By Lamin Njie

Security officers appeared before former President Yahya Jammeh seeking his blessing to assassinate individuals during the 2016 political impasse, former information minister Seedy Njie has said.

Jammeh stunningly lost the 2016 presidential election and a one month political impasse that followed pushed the country to the brink of war.

Seedy Njie was tapped as information minister in the last humiliating days of Jammeh’s rule, following the resignation of Sheriff Bojang. He was in the role for nine days.

Njie told Paradise TV in an exclusive interview security officers came before Jammeh and asked him to give his blessing for the assassination and arrest of individuals.

“People have approached him, security officials and other people for them to arrest other people, to assassinate other people or even fight but Jammeh refused,” Njie told the outlet.

Former President Jammeh ruled The Gambia for 22 years, a rule that was marked by gross human rights violations and corruption. He was seeking for a fifth term in office when he surprisingly lost to newcomer Adama Barrow in the 1 December 2016 presidential election.

Initially, Mr Jammeh accept defeat but change his mind five days later which triggered a standoff. Ecowas countries then intervened by sending troops to ensure he leaves office. Jammeh now lives in exile in Equatorial Guinea.

By Adama Makasuba

Three women have detailed how a band of witch hunters and ‘green boys’ stormed their homes and drove with them to Kololi where they were forced to drink a bitter liquid.

In 2009, former President Yahya Jammeh launched a so-called witch hunt campaign after hiring a band of witch doctors guarded by soldiers armed with AK47. The ritualists targeted the poor farming communities and public offices.

The TRRC has taken its public hearings to Jambur, one of the many affected communities.

Lamarana Jallow, Sukai Jallow and Fatou Sowe were among dozens victimized during Jammeh’s 2009 witch hunt.

Lamarana Jallow was unceremoniously picked up by the band of witch hunters and green boys as she was preparing to cook lunch at her house and got bundled on a green bus.

“Some of them were beaten to drink the concoction and the concoction was pounded mixed with water, and what the man advised us was anyone who drank water after drinking the concoction will die but I was unconscious and I was unconscious until in the morning around 10:00am,” Jallow told the TRRC.

“They bundled us in a bus and drove us off to Kololi and when we arrived at the compound they gave us groundnut past and rice and meat (local delicacy) to eat and asked some people to drink concoction. But what they first ordered us to for everybody to handover their properties ranging from mobile phones and money, and I they took 700 dalasi to them.”

“They will hold your hand and give the concoction to drink and they will come for another person, and some people felt down and went unconscious after drink the concoction. Their hands were held by people wearing green-green attire, and anytime they drink the concoction they would felt on the ground,” she added.

Sukai Jallow recalled seeing people looking death while others went conscious after drinking the concoction and ‘I was feeling dizzy and I felt sleep till the next morning , the concoction was bitter because the water mixed with it was not much and I drank a cup and half cup of it.’

A boy from the green-green boys came to me and asked me from last year to this year how many people have you eaten and I replied to him that I had never eaten human being because I am an elderly woman and is only you who accused me of being a witch, I really don’t know why they pointed finger to me and accused me of a witch, she added.

She said ‘they were stripped off naked and a young man was standing there pouring water on you and rubbing it over their body who could even be your grandson but there was nothing we can do.’

And Fatou Sowe a nice to Sukai Jallow said: “The concoction caused me high blood pressure. We were many because if my memory serves me, we were about fifty people, and when were forced to drank the concoction around 5:00pm we all went asleep until the next morning.”

President Adama Barrow will today hold a meeting in Salikeni, a UDP stronghold, according to an itinerary seen by The Fatu Network.

Mr Barrow on Monday began a 19-day nationwide tour, holding his first meeting in Fass Njaga Choi, a Lower Nuimi town. The president later toured the IFAD road to Jurunku which is presently under construction, and wrapping the day with another meeting in Kuntair.

Today, President Barrow will preside over a meeting in Saba and then proceed to Salikeni, all in Badibu. He will wind up the day with a meeting in Farafenni.

By Lamin Njie

Three UDP national assembly members who were among eight UDP lawmakers that were sacked by the party have reacted to their sacking.

