By Lamin Njie

NPP stalwart Seedy Njie has pushed back at suggestions his party comprises ‘renegades’ that had fallen out with their parties.

NPP is composed of Gambians who came from different longtime political parties in the country. President Adama Barrow was a diehard UDP member while Seedy Njie was a prominent APRC member.

In an exclusive interview with The Fatu Network, Seedy Njie said people are always bound to be drawn to a new political party.

“Whenever a new party is formed, people will not fall from heaven. When a party is formed, it comprises people that are probably newly born but the founders would have belonged to various political parties or groups or organisations,” Njie said.

He added: “It is wrong, it is false that it (NPP) comprises renegades.”

By Lamin Njie

Gambians and non-Gambians sent to Tropical Garden Hotel following their arrival into the country have frowned at the condition of their rooms.

Tropical Garden Hotel is one of the facilities the government arranged for quarantine for people arriving in the country.

‘About 60’ passengers that arrived through an SN Brussels flight on Monday were sent to Tropical Garden Hotel in Fajara for a 14-day quarantine.

A number of them are however not happy and have told The Fatu Network there’s nothing in their rooms to make their stay in the hotel comfortable.

Quarantined Ousainou Sheikh Cham said: “My child was sick and I was in Germany since January. When I got to the airport, I told them my child has a problem, that the child eats only milk.

“They said I will be here for two weeks and my child’s food will finish in a week. I told them I will not be here for two weeks when my child’s food would finish in one week.

“Since day before yesterday, they have not given the child anything to eat, they didn’t give the child anything.

“Buba Manjang came here and said I should wait for Dr to come and Dr came and said I should wait for Manjang to come. The child is here sitting and still he has nothing to eat. I told them if I sit until evening and they do not help me, I will try and go home.”

Gamou Gaye, on his part, said: “We were taken from the airport and taken to various hotels. Since we came here, all what we have been told we have not seen anything. The food is a little bit better but the problem is the houses. They took out the frigdes, they took out the TVs, they took out everything before our arrival.

“We were being given each a single gallon of water since we came here. It was when we started making it an issue was when they started bringing water.”

By Lamin Njie

Top Islamic scholar Dr Zakir Naik has said Western powers are behind the political demise of former President Yahya Jammeh.

Jammeh fell flat on his face while seeking a fifth term as president of the nation in the 2016 presidential elections

Dr Zakir Naik who visited The Gambia in 2014 on the invitation of Jammeh said the former leader is a ‘true’ Muslim, a reputation for which he paid a heavy price by being defenestrated.

Dr Naik said in a video that has circulated online: “By Allah’s grace, I have met several heads of state, several presidents and prime ministers of various countries in many of the Muslim countries and some are less close and some are more close. And the previous president of The Gambia or rather the Islamic Republic of The Gambia it was called at that time, he is one of the few heads of state who were very close to me.

“And whenever I meet the heads of state, I tried to give the word of advice I can so that they come closer to the Quran, they come closer to Allah Subhana Watala and our messenger. And amongst the heads of state, the person who has followed maximum Islamic advice I gave is the previous president of Gambia Dr Alhaji Yahya Jammeh.

“And Alhamdullilah, may Allah Subhana Wa tala bless him and may he grant him Jannah. And because he was close to me, many of the Western world were against and I feel because he follows some of the advice, he was forced to leave his position.

“And you that the last elections that took place in 2016 in December and one month later he was forced to leave his position and you know how politics works: all the non-Muslim countries, US etc, they got together and they put pressure and appoint somebody else. And though they call it democratic election… First of all they pump in money, they try and rig the elections and they try and remove the person and they were successful in removing him.”

The Fatu Network could not determine when the video was taken.

A Senegalese national has become the latest to test positive for coronavirus taking the country’s coronavirus cases to 42.

The 45-year-old evaded quarantine after surreptitiously entering the country from Senegal on the 17 June, the health ministry said in its report on Tuesday.

The ministry said: “The response team was notified about him, through the 1025 Hotline and he was taken into quarantine on the 20th June where a sample was taken to test for COVID-19
“He lived with his wife and child before he was reported and picked by the quarantine team. His sample was collected whilst in quanrantine and a positive test result came out on the 22nd june.”

GDC national youth president MC Cham Jnr has joined his party leader Mamma Kandeh in saying the National People’s Party began campaigning in Niamina West shortly after the death of Demba Sowe.

