By Lamin Njie

The Barrow administration issued 578 diplomatic passports in its first year in office, twice the number of diplomatic passports it scrapped in 2017.

The Gambia government in August 2017 announced the cancellation of 271 diplomatic passports that were issued by the Jammeh administration.

But the Barrow administration is ensconced in a scandal after it emerged its officials have been engaged in fraudulently helping individuals hold Gambian diplomatic passport.

At least a dozen officials have so far been arrested and questioned.

The ministry of foreign affairs on Monday met with members of the diplomatic and consular corps and international organisations over the raging diplomatic passport scandal.

Justice Minister Abubacarr Tambadou became the most senior government official to have been name in the scandal after a letter was leaked online showing his entire family holding diplomatic passport.

On Tuesday, the minister of foreign affairs Mamadou Tangara appeared before members of the national assembly over the scandal.

According to Mr Tangara, the ministry of foreign affairs issued in 2017, 578 diplomatic passports and 320 service passports.

“In 2018, we issued 448 diplomatic passports and 333 service passports,” he added.

The number of diplomatic passports issued by the Barrow administration in 2017 and 2018 totals 1,026.

A former government official told The Fatu Network on Tuesday it was a new record.

“It is a staggering number if you compare it with the number of diplomatic passports issued by the previous administration in its first five years in office,” he added.

The minister of foreign affairs has said the Gambia government has not received any communication from German authorities on the number of Gambians that have been prepared for deportation.

At least 2,500 Gambian refugees in Germany are likely to be deported after their asylum claims were rejected, refugee support group Gambia Association of Refugees Europe Branch has said.

The minister of foreign affairs Mamadou Tangara appeared before lawmakers on Tuesday in which he was asked by top Gambian lawmaker Halifa Sallah on whether the Gambia government was aware of the issue of over 2,000 Gambians awaiting deportation in Germany.

“The ministry of foreign affairs has not received any communication from the German authorities regarding the statistics the honourable member has just referred to. However, the ministry is aware of the current repatriation setup from Europe in particular Germany,” Dr Tangara said.

By Lamin Njie

The ministry of foreign affairs on Monday met with members of the diplomatic and consular corps and international organisations over the raging diplomatic passport scandal.

The Barrow administration is ensconced in a scandal after it emerged its officials have been engaged in fraudulently helping individuals hold Gambian diplomatic passport. At least a dozen officials have so far been arrested and questioned.

Justice Minister Abubacarr Tambadou became the most senior government official to have been name in the scandal after a letter was leaked online showing his entire family holding diplomatic passport.

On Monday, officials of the ministry of foreign affairs met with the diplomatic community at Laico Atlantic Hotel on the issue.

“The briefing session was meant to not only inform the Diplomatic and Consular Corps, International Organisations and Honourary Consuls but to also brief them about steps which are being taken by the Government of The Gambia to reshape the current structures in place as it relates to the issuance of official Passports and entitlements and privileges accorded to representatives of International Community in The Gambia,” a statement from foreign affairs Monday said.

The government of The Gambia has said it learnt with shock and utter dismay the attacks on oil installations in Eastern Saudi Arabia.

Yemen’s Iran-allied Houthi rebels on Saturday launched drone attacks on Aramco oil facilities in eastern Saudi Arabia.

The Gambia government through the ministry of foreign affairs on Monday said it was joining the International Community in condemning “these barbaric acts that constitute grave threats to global peace and security.”

“The Gambia calls on the International Community to redouble efforts aimed at bringing the perpetrators of these heinous crimes and their backers to justice,” a statement said.

It added: “The Government and people of The Gambia stand by the Government and people of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia under the leadership of the Custodian of the two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud.

Women who take paracetamol while pregnant risk having children with behaviour problems, a study suggests.

Scientists found a link between expectant mothers using the painkiller and their youngsters being hyperactive and having emotional issues.

