamin Cham or Pa Modou Bojang or Salieu Taal and the rest of the targets are individuals who seek to overthrow the Government or endanger the security of the State. All of the 20 people mentioned in that hit list are politicians, journalists, business people, lawyers and democracy activists. These are people who have the right and duty to hold the Gambia Government accountable. These rights and duties are guaranteed by the 1997 Constitution.
Hence for the NIA to focus on these individuals with the intention to silence them by criminal means is a clear indication of abuse of power by Ousman Sowe and the NIA. The fact that Pres. Adama Barrow has failed to hold Ousman Sowe accountable for such criminal enterprise indicates that the President is condoning abuse of power, destruction of the rights of citizens and blatant violation of the Constitution which are impeachable offences as per Section 67 of the Constitution.
By this article I am hereby informing the Attorney General and the Minister of Justice Dawda A. Jallow to advise the President to urgently take corrective measures against the NIA Director General for this malpractice. I am hereby putting the National Assembly on notice of this blatant and direct assault on the sovereignty of citizens by the NIA. I am hereby informing the general public of this blatant abuse by the Government of the Gambia and to demand the immediate dismissal and prosecution of Ousman Sowe for abuse of office.
Above all, I am putting it to Pres. Adama Barrow and Ousman Sowe that I am a sovereign citizen who has rights and duties guaranteed to me by the Constitution of the Gambia 1997 to hold them accountable. I am more than resolved today than ever to perform those duties in the exercise of my rights and in defense of the Republic. For that matter, I hold Pres. Adama Barrow and Ousman Sowe wholly responsible for any harm that befalls me or any of the persons named in that hit list.
For he Gambia Our Homeland
……………………………………………..
Madi Jobarteh
Skype: madi.jobarteh
Twitter: @jobartehmadi
LinkedIn: Madi Jobarteh
Phone: +220 9995093
It is indeed outrageous how citizens ignore preventive measures to combat Coronavirus. However this problem lie at the foot of the President and the sooner he realises that the quicker he should get up to reverse the situation! The current bad situation is expected if one follows the huge missteps of the President and his Government from the beginning.
For example the President could have made huge gains if at the very beginning he called in political leaders, business leaders and civil society leaders to share ideas for a national concerted effort. This strategy will include religious and community leaders given the high premium that religion and culture have in our society.
But the president failed to do so. Some of us called for it but got ignored. Yet we see many leaders around the world take that approach successfully.
Then he refused to connect with the people as early as possible. Since March he addressed the nation only 4 or 5 times. Other leaders are doing that from daily to fortnightly and they register success. Even the dumb American President does a daily briefing!
Then Pres. Barrow failed to ensure that proper laws are used to declare regulations and allocate resources. Rather he chose to flout the Constitution whether to declare SoPEs or to spend public funds. It backfired.
After I have cried multiple times and got ignored that the way the state of public emergency were declared was wrong in the end the President decided to abandon that approach by relying on public health laws to be used by the Minister of Health. But again in March I had suggested the use of those regulations to no avail.
The Minister of Health and the COVID-19 coordinator did not also do any better in terms of engagement with non-state actors in order to create a broad based national front. Again they chose to go it solo. It backfired. In fact it appears the health sector is without direction and infested with corruption.
At the end of it all there is massive misuse of resources such that basic equipment and welfare of frontline workers are inadequate. Given the amount of public funds that were illegally accessed by the Minister of Finance plus the funds obtained from both IMF and the World Bank between March and May 2020 it is safe to say that we had enough money to address the complete health needs of the pandemic! Therefore where are those monies?
The Minister of Health confirmed the corruption in his ministry. The National Assembly also confirmed the abuse of the Constitution and the Public Finance Act to access and use funds. But neither the Minister nor the National Assembly went further to call for accountability! Meantime allowances and PPEs are in short supply while health centers are ill-equipped!
Where are the health materials donated by Jack Ma Foundation or by the Chinese government? Where are the millions of dalasi donated by the private sector?
It is now clear that the country is under severe existential threat thanks to poor leadership. The masses do not have confidence in the Government hence the poor adherence to preventive measures.
The Government’s poor and selective enforcement of regulations and late provision of food aid which was politicized overshadowed all meaningful efforts to combat the virus. Because of the lack of trust in the Government in its handling of the pandemic people became more reckless as they refuse to comply with safety measures.