GDC supremo Mamma Kandeh last week told The Fatu Network the party took motorbikes to Niamina West less than 40 days of Demba Sowe’s passing, the constituency’s lawmaker.

NPP’s Seedy Njie quickly dismissed the claims saying his party never campaigned in the constituency. Njie also insisted Kandeh was scared and paranoid.

GDC’s MC Cham Jnr has now fired back at the NPP stalwart saying NPP did campaigned in Niamina West.

He said in a statement he shared with The Fatu Network: “Seedy Njie, the Barrow propagandist at State House has accused Hon. Mamma Kandeh of being scared of losing the Niamina West parliamentary seat. Seedy Njie made these accusations after Hon Kandeh exposed President Barrow’s party for rushing to campaign in Niamina West even before the 40 days charity of the late Hon. Demba Sowe, former MP of the said Constituency.

“I wish to say this clear and loud that Niamina is our Niamina and be it Barrow or any other party, none, can win the GDC in Niamina. We shall maintain that seat when the bye-election is due. Hon. Kandeh is right. Barrow’s people took 3 motorcycles to Niamina and were campaigning even before the late MP’s 40 days charity, which is very sad.

“The likes of Seedy Njie has no credibility and moral authority in Gambia’s politics. We have seen the mess that he and a few other people put Jammeh into. Sadly, the same people who once denied Barrow from being sworn-in as president, are the same people advising him on politics. No wonder Barrow will continue to fail, and nothing can stop the GDC from maintaining its seat in Niamina.

“The projects registered by the GDC in Niamina are numerous and these include construction of boreholes, supporting women and youths, among many others. We are no match to any party in terms of provision of development projects to Gambians, talk less of Barrow’s NPP party. Even the central government has not done much in Niamina compared to GDC.

“The late Demba Sowe have complained about the lack support from government to develop his constituency especially infrastructural development but the government did nothing about it. So why are they rushing now?

“Therefore, let Seedy Njie and his party members keep quiet and wait for their first in Niamina, come the next bye-election. The people of Niamina are with GDC and nothing can change that.”

Popular young man Ansu Singhateh has called on young Gambian men to take their time choosing a spouse, as he praised Tida Baba Jobe for being a good woman.

Tida won admiration among Gambians on Monday following his appearance at the TRRC. She detailed how she stood by former her husband Baba Jobe to the death. Jobe was allegedly suffocated to death as his release from prison neared.

Ansu Singhateh was among a number of Gambians that praised Tida for her bravery and said she is a good woman.

Ansu wrote on his Facebook page: “My fellow brothers, when choosing for a lifetime spouse, do kindly take your time and never be persuaded by beauty.

“Your partner tells a lot, and one would agree with me that choosing a good wife means shaping your life for the best, I salute you Tida Baba Jobe.”

The Ministry of Tourism and Culture has declared that reports over 38.5 million dalasis was pilfered by officials of the ministry are ‘totally’ false.

Reports attributed to a group that calls its Save Tourism Association earlier this month said a project to improve tourism upcountry was created but the funds of over D38.5 million dalasi disappeared. The reports pinned culpability on tourism minister Hamat Bah and his PS Kordu Jabang Senghore.

The tourism ministry however said in a statement on Tuesday: “The Ministry of Tourism and Culture wishes to inform the public that rumors circulating on social media of a 38.5-million-dalasi scandal is totally false and unfounded. These amounts are part of funds set aside for the construction of five eco-lodges strategically located on the banks of The River Gambia, planned before the advent of Covid-19. The eco-lodges will be located in the North Bank Region; Kunkiling Forest Park, Central River Region, Sotuma Samba in the Upper River Region, Nyana Bantang and Arafat in the Central River Region. The process has already commenced, and the projects once completed will be visible to the public.

“The contract was processed and awarded by the Gambia Tourism Board following a vigorous bidding process. The Ministry therefore, disassociates itself with any form of misinformation geared towards personal defamation of character of credible and reputable personnel. The Ministry of Tourism and Culture is also not aware of the Save Tourism Stakeholders Association who seem to be keenly and maliciously pedaling false information online about senior staff and the disappearance of funds.

“The eco-lodges will have four-star comforts and will set the standards in up-country tourism facilities. Upon completion, the eco-lodges are expected to generate hundreds of direct and indirect employments to the youth and will further harness the tourism potential of The River Gambia, such as the use of river craft to access the eco-lodges in order to revive River transport.