Billay G Tunkara (Kantora), Alhagie Jawara (Lower Baddibu) and Baba Galleh Jallow (Sanimentering) were last Thursday expelled by UDP after they were found to have conducted themselves in a way that was not in ‘conformity’ with party principles. But the three lawmakers could not have cared less as they Monday joined President Adama Barrow on his nationwide tour.

The three NAMs spoke to The Fatu Network with Billay G Tunkara saying: “The party leadership and the executive committee did send us a letter indicating that our membership is no more needed in the party, as a result of our overt support of President Barrow and his political outfit.

“We take it in good faith but obviously everybody knows that what we are doing, we are supporting the rule of law and constitutional supremacy.”

Alhagie Jawara said: “It’s not about supporting President Barrow, it’s about… As a leader, there are three things that makes a leader and that is integrity, capacity and strength. We are supporting President Barrow based on the constitutional mandate The Gambia and her people gave him.

“Yesterday everybody heard what somebody in that party who talked about if anybody wants to challenge President Barrow on his constitutional mandate of five years, he is going to be the very one who is going to take your to the high court. And just few weeks back, we heard different story. So as a man of principle, I cannot be just flip flopping just like that.”

Baba Galleh Jallow said: “I am not fired, I would say I am relieved. We have a lot of trouble with the party. So if it comes to this stage, I believe we are relieved, we are not fired.

“Our agendas are not the same because we are supporting the president we elected. Our agenda is we voted Barrow for five years.”

By Wally Omar

The Imam of Jamburr village Omar Bojang who was a victim of 2009 witch-hunt today gave testimony to the truth commission about the incident which took place ten years ago.

Bojang was among several people from that village who were arrested and detained at government detention centers accused of being witches and wizards.

In 2009, following the death of former president Jammeh’s aunt, Jammeh hired six witch-doctors from Guinea to hunt witches and wizards in the country.

In today’s hearing at the village Imam Bojang told the truth commission that the witch-hunters were accompanied to the village by a soldier called Solo Bojang.

The witch-hunters arrived in the the village square in the midst of drumming with the ritualists dressed in red outfits and wielding cow horns. The witch-hunters told the villagers that they were in the village to pray but later requested to be taken to the village cemetery.

At the cemetery, the witch-doctors slaughtered red cock and red goat; the cock was buried but the goat was put in to the car.

Fifty-eight-year-old Omar Bojang narrated that the event coincided with the death of her mother. He was however not spared ritualists walked in to his house with drums and ransacked his room and other rooms.

“In my bathroom they left a stone which I stand when taking bath and remove juju, saying that juju was the reason why village was not progressing.

“I was told by the witch-hunters to go with them to the village square and the two visitors from Senegal were also talking along with me. At the village Bantaba we were asked to sit on the floor and they went in to the village to search for others .

“Sixty-two people were arrested from Jamburr and were taken to a government detention center where we were forced to drink concoction,” Imam Bojang said.
Imam Bojang said even before the witch-hunt he was a victim of Jammeh. Following

Jammeh’s election victory in 2001; while he relaxing at village Bantaba green youths attacked and beat him.

He said his younger brother who was a police had advised him to report the matter to police and the matter was taken to Brikama Police Station, however police didn’t take any step in the matter.

The attack he said was politically motivated because he was accused of not supporting former President Jammeh.

By Lamin Njie

The Gambian economy is anticipated to grow by four percent in 2019 compared to an actual real growth of 6.5 percent in 2018, Finance Minister Mambury Njie has said.

The top government official today brought the 2020 budget before members of the national assembly for their approval. According to Mr Njie, government will spend 30 billion dalasis in 2020. Total government expenditure and net lending for 2019 was 28.8 billion dalasis.

The growth of the country’s economy has however dropped to 4% with the finance minister saying the “decline in growth is as a result of anticipated setbacks in both agriculture and services sectors.”

“Growth in these two sectors is project at -2.6 and -1.5 percent in 2019 compared to 0.9 percent and 9.9 percent in 2018, for agriculture and services respectively.

“The contraction is on account of the delayed rain and the impact of the collapse of Thomas Cook the major carrier of tourists to The Gambia,” he added.