How does the President now reverse this dire situation? Here are my proposals:
To regain public confidence the President needs to show full transparency of where resources are coming from and going to and what is happening or not happening.
The President has to take corrective measures for the inefficiency, underperformance and corruption around COVID-19 funds and interventions.
The President may have to sack or redeploy some Ministers and officials to ensure efficiency, accountability and transparency.
In this regard the President has to ensure that all necessary resources for testing, treatment and quarantine centers are well equipped and also ensure all frontline workers are adequately paid and on time!
The President has to submit himself to the scrutiny and guidance of the National Assembly and follow the rule of law to better facilitate national response.
The President will have to engage especially non-state actors and political leaders more meaningfully and remove all political intrigues in these engagements.
The President has to stay on top of things with constant connection with the people thru daily televised addresses.
The President has to ensure that enforcement of regulations are effective, firm and indiscriminate. The President has to use the military if need be to enforce regulations.
The President must mobilize the full force of the Government machinery to ensure that each and every public institution and official perform their duties with efficiency, transparency and responsiveness.
The President must realise that he has a wide array of resources – inside the State and in the civil society and the private sector – at his disposal such that failure is not possible. The President is at liberty to call on any institution or organization or citizen or community to seek their ideas, expertise and contribution as is necessary and I am sure these people will offer their support.
Therefore let the President raise his head beyond politics, beyond State House and beyond his ego to see only The Gambia! He can ask for help from anyone and that’s not a sign of weakness but a great manifestation of leadership.
For The Gambia Our Homeland
Four more people have died of coronavirus while a massive 173 new cases have been registered, according to multiple reports.
Reports emerged at the weekend more people have died from the deadly disease, as photos of Red Cross officials busy at cemeteries emerged online.
It has now been gathered from government sources four people have died taking the nation’s total of those that died from the virus to 13, as the nation awaits the publication of the ministry of health’s situation report.
It comes as President Barrow’s government got shook by the disease with his vice president and three ministers testing positive for the disease.
Alieu Momar Njie is not dead contrary to reports suggesting the octogenarian IEC chairman has died.
Unconfirmed reports suggesting Mr Njie died emerged Monday evening.
The Fatu Network has gathered he is in fact alive, as his US-based son Momodou posted to his Facebook page his father is alive and well.
Mamour Jobe has been awarded a two-year deal which will see him continue as the nation’s top law enforcement officer.
Jobe is retiring this month from the Gambia Police Force but the president has handed him a two-year contract which will now keep him at the helm till 2022.
The longtime police officer said ‘it’s true, I got my letter today’ when The Fatu Network contacted him about the reports.
Jobe became the head of the police in July 2018 following the Faraba Banta incident-enforced resignation of Landing Kinteh.
Newly established Gambia For All said on Monday President Adama Barrow must come forward and ‘fully’ assume responsibility for steering the ship of state to safety, as coronavirus continues to wreak havoc on the nation.
The party in a statement said: “Gambia For ALL (GFA) from the onset had strongly advocated for a strong and capable leadership, and warned against the risk of reducing the crisis to its simplest dimension as just a public health issue.
“While we respect and recognize the professionalism of the Minister of Health, we believe that the full extent of the threat facing the nation is beyond the invocation of an obscure Dangerous Infectious Disease Act that appears to leave the responsibility of managing the crisis within the domain of the Ministry of Health.
“The focus has to be on how to decisively implement medically advised measures that will lead to limiting the spread of this menacing threat, and at the same time ensure that the institutions of state do not collapse, leaving behind a paralyzed nation.”
Colonel Yahya Drammeh has left his role as ADC to President Adama Barrow to engage in a ‘senior division’ course, sources have said.
Drammeh had been President Barrow’s ADC since 2017; but has now left the role to answer to fresh pursuits.
A source said Major Muhammed Jatta alias Francis Jatta is the president’s new man, starting work mid-last week.
There are however reports Drammeh had already taken the course.
State House has been rattled by coronavirus following confirmation on Sunday that three cabinet ministers tested positive for the disease – days after Vice President Dr Isatou Touray tested positive for the virus.
