By Lamin Njie

Tourism minister Hamat Bah, State House press secretary Amie Bojang Sissoho and government spokesperson Ebrima Sankareh are not sacked, Information Minister Ebrima Sillah has told The Fatu Network.

Rumours emerged Friday that President Adama Barrow has sacked the three officials.

But speaking to The Fatu Network on Friday, the minister of information and communication infrastructure Ebrima Sillah said the rumours are not true.

“It’s not true. Ebrima Sankareh is under my ministry, Amie Bojang is with the President in Saudi Arabia,” he added.

President Barrow on Thursday travelled to Saudi Arabia to attend the 14^th session of the summit of heads of state and government of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, titled Together for the Future. The president however did not travel with Tourism Minister Hamat Bah who is a member of the board of the OIC national secretariat.

By Momodou Justice Darboe

Relatives of a Mauritanian man whose decomposing body was found alongside that of his wife in Kololi on Friday called on the authorities to conduct an exhaustive investigation into the circumstances surrounding the couple’s mysterious death.

A section of a visibly traumatised Mauritania community Friday thronged the shop of the deceased along the Bertil Harding Highway where they insisted that thorough investigation be carried out to unravel the mystery shrouding the development.

Witnesses told The Fatu Network that the bodies of the couple were found in their shop and they were suspected to be there for almost three days. While

The Fatu Network could not immediately establish the couple’s cause of death, the Mauritanian community say they suspected some foul play.

“We are still unable to come to terms with our compatriots death. The death is bizarre and strange in the sense that both husband and wife have been found dead in the shop and the doors were all shut,” said Aziz Faal, a brother to the late shopkeeper.

“The deceased was a sturdy man and we couldn’t understand how his wife could’ve overpowered him and then stabbed and strangled him. This is curious and we are appealing to the authorities not to bury the bodies until an exhaustive investigation is carried out,” added another Mauritanian.

Musa Bachilly, leader of the Gambia Action Party, spoke to The Fatu Network on Friday and he explained that he was at the shop when the bodies were discovered. “I used to frequent the shop and the deceased [shopkeeper] was an amiable man. But when I came there two days ago, there was this foul odour coming from the direction of the shop. I immediately suspected something and then ordered someone to enquire whether the stench was coming from the shop and when he did, we realised that it was indeed so.

“So, he broke the window but found out that the shopkeeper and his wife were in but all dead. Their child was though alive and I advised my boys to ensure a proper care is taken of her. She was rushed to the hospital under my name so she can have the necessary medical care.”

Asked as to whether he didn’t suspect any foul-play, Mr Bachilly responded in the negative but he added that the couple were reported to have had several issues that led them to the police for several times.

He said he hope the matter will be thoroughly investigated.

The Fatu Network contacted the public relations officer of the Gambia Police Force Lamin Njie who promised to comment on the issue on Monday.

By Lamin Njie

A group of teachers Friday got locked in a standoff with officials of Gambia Teachers Union after they were told their salary will be given to them disjointedly.

At least a dozen aggrieved teachers at Njaba Kunda Upper Basic and Senior Secondary School on Thursday burned tree branches in the front of the school demanding their salary for three months be paid.

Hours after the protest, the permanent secretary at the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education Ebrima Sisawo reached out to the teachers, asking them to go to Gambia Teachers Union office on Friday for them to be paid their salary.

The teachers got to GTU early Friday only to be told that each of them will only receive a quarter of the sum that each teacher was to be paid.

One of the teachers told The Fatu Network: “We got there only to be told that we would get only a quarter each.

But the permanent secretary said we should meet him on Monday for us to be paid the remaining sum. Each of us finally agreed to be given D12,000 after a standoff. We will meet the permanent secretary on Monday for the rest.”

By Momodou Justice Darboe and Jaka Ceesay Jaiteh

The First Lady, Fatou Bah-Barrow, on Thursday made a surprise visit to Gambian women who scavenge for groundnut at the Denton Bridge. The surprise visit saw the First Lady put smiles on the faces of the women by giving them bags of rice, sugar, gallons and cartons of dates.

The largesse was part of Fatou Bah-Barrow foundation’s desire in helping improve the quality of life for women and children.