By Adama Makasuba

A Jambur man has accused the United Democratic Party of not showing any form of solidarity to him and his family during their detention by the APRC regime in 2001.

Ba Dembo Bojang who appeared before the TRRC today to testify on former President Yahya Jammeh’s 2009 so-called witch hunt quickly veered off to narrate his 2001 ordeal, accusing the UDP leaders of abandoning him.

“I don’t like UDP anymore unless if this government leaves and they choose another person but if they choose Ousainou I will not vote for him. But if they choose a new person I will vote for that person, maybe that one vote could be reason for a victory for someone,” Mr Bojang told TRRC officials at a session Jambur today.

“Therefore, I will not vote for Ousainou Darboe and if I should hear that he chose someone I will not cast my vote for that person, I am the one who liked him but he doesn’t like me, the one who is supporting you, if he happened to got into trouble shouldn’t you care about that person,” he added.

According to him, the reason for his dislike of UDP is because the Jammeh regime had sent seven people from his family including himself for opposing APRC and UDP leader neither visited them in detention nor sending a messenger adding “from that time I have expressed I don’t like Ousainou Darboe and UDP.”

They arrested myself and my brother Dodou Kah and his son Ousman and his younger brother Dodou Bojang and my niece call Binta Sillah and my grandson Kebba Mamaring Bojang and my son Ousman Bojang, he said.

By Lamin Njie

The UDP leadership in Tallinding constituency on Sunday branded the constituency’s national assembly member a rotten potato that needed to be removed from the bag.

Fatoumatta Jawara is among eight UDP members of the national assembly who have been expelled by the party after they were adjudged to have ‘conducted themselves in a way that was not in conformity with party principles.’

The expulsion of Fatoumatta Jawara, Billay Tunkara, Saikouba Jarju, Saikou Marong, Baba Galleh Jallow, Omar Darboe, Abdoulie Ceesay and Alagie Jawara is as a result of their alleged overt support for President Adama Barrow.

The UDP leadership in Tallinding on Sunday held a press conference where it hailed the decision of the party’s national leadership in sacking the eight officials.

“Fatoumatta leaving the party will not affect us in any way, it will only strenghten us.
“She’s given her back on the party, on Tallinding, and she even went to the point of saying she supports Barrow Youth Movement.

“We also have evidence she is one of those people who take bribes from the president to support his agenda,” a top Tallinding UDP official Bubacarr Jabbie while reading a statement said.

Another official blasted: “If you have one rotten potato in a bag, and you know it could harm the bag, what would you do? That’s what Fatoumatta is in the bag.”

The Fatu Network contacted Fatoumatta Jawara but she is yet to respond to a request for comment.

A person must attain the age of thirty years on the date of nomination for election of president, the new draft constitution has said.

The Constitutional Review Commission on Friday released the new draft constitution as The Gambia moved ever closer to getting a new constitution.

If approved, The Gambia’s political and socio-economic future will witness a major transformation, as among the many propositions are term limit and absolute majority.

On the issue of president, the new draft constitution says a person must be a citizen of The Gambia and has ‘on the date of nomination for election of president attained the age of thirty years’.

The new draft constitution also espouses a candidate either hold an undergraduate degree with five years work experience or a high school certificate with twelve years work experience.

The new draft constitution of The Gambia has laid down the law regarding who qualifies for the job of minister.

The Constitutional Review Commission on Friday released the new draft constitution as The Gambia moved ever closer to getting a new constitution.

If approved, The Gambia’s political and socio-economic future will witness a major transformation, as among the many propositions are term limit and absolute majority.

On the issue of ministers, the new draft constitution says a person is qualified to be appointed a minister if the person is a Gambian and has ‘attained’ the age of 21 or more. It also says the person must a qualification at tertiary education level and can speak and write the English Language well.

The Gambia government has ditched its plan to introduce a law that could see people going to jail if they are found guilty of insulting the parents of public officials.

The Barrow administration in the past few days has been under fire over an alleged plan by to introduce a law that would ban people from insulting government officials.