“The eco-lodges fit neatly into the policy of the Ministry as envisioned in the National Development Plan (NDP) 2018-2021 which emphasizes “Promoting an inclusive and culture-centered tourism for sustainable growth” and situates culture-centered tourism a pride of place.

“The public is also kindly invited to note that the GT Board Act grants administrative and financial autonomy to its independent Board of Directors and as a result, it is in no way controlled or managed by any individual. We therefore assure the public of our commitment to national development and wish to reiterate that in all the two periodic reviews of the NDP made so far, Tourism and Culture has come out as the best performing sector as far as the goals of the NDP are concerned.”

The ministry of health said on Tuesday four people fled quarantine following their arrival into the country via an SN Brussels flight on Monday.

“The Ministry of Health regrets to inform the public that four (4) passengers out of the One Hundred Forty (140) who arrived in the country on the 22nd June 2020 with the SN Brussels flight escaped from quarantine. Of the four (4) escapees, one (1) surrendered himself to the health authorities. The second fugitive was reported by a neighbour and subsequently picked up together with her boyfriend who smuggled her while logistic arrangements were in progress,” the ministry said in a statement.

It added: “Unfortunately, this incident happened at a time when the health officials were working on the safe and orderly transfer of all passengers from Banjul International Airport to the various standard Government-funded quarantine facilities within the Greater Banjul Area. Unlike other countries that use school halls and stadia for quarantine during public health emergencies, The Gambia Government rents standard hotels as quarantine facilities.

“Here in The Gambia, persons taken into quarantine are provided with full boarding and accommodation for the duration of the 14-day quarantine. The Government Regulation on mandatory quarantine for Gambians and Non-Gambians arriving from COVID-19 hotspot countries will be quarantined without exception remains valid.

“Furthermore, the Ministry of Health would like to call on all those who travelled from Belgium through SN Brussels flight to Banjul and absconded from the quarantine centres are strongly urged to report to the health authorities or call 1025 for the necessary actions to be taken failure of which their names will be announced over the media to be followed by arrests from their homes. Persons that escaped quarantine are reminded that the health authorities are in possession of their passport details and addresses.”

President Adama Barrow has told his colleague Heads of State and Government that The Gambia remains committed to achieving the goals of the ECOWAS single currency, the ECO, according to State House.

President Barrow on Tuesday attended a virtual meeting organised for Member States of the West African Monetary Zone (WAMZ).

The Gambian leader said while the ECOWAS Authority has made progress on the proposed introduction of the ECOWAS Single Currency by the year 2020, the Francophone countries in ECOWAS, through its West African Economic and Monetary Union, UMOEA, also recently announced a similar programme with opposing exchange rate monetary policies within the same region, according to State House.

“There is need, therefore, to review these decisions in line with Article 15 of the 48th Ordinary session of the Authority of the Heads of States and Governments of 16th December 2015,” President Barrow told the meeting, attended by Presidents of Sierra Leone, Liberia, Guinea, Ghana and Nigeria, State House said in its press release.

Since 2017, The Gambia has constantly achieved three of the four primary convergence criteria, missing only the Budget deficit criterion; similarly, on the secondary convergence criteria, The Gambia has consistently achieved one of the two criteria, missing the public debt-GDP ratio, State House said.

The Gambian President urged that the Authority of Heads of State and Government of the Zone should provide guidance on this crucial issue, calling for a review of the parallel monetary programmes in the West Africa sub region.

“I will emphasise here that The Gambia remains committed to the revised roadmap of the ECOWAS Monetary Cooperation Programme. This commitment has been translated into sustained improvements on achieving the set of macroeconomic convergence criteria,” he said, according to State House’s press release.

Tuesday’s meeting Chaired by the Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, H.E Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone concluded with two propositions: convene an emergency Summit of Heads of State to discuss a way forward for the two monetary unions’ decision on the ECO [and] call on UMEOA community not to go ahead with the launch of the ECO pending the proposed meeting of Heads of State of the ECOWAS.

By Fatou Camara

An SN Brussels flight Monday evening landed at Banjul International Airport with 150 passengers onboard, despite the border closure and international travel ban due to Covid-19 pandemic.

A health worker on the ground Dawda Jarju confirmed to The Fatu Network that the 150 people would be taken straight to the quarantine centres.