In a brief statement to hand over the donated items to the beneficiaries, Mrs. Betty Saine of the first lady foundation, underlined that the gift was in line with the foundation’s core values of empowering women and children.

“We are here today to not only extend support but to also appreciate your efforts. The First Lady always passes by [Denton Bridge] and knows that you are hard-working women. Women are instrumental in homes, communities and the country at large and this is all the more reason the First Lady always have their interest at heart,” she stated.

Meanwhile, some of the beneficiaries that spoke on the first lady’s surprise visit and subsequent donation said they were well aware and convinced that the President and his family have the interest of Gambian women at heart.

One of beneficiaries said:” We thank you for coming over. We know you have our interest at heart and we are very grateful for the support. We are less fortunate and spend the whole dry season here to make ends meet.

“The items will be very beneficial and we say Thank You and please extend our messages of goodwill to your husband and family. Tell that we’ll be always behind him.”

The Ambassador of Israel to The Gambia, Roi Rosenblit met former president Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara at his residence in Fajara on Thursday May 30, the Israel Embassy said Friday.

The Ambassador greeted Sir Dawda in English and Mandinka saying “I come from Jerusalem, City of David, City of Peace” and emphasized the importance of the Israeli – Gambian relations which started in 1962 with Sir Dawda’s series of visits to Israel.

Sir Dawda thanked Ambassador Rosenblit for his visit and for revitalizing today the agreements of friendship signed by him in the 1960s, by sending Gambian students for yearlong training programs to Israel.

The founding father of The Gambia shared his fond memories of being warmly received in Jerusalem by the founding fathers of Israel.

Ambassador Rosenblit gave Sir Dawda a symbolic souvenir of piece from Jerusalem and Israeli dates for the Holy Month of Ramadan.

The Central Bank of The Gambia has said the country’s currency, the Dalasi, will no longer bear former president Yahya Jammeh’s portrait.

CBG governor Bakary Jammeh speaking to journalists at a press conference in Banjul on Thursday said the country’s currency will now bear features that are ‘representative’ of The Gambia. The features include various bird species in the country and historical sites, he added.

Former president Yahya Jammeh was put on the dalasi in 2015.

The new dalasi bills are expected to be in circulation in 3 months’ time and they will include the D5, D10, D20, D50, D100, and D200 bills. The D25 bill has been scrapped.

The Centre for Policy Research and Strategy Studies (CepRass) has been adjudged the top performing new member of the Afrobarometer network. CepRass, who joined the Afrobarometer network in 2018, was honoured for their timely and efficient execution on Afrobarometer’s fieldwork and dissemination requirements and the production of high quality outputs.

Afrobarometer, which is marking its 20th anniversary this year, is a non-partisan survey research project that measures public attitudes and perceptions on democracy, governance, economic conditions, and related issues in Africa. In its seventh round of national surveys in 2016-2018, the network overcame funding challenges to complete surveys in 34 countries while successfully transitioning from paper-based to electronic data collection.

Awards were presented during Afrobarometer’s planning meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa, with researchers from across the continent who will conduct its next round of surveys in 2019-2020. Seven other organisations were also recognised by Afrobarometer and the awards include:

Star of the Round Award: Zimbabwe’s Mass Public Opinion Institute (MPOI) for best overall performance among the network’s three dozen national partners during Round 7 surveys.

Best Stakeholder Engagement Award: South Africa’s Institute for Justice and Reconciliation (IJR), for its successful efforts to promote stakeholder engagement and data use.

Best Face Forward Award: One to One Research and Polling of Tunisia, for its exemplary outreach and communications efforts.

Best Publications Award: Togo’s Center for Research and Opinion Polls (CROP), for its diverse, timely, and high-quality publications.

Best Conversation Starter Award: The Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDDGhana) for its outstanding achievements in promoting visibility and use of survey findings.

Extra Mile Award: Advision Lesotho, for its extraordinary efforts to ensure the success of its Round 7 survey.

On Time Award: The Centre for Social Research, University of Malawi, for its timeliness in executing all aspects of the survey.

By Lamin Njie

Teachers at Njaba Kunda Upper Basic and Senior Secondary School Thursday burned tree branches in front of the school demanding their salary for three months be paid.

At least a dozen teachers out of a 21-man teaching staff said they have ran out of patience as they have not received their salary since March.