Justice Minister Abubacarr Tambadou clarified Friday saying the proposed new law is strictly on ‘parental insults’ when it comes to public officials, but now the ministry of justice has issued a statement announcing it will no longer present the proposed law that seeks to introduce the offence of parental insults in the criminal Offences bill.

“This withdrawal decision is as a result of concerns expressed from several quarters regarding the objectives and the possible effects of the said provision,” a statement purportedly by the ministry said.

It said further: “The Ministry wishes to inform the general public that the introduction of the said proposed law was simply intended to stem the rise of unwarranted abuse and/or intimidation of public officers who serve the public everyday and these include civil servants, police officers, judicial officers, National Assembly members etc.

“Contrary to some claims, the proposed law was neither intended to stifle freedom of expression nor to shield public officers from public scrutiny. Far from it.

“The Ministry has therefore considered that this single legal provision on parental insults, which is only one among over four hundred other provisions in the revised Criminal Offences Bill that we will be seeking to enact before the National Assembly, threatens to overshadow all the hard work invested in this process, and the more fundamental and far reaching reforms of our governance architecture in general and the criminal justice landscape of our country in particular. These include enacting an anti-corruption commission bill, an access to information bill, a media services bill, a women’s anti- discrimination bill and above all, a new draft constitution to usher in renewed hope going into a 3rd republic. These are exciting times in our country and the sense of optimism imbued by these progressive constitutional and legislative reforms must not be allowed to be overshadowed by our disagreements over one single legal provision.

“The Ministry further reassures the public that it is firmly committed to its governance reform agenda and that it will always take on-board the concerns of citizens as it shapes this agenda in the best interest of all in our country.”

By Adama Makasuba

A peace organisation is planning a tour of the nation next week to engage people especially young Gambians on the promotion of peace in the country.

The group is expected to start its tour on a day President Adama Barrow would start gracing 44 in-country meetings.

The group’s tour of nation is targeting youth groups especially students who it describe as the people who are used during crisis situations.

Pro-Gambia a group formed after the political impasse in 2017 with its principal goal to promoting peace and unity in the country through dialogue among political leaders, youth and community, and pressure groups.

It has recently held engagement with various political leaders and interior minister on the coalition’s controversial gentleman pact which is calling for Barrow to step down in December.

Vice President of the group Fatou Fatty, who spoke at a news conference on Sinchu Baliya said: “We wish to informed and educate the public on how we can all come together and promote peace and give peace a chance to ensuring stability and security.”

Mrs. Fatty called for encouragement of dialogue in the country saying ‘because of dialogue they have resolved many unwanted problems in the country and we are calling on stakeholders to give support to this initiative and not to wait until the country is in flames and act.’

Ensa ‘Jeusus’ Jatta group secretary general said they expect to hold a national day for dialogue after the tour where ‘we will have all the political leaders, security forces, pressure groups- 3- and 5-years, religious leaders civil society organisations for us to come and dialogue and see how best we can safeguard the peace and security of the country.’

By Lamin Njie

Two top Gambian imams last week went head to head as the fight for leadership of the country’s apex Islamic body continued.

Supreme Islamic Council second vice president Ibrahim Jarjue clashed with Rawdatul Majalis’s Abubacarr Jabbi on Perspective, a weekly GRTS show, in a session peppered by accusations and counter-accusations.

The debate first started to get heated when Supreme Islamic Council’s Jarjue claimed Rawdatul Majalis was a one-tribe Islamic group.

“Because we are interested in peace is why I am sharing a stage with Rawdatul Majalis. I will not have been here. We have nothing against them but all we hear from them is insults.

“If you go to any Majalis, you will find a Fula, a Jola, a Mandinka, a Serahule, a Serere but for Rawdatul Majalis, all the scholars are Mandinkas and Gambia is not a country of just Mandinkas,” Jarjue said.

He continued: “So if these people go out on a tour of the country and go as far as naming a new president, it’s impossible for us to work with those people.

“Also, if we (SIC) announce the sighting of the moon, they (Rawdatual Majalis) will announce that the moon is not sighted. They use the media to discredit us and to confuse people.”