Paracetamol is the world’s most popular painkiller and is the only one deemed safe to take during pregnancy. But a growing body of research suggests it could damage the development of children in the womb, with studies linking it with asthma, infertility and autism.

In the latest research, carried out by the University of Bristol, scientists examined data from 14,000 children between the ages of six months and 11 years.

Using questionnaire and school information from Bristol’s ‘Children of the 90s’ study, the researchers analysed the results of the youngsters’ memory, IQ, temperament and behaviour tests. This was compared with data showing how frequently their mothers had taken paracetamol between 18 and 32 weeks of pregnancy.

The study found a ‘causal link’ between taking paracetamol and behavioural issues in children including hyperactivity and attention-deficit disorder.

The effects were strongest when the children were three years old, but had subsided when the youngsters finished primary school.

Boys appeared to be more susceptible than girls to the possible behavioural effects of the drug, the Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology journal reported.

The study prompted fresh warnings for pregnant women to use only the lowest possible dose of paracetamol for the shortest time.

Lead study author Professor Jean Golding said: ‘Our findings add to a series of results concerning evidence of the possible adverse effects of taking paracetamol during pregnancy such as issues with asthma or behaviour in the offspring. It reinforces the advice that women should be cautious when taking medication during pregnancy and to seek medical advice where necessary.’

Responding to the findings, Dr James Dear of the University of Edinburgh said: ‘At present, in my opinion, women should only use paracetamol in pregnancy if clearly needed. The lowest dose for the shortest time should be taken.’ But scientists added that there is evidence maternal infections and inflammation can adversely affect the foetal brain. This means it is possible that the reason for taking the paracetamol – rather than the medication itself – could be the cause of behavioural issues.

Andrew Whitelaw, emeritus professor of neonatal medicine at Bristol, said: ‘There is a possibility that, in some women, it is the reason for paracetamol, rather than the medication itself, which has affected the infant’s brain.’

Dr Pat O’Brien, of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said: ‘These results demonstrate only an association between paracetamol use and adverse outcomes.

‘More research is needed to determine the causation. Current advice is that paracetamol remains safe for use in the treatment of mild to moderate pain in women during pregnancy and breastfeeding.’ (DailyMail)

By Lamin Njie

A 14-year-old boy has died after coming into contact with a power line.

Alhagie Jobe was out playing with his mates in the rain but died after coming into contact with a power pole that was connected to another pole that had been laying on the ground after being knocked down by a passing vehicle, a witness told The Fatu Network.

The incident happened at around 6pm on Saturday near Jeshwang primary school.

The public relations officer of the National Water and Electricity Company Pierre Sylva confirmed the incident.

“Management has been informed and we plan to visit the family of the boy tomorrow (Monday),” he added.

By Lamin Njie

Kerr Serign was thrown into mourning Sunday after four boys drowned during a circumcision shower.

The boys, all teenagers, died after getting into difficulty in the sea in Kololi.

Police spokesman Lamin Njie confirmed the incident telling The Fatu Network: “We can confirm an incident of drowning at the Kololi beach around Senegambia area, involving seven young boys all about age 15.

“The boys where rescued by life savers and evacuated to the Serrekunda general hospital where four was pronounced dead.

“They were said to have gone swimming with newly circumcised children at the beach.

“Meanwhile further Police investigations continues into the incident.”

It is usually this time of the year when young Gambian boys are circumcised.

The circumcised boys are taken to the river two weeks after the procedure.

It is believed the exercise helps heal the wounds.

West African leaders have pledged $1 billion to combat the spiralling threat of Islamist militancy in the region, the head of the regional ECOWAS bloc said on Saturday.

Groups with links to al Qaeda and Islamic State have strengthened their foothold across the arid Sahel region this year, making large swathes of territory ungovernable and stoking local ethnic violence, especially in Mali and Burkina Faso.

The fifteen members of the West African bloc and the presidents of Mauritania and Chad had gathered for an extraordinary summit in Burkina Faso’s capital, Ougadougou, to address the growing insecurity.