Rumours are now rife President Barrow has undergone Covid-19 test and his results have returned positive, amid suggestions State House is being tight-lipped about the extent of the situation. Other rumours are that there’s a special doctor monitoring the president.
The rumours come amid an announcement by State House the president was self-isolating following the vice president testing positive.
Dozens of security officers at the presidency have reportedly undergone Covid-19 test with at least ’28’ testing positive. Health Promotion director Modou Njai could not confirm these reports on Sunday.
However on the president testing positive for the disease, director of press and public relations at the Office of the President Amie Bojang Sissoho said on Monday she had spoken with both the president and the secretary general on Monday and that there was nothing to suggest the president has the virus. She added they would have announced it if the president has the virus, just like in the case of the vice president.
The Kanifing Magistrates Court has ordered the remand in police custody of Abdoulie Gaye who allegedly lost control of his car during an auto-racing leaving three people dead, police spokesman Lamin Njie has confirmed to The Fatu Network.
Three people were killed on Saturday while many others injured after the 21-year-old allegedly lost control of his car during a race that pitted him against another car.
The incident happened around 02:30 hrs on Saturday on the Senegambia highway.
The man has now been taken to court and remanded in police custody.
“He has been arraigned before the Kanifing Magistrates Court this morning on three counts, dangerous driving, careless driving and reckless driving and has been remanded under custody and case adjourned to 6th August for hearing,” the police spokesman said.
By Lamin Njie
Yahya Jammeh (not the former president) who is serving a nine-year jail term over his role in a 2017 coup plot is not dead, sources have told The Fatu Network.
Reports on Monday said the former army captain has died in prison prompting his family to scramble over their loved one.
A top prison source has however told The Fatu Network Mr Jammeh is ‘alive’ and ‘well’ and that the reports are ‘mere’ rumours.
A military panel in May last year found Jammeh, a former aide to former President Yahya Jammeh and seven others guilty of plotting to overthrow President Adama Barrow’s government.
In 2017, twelves GAF soldiers including Mr Jammeh were arrested and charged before a military court for being part of a WhatsApp group which they created in a poor cobbled bid to topple President Barrow’s government.
By Reuters
The World Health Organization warned on Monday that, despite strong hopes for a vaccine, there might never be a “silver bullet” for COVID-19, and the road to normality would be long.
More than 18.14 million people around the world are reported to have been infected with the disease and 688,080 have died, according to a Reuters tally, with some nations that thought they were over the worst experiencing a resurgence.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus and WHO emergencies head Mike Ryan exhorted all nations to rigorously enforce health measures such as mask-wearing, social distancing, hand-washing and testing.
“The message to people and governments is clear: ‘Do it all’,” Tedros told a virtual news briefing from the U.N. body’s headquarters in Geneva. He said face masks should become a symbol of solidarity round the world.
“A number of vaccines are now in phase three clinical trials and we all hope to have a number of effective vaccines that can help prevent people from infection. However, there’s no silver bullet at the moment – and there might never be.”
Ryan said countries with high transmission rates, including Brazil and India, needed to brace for a big battle: “The way out is long and requires a sustained commitment.”
Police have said they will carry out an operation on Monday in ensuring people have their faces covered, as the government struggles in stopping a spread of coronavirus.
Police said on their official Poliso Magazine Facebook page Sunday: “The general public is reminded that, the Gambia Police Force will enforce the use of Facemask tomorrow morning at all strategic areas.
“Persons travelling within the country are advised to have a facemask before joining any vehicle or entering Banks , Offices and other service areas.
“The cooperation and support of the public is highly solicited.”
Three cabinet ministers have tested positive for coronavirus, days after Vice President Dr Isatou Toura tested positive for the deadly disease.
State House confirming the development said on its official Facebook page Sunday evening: “The Office of the President informs the public that three Cabinet Ministers, Honourable Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs, Mambureh Njie and Honourable Minister of Petroleum and Energy, Fafa Sanyang, and Honourable Minister of Agriculture, Amie Fabureh have tested positive for COVID-19.
“The public is reminded that ‘Regulation No. 6’ of the Public Health (Dangerous Infectious Diseases) Protection Regulations, 2020 is in force, thus the compulsory wearing of face masks, temporary closure of non-essential public places and the prohibition of public and social gatherings.”