Rawdatul Majalis’s Abubacarr Jabbi fired back saying the current Supreme Islamic Council is a ‘club of friends’.

Jabbi said: “These are all accusations. For him to say Rawdatul Majalis is made up of people from just one tribe is an allegation.

“We all know what Supreme Islamic Council did to Gambians; imams were beaten, imams were imprisoned and imams were stopped from observing Eid.”

Rawdatul Majalis, a group established in 2017 to bring all Islamic sects in the country together, is soaked in a bitter leadership row with the current leaders of Supreme Islamic Council. The group says the term of office of the current leadership has expired.

By Lamin Njie

Justice Minister Abubacarr Tambadou has said the objective of the draft Criminal Code Bill is not to ‘stifle’ freedom of expression.

Gambians online have been railing against an alleged plan by the government to introduce a law that would ban people from insulting government officials. Screenshots were shared online with users suggesting people would be handed jail terms of up to one year if they are found guilty of insulting the president or a public official.

Justice Minister Abubacarr Tambadou clarified Friday saying the proposed new law is strictly on ‘parental insults’ when it comes to public officials.

Mr Tambadou said: “First, this is only one provision among hundreds others that are being proposed for amendment. Second, the Government is introducing two new pieces of legislation on freedom of expression: Access to Information Bill and Media Services Bill. These two bills were drafted in close consultation with Article 19 and the GPU and subjected to stakeholder validations.

“Third, as part of the government’s consultation process, we shared the draft Criminal Code Bill, which contains the Parental insults provision, with some civil society organizations in confidence because it has not yet been finalized and it is still subject to validation. It is unfortunate that this incomplete Bill was shared with the public before finalization.

“In any event, the Government proposes to proceed with the Parental insults provision for two principal reasons: first, the Supreme Court had sometime in 2018 upheld that the criminal provisions relating to sedition against the President were lawful and constitutional. This by the way is the provision relating to insulting the President or bringing into contempt or hatred against the person of the President etc. We thought that this particular provision is susceptible to abuse and decided to delete the provision notwithstanding the Supreme Court decision on it; but we also want to ensure that when the provision on sedition is removed, the exercise of the right to freedom of expression is done in a responsible manner and that Parental insults should have no place in political discourse especially with respect to those holding public office.

“By virtue of their employment, decisions by public officials affect the public on a daily basis and this exposes and makes them the most vulnerable to public reactions. So in order to prevent unwarranted abuse and intimidation of public officials, and consistent with the constitutional provision to place reasonable restrictions in the interests of public decency or morality, we proposed the offence of parental insults which in our culture is extremely offensive and may perhaps be the most extreme form of provocation. This is the genesis and context in which this law is being proposed.

“The objective is not to stifle freedom of expression, otherwise the government would not be introducing the bills mentioned above among others such as amending the Information and Communications Act to remove what I call the laws on “garuwalleh”.

“But in our local culture, it is simply wrong to insult the parents of another and it is the responsibility of all to discourage this practice especially against those holding public office for the reasons stated earlier. What has anyone’s parents got to do with their employment? Why not just stop at insulting public officials if you so choose and not their parents? The only reason one would do such a thing is to be hurtful to others because that is the natural consequence of saga ndey in our culture.

“And by the way, the proposed new law does not seek to prohibit insults against public officials, only their parents, ie, saga ndey!!! Or bai.”

By Lamin Njie

The Gambia’s political future is about to witness a major transformation after the country’s new draft constitution revealed a massive shift to the country’s electoral law.

The new draft constitution of The Gambia which was released today says a candidate for election to the office of president can only be elected if the candidate has received more than half of all the votes ‘validly’ cast in the election. The pronouncement translates to 51% and it a sharp departure from the simply majority system The Gambia has known since independence.

The new draft constitution is also saying the president cannot hold office for more than two terms of “five years each, whether or not the terms are consecutive.”

The Barrow administration in 2018 tasked a commission to work on a new constitution for The Gambia, and after over one and a half years of work the commission has published the first draft of the document.

Cherno Jallow the chairman of the Constitutional Review Commission speaking at a news conference in Kotu today said the draft constitution comprises 20 Chapters with a total of 315 clauses. The current constitution of The Gambia has 17 chapters.