ECOWAS Commission President Jean-Claude Kassi Brou said the commission had decided to “contribute financially and urgently to joint efforts in the fight against terrorism” by pledging $1 billion.

In a speech following the closed meeting, Brou also called on the United Nations to strengthen its MINUSMA peacekeeping mission, which has been based in Mali since

In July, the U.N. said Islamist attacks were spreading so fast in West Africa that the region should consider bolstering its response beyond current military efforts.

In 2017, five countries – Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad, Mali and Mauritania – backed by France, launched the G5 Sahel task force to combat the insurgents. But the initiative has been perennially underfunded.

The situation in Burkina Faso has deteriorated in particular in recent weeks. An attack in late August killed 24 soldiers, one of the heaviest losses yet in the nation’s fight against Islamist militants. Last week, 29 people were killed in separate attacks in its troubled central-northern region.

Once a pocket of relative calm in the Sahel, Burkina has suffered a homegrown insurgency for the past three years, which has been amplified by a spillover of jihadist violence and criminality from its chaotic neighbour Mali.

Large swathes of Burkina’s north are now out of control, and France’s military Sahel mission began limited operations there earlier this year. (Reuters)

By Lamin Njie

The chairman of Operation Three Years Jotna has called on Gambians to knock back at getting played by political leaders.

OTYJ on Saturday held a rally in Brikama as part of its campaign to force President Barrow to leave power in December in line with the coalition agreement.

Speaking at the event, the group’s chairman Abdou Njie said the whole world will appreciate in December that Gambians are not fools.

“If our leaders want to play with us or they have taken the decision to play with us, we cannot do anything about that but we can put them in their place and they too cannot do anything about that,” Mr Njie told the crowd.

OTYJ is out to keep President Barrow to account over his pledge he will step down after a three-year term.

The group was formed last year after it emerged President Barrow was contemplating clinging to power until 2021.

According to Mr Njie, Gambians are not fools and ‘if you consider us to be fools, we will show you we are not fools.’

“Do you know that Adama (Barrow) will step down [in December]? If the three years comes, the whole world will know that Gambians are not fools,” Njie added.

A woman and her husband are both in intensive care after she gave birth to twin girls at 74 years old in a ‘medical miracle’.

It was reported that Erramatti Mangayamma – known as the ‘world’s oldest mother’ – suffered a stroke just after going into labour but now it has been revealed that her other half Sitarama Raja Rao, 82, has had a heart attack.

They had been in a childless marriage for 57 years and Raja Rao described them as the ‘happiest couple on earth’ after the IVF proved successful on September 5.

Erramatti Mangayamma used an egg from a donor which was fertilised by her husband in the first cycle of IVF.

She was admitted to hospital in January where her condition was ‘constantly monitored’ by cardiologists, gynaecologists and a nutritionist during pregnancy before the twins were delivered by cesarean this month.

Husband Raja Rao said: ‘Due to the grace of God and doctors, I am the proud father of two baby girls.’

This was just one day before he collapsed and was taken to the Ahalya Nursing Home’s intensive care unit in Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, according to The Times.

And he even suggested ‘whatever should happen will happen’ if something was to happen to him or his wife – during the blissful moments where they welcomed their girls into the world.

‘It’s all in the hands of God.’

Dr Sanakayyala Umashankar, who works at the practice, said Mrs Mangayamma was put in intensive care because of the stress she endured for the last three hours of giving birth – and has been there for more than one week.

The home has not revealed the status of her health condition or an update on Raja Rao. (DailyMail)

By Lamin Njie

Former AFPRC junta spokesperson Ebou Jallow has rejected the Barrow administration’s decision that he should pay back 1.6 billion dalasis of Taiwan aid that went missing.

Ebou Jallow and two former military officers of the AFPRC junta have been found guilty of leading the 1995 negotiations that led to Taiwan giving The Gambia a loan of $35,000,000.