“We received signal that they are 150 and will be in quarantine for 14 days. They will be in quarantine. No one is going home and the quarantine centre are Badala Park , Sun Beach and Bambo and Cora as well so these people are not going anywhere. They are directly inside and all the ambulance are inside with the vehicles sent by the ministry of health so they are all inside no one is coming outside, they are not even allowed to see a relative,” Jarju said.

Alieu Bayo a concerned Gambian The Fatu Network met at the airport expressed fears about the arrival of the flight.

” I am not happy with the way we are dealing with our health . We do hear and see the deadliness of coronavirus and Gambia is too small for that. I don’t deny a flight coming [sic] into the Gambia, I just want the government to take a deep look at our health system and security. Look at this place, there is zero social distancing,” Bayo said.

Gambians and non-Gambians that want to leave the country stormed the airport in an attempt to get into the plane that scheduled to make a return trip to Brussels.

A white lady Brita was among those trying to leave the country and she said: “I came to The Gambia to help something for the people but am a kind of confused for a fact that I want to go back home but non of the airlines I write to replies to emails and the worst part is the security here are not polite. We are very nervous.”

Press release

Andersen Global announces its entrance into the Gambian market by way of a Collaboration Agreement with Fajara Chambers, a law firm based in Fajara, continuing its rapid expansion in Africa which serves as an integral part of the organization’s global presence.

For more than 25 years, the firm – led by Managing Partners Ann Rivington and Malick F. M’bai, along with a staff of 11 professionals – has operated as a full-service law firm with industry competence in litigation, general business law, telecommunications, real estate, banking and tourism. Fajara Chambers has also been consistently recognized by Chambers Global.

“It is a privilege for Fajara Chambers to collaborate with Andersen Global,” Malick said.

“This collaboration reflects our commitment to providing high-caliber legal services to private as well as corporate and commercial clients, and our willingness to serve their interests not only in the West African sub-region but throughout the international business community. We are looking forward to working with like-minded individuals and continuing to build a practice that is a formidable competitor in the Gambian market.”

Andersen Global Chairman and Andersen CEO Mark Vorsatz added, “Our Africa platform is already one of the largest providers for legal services on the continent and building a benchmark organization in the region is a key element in our strategy. The addition of Fajara Chambers enhances our global offering significantly. Malick and his team bring substantial experience and expertise, and their commitment to independence and stewardship will further enhance our capabilities in The Gambia and beyond.”

Andersen Global is an international association of legally separate, independent member firms comprised of tax and legal professionals around the world. Established in 2013 by U.S. member firm Andersen Tax LLC, Andersen Global now has more than 5,000 professionals worldwide and a presence in over 177 locations through its member firms and collaborating firms.

By Lamin Njie

Some gym owners in the country have been arrested after they opened their gyms in defiance of lockdown rules.

Gym owners have been feeling the full pinch of the restrictions placed on ‘non-essential’ public-place businesses under the state of public emergency.

Some then took matters into their own hands after their efforts for their businesses to reopen fell on stony ground. They were then then arrested.

One of them told The Fatu Network: “There’s are some whose landlords want to kick them out because they can’t pay their rent.

“We have written to the government through National Sport Council and we met them [NSC].

“Since the lockdown, we have tried by all means to comply with the rules but it’s now been three months. We have families to feed. And this is why some of us decided to open our gym.”

Police spokesman Lamin Njie (not the author of this story) said some gym operators in the Kanifing Municipality and West Coast Region were indeed arrested.

“They have been charged with offenses contrary to the emergency powers regulations,” Superintendent Njie said.

He added: “We are also receiving reports that some video clubs have started operations. We wish to urged them to continue adhering to the regulations until such times they are officially lifted.

“Video club owners found wanting of violations will equally be prosecuted accordingly.”

By Lamin Njie

Drivers have suspended their sit-down strike after a meeting with the nation’s top civil servant.

Noah Touray met with leaders of the country’s drivers at State House on Monday as a sit-down strike by the drivers caused travel chaos across the country.

High on the agenda of the summit was the number of passengers a commercial vehicle is allowed to carry under the state of emergency regulations.

A Gambia Transport Union official told The Fatu Network they have suspended their strike on the deal the government would agree to their demand to restore their vehicles to their normal numbers.

“There’s a taskforce that has been set up to look into our demands,” the official said.

A government source has told The Fatu Network the government has ‘agreed to allow’ the commercial vehicles return to their normal passenger numbers.