One of the teachers told The Fatu Network: “We want the school board and the ministry to pay our salary before we go for Koriteh.

“We have raised the issue with the management as well as the deputy permanent secretary at the ministry of basic and secondary education, Adama Jimba Jobe.

“He was here in the first week of the Ramadan and he promised us that we will receive our salary but up to now we have not received anything.”

Another one said: “We assembled the students and told them about the matter [protest]. We have informed them that without our salary there will be no lessons, that they should stay home.

“It’s painful to be working without being paid. Some of us, our families find it hard to believe it when we tell them we are not being paid.”

The principal of Njaba Kunda Upper Basic and Senior Secondary School Dawda Joof told The Fatu Network what the teachers were doing was understandable.

Joof said: “What they claim is a fact but not all our teachers in the school. [It’s] about 12 of them. We had a budget deficit. The school was very big and the roll [payroll] fell down, and the financing of the school is based on the roll.

“When the roll fell down, the number of teachers that were there you cannot just lay them off. So we were managing to pay them. In October last year, there was a small problem. We were unable the get the money to pay them.

“So went to the GTUCCU who definitely came to support us. In October, November and December they were giving us overdraft and we were paying salaries. But by then our budget was at the ministry and we were expecting that when the budget starts in January we will get the required finance to foot the bill of all the salaries.

“But when this budget came, it fell short. Still we were getting about D133,000 but later on it went to D171,000 but with the salary increase we were not able to pay all. The problem was there and GTU said they cannot continue giving us overdraft so I wrote to the permanent secretary who said to get money was finance [ministry] at the time was a little bit problem[atic] but he will include their names in the main ministry payroll and will be paying them until December.”

A ministry of basic and secondary education official could not immediately comment on the issue.

Njaba Kunda Upper Basic and Senior Secondary School has 305 students and 21 teachers.

By Lamin Njie

A Brussels Airlines flight landed at the Banjul International Airport Wednesday evening, officially bringing to an end a runway mishap that has rocked the country’s air transport sector.

All flight operations were suspended at the Banjul International Airport on Wednesday after a UK-bound flight got stuck on the runway after a burst tyre.

The incident meant all flights to Banjul had to be either cancelled or diverted – with many passengers left stranded in Senegal and other parts of the world.

On Wednesday, the Gambia government called an emergency press conference saying there was more to the airport mishap than just a plane suffering a burst tyre.

“The causes of the problem has a lot to do with ourselves. The manner in which we dispose waste…, All these are attracting birds and other ruminants that affect the smooth operation of our airport,” Mai Ahmad Fatty special adviser to President Barrow told journalists Wednesday, adding there will be a cleaning exercise at the airport on Saturday.

The Gambia Press Union welcomes and highly appreciates the payment of compensation to four journalists by the Government of The Gambia.

In a landmark ruling made in February 2018, the Ecowas Community Court of Justice based in Abuja, Nigeria, ordered the government to pay compensation of US$25, 000 to journalists Fatou Camara, Lamin Fatty, Alagie Jobe and Fatou Jaw Manneh for violation of their rights to press freedom.

The four journalists were variously charged and prosecuted under anti-free speech laws that the sub-regional court condemned as undemocratic, ruling that their enforcement constitutes a violation of freedom of press.

Fatou Camara, one of the journalists, said: “I am glad that The Gambia has endorsed the Ecowas Court judgment. I hope this serve as a lesson for governments to allow journalists do our work without harassment and intimidation. Our rights to freedom of expression, liberty, and freedom of movement should always be respected.”

The suit against the government was filed in 2015 by the Federation of African Journalists (FAJ), along with the then four exiled journalists. It came about following consultations between the Gambia Press Union and Media Legal Defence Initiative, who supported the GPU to launch a similar suit filed by the GPU here at the Supreme Court of The Gambia.

The GPU has confirmed that each of the four journalists on Tuesday May 28 received the Dalasi equivalent of US$25, 000 from the Attorney General and Minister for Justice, Abubacarr Tambadou.

Sheriff Bojang Jr., the GPU president said: “The payment of the compensation to these four journalists is an important step towards addressing the crimes committed against journalists, who have suffered enormously under the former government. This move by the government is highly appreciated and we encourage them to swiftly deal with other pending payments, including the one for Musa Saidykhan and the completion of payment for the family of Deyda Hydara.”