However, the staggering sum can’t be accounted for.

But the Janneh Commission, an investigation that was set up in 2017 to look into the financial, business and assets dealings of former President Yahya Jammeh has said it is Ebou Jallow, Edward Singhatey and Yankuba Touray who should be held responsible.

As a result, the Barrow administration has ordered the three men to pay the money in 30 days.

But Mr Jallow in a reposte on Saturday slammed the Janneh Commission as illegal.

The former junta top-shot said: “The Janneh Commission just like the TRRC is not in compliance with Gambian Constitution. It has now turned out to be nothing but a purely political process to malign and witch-hunt perceived enemies.

“It was the Minister of Justice himself, Ba Marie-Tambedou through Saihou Saidy-Leigh of the UDP who cajoled me into participating with the Janneh Commission, and I accepted it knowing fully well what I was going to do: debunking lies. I have no doubt today that President Barrow is nothing but an unfortunate lame-duck president with an incredibly sinister and incompetent administration at his service constantly misleading him into serious errors in governance.

“Nobody has ever served me an adverse mention from The Gambia government according to law. The Gambian Constitution Section 204 states very clearly -(1) “Where a Commission of Inquiry makes an adverse finding against any person, it shall, at the time of submitting its report to the President, inform such persons of the finding and the reasons therefore.” Yet The Gambia government blatantly abused its authority and went on a smear campaign in a typical fashion of a banana republic calling the establishment of a bona fide diplomatic relation between two sovereign countries a “forgery”. President Barrow’s government also nose-dived further to the deep end of mendacity by accusing me of being part of “the AFPRC that failed to account $32,220,000 of the loan from Taiwan…”.

“I resigned from the AFPRC just about two months after the Gambia Government secured the loan from the Republic of China Export-Import Bank, and $30M of those proceeds were deposited at the Republic of Gambia Special Development Account with the Citibank, NY; $2.3M was deposited in a Special Government Account with the Central Bank in cash; and Yaya Jammeh kept the remainder in his custody at the State House at 1 Marina Parade. The entire loan package was later ratified by The Gambia National Assembly into law. If the Gambia government was interested in the truth rather than political chicanery they could have easily identified and traced every transaction from those bank accounts managed by the Gambia Central Bank. The records of these transactions exist. I have copies, and so do the Citi Bank of NY and the Central Bank in the Gambia.”

By Lamin Njie

The Barrow administration has ordered the Central Bank of The Gambia to calculate all income earned by Trust Bank Gambia Ltd and Guaranty Trust Bank from the accounts of former president Yahya Jammeh and ensure they repay the entire sum to the state.

Trust Bank and GTBank have been found guilty of improper and illegal behavior by the Janneh Commission and the investigation has recommendation that the two banks be punished.

The Janneh Commission found that some of former President Jammeh’s accounts were opened at both banks with ‘no legal or legitimate basis and without compliance with the anti-money laundering act.’

The Barrow administration in a white paper released on Friday said it ‘accepts the commission’s recommendation that TBL should account for and refund to the state all the monies earned by way of fees and charges from the accounts.’

“The Central Bank of The Gambia is hereby requested to calculate/assess all the income earned by TBL from these accounts and refund same to the state,” the white paper said.

It added: “Additionally, the Central Bank is requested to impose punitive fines against TBL for failure to comply with anti-money laundering legislation, in addition to a fine of D1,000,000 imposed by the commission for the bank charges and other benefits they derived from these illegal transactions.”

Guaranty Trust Bank have also been punished in like manner.

By Lamin Njie

President Adama Barrow has ordered the sacking of Abdoulie Cham, the director of finance and investment at the Social Security and Housing Finance Corporation.

Cham is among 31 people who have been found guilty by the Janneh Commission of assisting former president Yahya Jammeh steal billions of dalasis in public funds.

The commission’s report was released on Friday.

According to the investigation, served as finance director at Social Security during the period when most of the irregular and unlawful loans were granted by the corporation to former president Jammeh.