The CRC top official said: “We took note of their wishes and carried out research into comparable jurisdictions.

“We have come to the conclusion that while a leaner Constitution may be desirable, it ought not to be the yard stick by which we measure the strength and effectiveness of the Constitution.

“We have taken into account the fact that we have a young democracy with not so strong institutions – one of the things we have attempted to rectify in the draft Constitution – and the need to ensure clarity.”

By Adama Makasuba

The draft new constitution is demanding candidates for president to at least obtain a minimum of senior secondary school leaving certificate with twelve years work experience.

But if the clause is approved, it will affect many aspirant candidates for the country’s top job especially young people who are without undergraduate degree and haven’t got twelve years work experience.

Qualification for president was an emotive issue during CRC’s in and out-country consultation with many people saying a candidate for president of The Gambia should at least hold an undergraduate degree.

But the new draft constitution which is published today is saying a “candidate must hold a minimum of an undergraduate degree plus five years’ work experience after the date of attaining that degree, or hold a minimum of a senior secondary certificate or its equivalent plus twelve years’ work experience.”

Presidents in The Gambia are known to be poorly educated, with the exception of former president Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara who had attained university education.

By Momodou Justice Darboe

It is the count-down to Hijab Fashion Week and all roads will on Friday lead to Semaj Garden in Senegambia where a scintillating array of young Hijab-wearing girls will do the cat-walk but Movement for Islamic Research and Dawah(MIRD) has condemned the event, describing it as contrary to the teachings of Islam.

Hijab Modelling Agency, established with the overriding aim of projecting young Hijabis in positive light, is poised to host a fun-filled night of events that is expected to attract notable figures in the fashion industry and the larger public.

According to organizer Hijab Modelling Agency, the events are intended to provide a platform for Hijab-wearing young women to have a taste of fashion and the feeling of being a model while being modest.

“In addition, to train them the way of life in the fashion world in positive ways and to become professional models who will represent their motherland [The Gambia] on international runway events involving modest fashion,’’ stated a press release issued to the media ahead of the Friday Hijab Fashion Week.

However, MIRD has come out strongly to denounce the Hijab Fashion Week.

In a press release issued to this medium on Thursday, MIRD states: ‘’We condemn in the strongest possible terms the evil activity organized by some people who call themselves Hijab Modeling Agency. In Islam, everything is cleared for us. There are no editions, concoctions, deletions, additions or innovations in Islam.’’

The release adds, quoting the Quran: ‘’This day, I (Allah) have perfected your religion for you, I have completed my favour upon you, and have chosen for you Islam as your religion.

“The verse above serves as a seal to any invention that anyone may introduce to Islam. The prophet (peace be upon him) said, ‘whoever does any deed (in Islam) that is not based upon our commandment it is rejected.'”

According to the release, Hijab Fashion Week is prohibited in Islam in that women are prohibited in Islam to display their adornments to other than their husbands or close male relatives who are prohibited to marry them.

“And stay in your houses, and do not display yourselves like that of the times of Ignorance. (The Glorious Qur’an).

“The above stated event will undoubtedly include display of beauty and adornment by adult Muslim sisters for marketing purposes which will certainly attract the opposite gender to lust for illegal sexual desires which will defeat the entire purpose of Hijaab as Hijaab literally means a barrier, a shield, a protection meant to preserve the Muslim woman against the oppression of illegal sexual relations,’’ the release said.

“We know very well that this ‘Hijaab Week’ is an eye-catching event that is intended to market your products, display your adornment to open spectators/attendance. There is no justification for this in Islam,’’ stated the release.

“It never was practiced during the time of the prophet(PBUH) nor was it ever practiced by any of the predecessors amongst the times of the truthful scholars, including female Islamic scholars,” said the dispatch.

But Rohey Jeng president of Hijab Modelling Agency told The Fatu Network the argument MIRD is peddling is faulty as the event is only meant to promote modesty ‘through hijab.’

“We are just trying to promote modesty, we are all hijabs and we are just trying to promote hijab fashion designers. And we are really not trying to make a mockery of Islam,” Rohey said.