Mr Bojang Jr. added: “On behalf of the good people of The Gambia, I wish to thank Media Legal Defence Initiative (MLDI) and our parent body, the Federation of African Journalists, for their support and cooperation during those very difficult times. The journalists also have to be commended for accepting to participate knowing the potential attendant dangers.”

Meanwhile, in the Ecowas ruling, the Gambia government was ordered to decriminalise anti press freedom laws, including sedition, defamation and false news. The Union therefore calls on the government to go beyond the payment of compensation and fully implement the decision of the Ecowas by repealing laws that undemocratically interfere with the right to freedom of expression.

By GPU

A court in Myanmar has issued an arrest warrant against Wirathu, a notorious Buddhist monk whose hate-preaching sermons against the Rohingya and other minority Muslims have stoked religious tensions.

The monk, who once reportedly dubbed himself the “Burmese bin Laden”, faces up to life imprisonment under the country’s sedition law, which prohibits stirring up “hatred”, “contempt” or “disaffection” towards the government.

Police have so far declined to say why Wirathu has been charged, but the monk recently drew anger from senior officials for a series of speeches in which he attacked Myanmar’s de facto civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

Wirathu has not yet been arrested and his exact whereabouts are unknown. A police spokesperson did not answer calls from Al Jazeera seeking comment.

He is usually based at his monastery in the city of Mandalay, but a judge has told police to bring him before a court in the country’s main city of Yangon before June 4, the Myanmar Now news agency reported. (Al Jazeera)

President Adama Barrow is scheduled to travel to Mecca, Saudi Arabia to attend the 14th session of the summit of heads of state and government of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

A statement by the presidency on Wednesday said President Barrow will be accompanied by a high ranking delegation and will leave the Banjul International Airport Thursday 30th May, 2019 at 10:00am.

Those invited to see the president off are requested to be at the airport at least half-an-hour before, the statement added.

The summit is titled Together for the Future.

BY CRC Communication Unit

The Constitutional Review Commission (CRC) has conducted successful meetings with key stakeholders in the country. The series of stakeholder consultations began on 12th of May, 2019 with Political Parties and it was followed by the Legislature, the Judiciary, the Executive, the Office of the Ombudsman, the National Human Rights Commission, Security Services, the Independent Electoral Commission and the Land Commission.

The meetings were aimed at eliciting the views and aspirations of key stakeholders in specific constitutional provisions as part of the review process. The CRC was established by an Act of the National Assembly to prepare a new constitution for the Republic of The Gambia and to prepare a report in relation to the draft Constitution.

During its meeting with the Executive at State House in Banjul on Thursday 16th May, 2019, President Adama Barrow commended the Commission for its commitment in achieving the objectives of its mandate. ‘I think it is very important that we consult as a country. We (the Executive) are independent and will not interfere with your work, but we are citizens also and we have opinions, too,’ he noted.

He emphasized the need to build a constitution that will reflect the wishes of the people in order to for it to be generally accepted and embraced.

‘Our main objective is to build a strong foundation for democracy for this country. And this document is very important as far as that is concerned’, the President said.

Speaking at the Commission’s office on Wednesday 15th May, 2019, the Chief Justice Hon. Hassan B. Jallow said they look forward to seeing a constitution that would serve the test of time. He added that the rule of law is a prerequisite for a peaceful society and hailed the CRC for the approach it is  employing in seeking the views and aspirations of Gambians.

The Speaker of the National Assembly, Hon. Mariam Jack Denton, speaking at a consultation in the National Assembly, commended the Commission for engaging key stakeholders in its quest to develop a constitution that will be for all Gambians.

Reacting to CRC Dialogue with key stakeholders, Chairman of the Constitutional Review Commission, Justice Cherno Sulayman said: “The CRC recognized from the inception of its work that it needed to consult with Gambians and other key stakeholders in designing and developing a new Constitution for The Gambia. We have received full support on our approach and all persons and institutions we’ve consulted with thus far have taken the consultation process seriously and, as a consequence, have added value to the CRC’s work. We are truly grateful for the level and quality of public participation, no less that received from key Government institutions.”