As director of finance and investment, Mr Cham failed to demonstrate vigilance and rigor in protecting pensioners’ funds, the probe added.

As a result, the Barrow administration said it has accepted the findings of the probe ‘in so far as they relate to Mr Cham.’

“The government accepts the commission’s recommendation that Mr Abdoulie Cham’s services at SSSHFC be terminated. It is hereby ordered that Mr Abdoulie Cham’s services at SSHFC be terminated with immediate effect,” a Barrow government white paper released on Friday said.

By Lamin Njie

Ebrima Dibba has hailed Njie Manneh’s decision to return to the United Democratic Party.

Manneh shocked the nation on Saturday after he announced he was returning to UDP, six months after leaving the party.

Mr Manneh converted to President Adama Barrow’s camp early this year following the Gambian leader’s ugly estrangement with UDP.

He later became one of his staunchest supporters who did not shy away from attacking UDP leader Ousainou Darboe.

But in an audio message on Saturday, Mr Manneh said he was returning home.

“Ousainou Darboe is my grandfather and UDP is my home, so I am going back home,” Manneh said.

“I want to inform Gambians I have resigned from President Barrow’s camp and I have returned to UDP, my grandfather’s home.

“Mandinka elders are right. If Satan holds you in custody, if you pray to God you will break free. I prayed to God and he has made me get away from Satan. I have returned to my grandfather’s home, UDP.”

Manneh said his decision was informed by the ‘unfair’ treatment of a driver at State House Mansa Sumareh.

He also said he could no longer support President Barrow because of the way Momodou Sabally has been treated.

UDP’s Ebrima Dibba in an audio message said Njie Manneh called him informing him of his decision.

Dibba said: “Njie Manneh called me to express his disappointment regarding President Barrow’s camp. What they told him and what he expected were like heaven and earth.

“President Barrow and his entourage’s style of governance is something Njie Manneh understood. They are people that shouldn’t be trusted. They are only there for their interests and Njie Manneh was aware of this.

“So if someone leaves his house for elsewhere but did not find anything there and later returns home… We are telling Njie, ‘welcome.’”

By Lamin Njie

Three former top bankers of the Central Bank of The Gambia have been barred from holding public officer for life after they were found liable over the withdrawal of millions of dollars from the bank.

Amadou Colley, Basiru Njie and Oumie Samba Savage served as governor, first deputy governor and second deputy governor respectively at the Central Bank of The Gambia.

They have been found guilty by the Janneh Commission of assisting former president Yahya Jammeh withdraw millions of dollars from the bank.

As a result, the Barrow administration has banned the three officials from holding public office for the remainder of their lives in a white paper released on Friday.

The white paper was released alongside the Janneh Commission’s report which detailed how former president Jammeh looted the country’s treasury.

Thirty-one people including Colley, Njie and Samba have been named and shamed as being the people who assisted Mr Jammeh in his financial delinquency.

By Lamin Njie

Njie Manneh has announced he is returning to the United Democratic Party, six months after leaving the party.

Mr Manneh converted to President Adama Barrow’s camp early this year following the Gambian leader’s ugly estrangement with UDP.

He later became one of his staunchest supporters who did not shy away from attacking UDP leader Ousainou Darboe.

But in an audio message on Saturday, Mr Manneh said he was returning home.

“Ousainou Darboe is my grandfather and UDP is my home, so I am going back home,” Manneh said.

“I want to inform Gambians I have resigned from President Barrow’s camp and I have returned to UDP, my grandfather’s home.

“Mandinka elders are right. If Satan holds you in custody, if you pray to God you will break free. I prayed to God and he has made me get away from Satan. I have returned to my grandfather’s home, UDP.”

Manneh said his decision was informed by the ‘unfair’ treatment of a driver at State House Mansa Sumareh.

He also said he could not continue supporting President Barrow because of the way Momodou Sabally has been treated.