Kotu, Futurelec Building – 29th October, 2018

As part of its public consultation process ahead of the drafting of the new Gambian constitution, the Constitutional Review Commission (CRC) began a national school tour to sensitize students about its mandate and also hear their submissions on the review process. The Commission held the maiden edition of the ‘meet the students tour’ at Nusrat Senior Secondary School in Bundung on Saturday 27th October 2018 and many other schools will be subsequently visited to encourage and engage student participation in the constitution making process.

Welcoming the CRC delegation at Nusrat, the Principal, Karamo S. Bojang, commended the Commission for its review methodology of reaching out to the public before drafting the constitution. . “This time, the review process is different. Everybody must participate to build a new constitution that is inclusive,” Bojang said whileurging students to fully participate in the process and have their views heard.

The Executive Secretary of the CRC, Omar Ousman Jobe, said the Commission has recognized that the majority of senior school students will be eligible to vote in the country’s next electoral cycle. “It is very critical at this stage that we include students and these emerging voter demographic into the constitutional review dialogue for them to know and understand the issues in the constitution in order to make enlightened and informed choices,” Jobe noted

“This is the time to be part of the conversation so that you will see yourself in the new constitution,” the CRC secretary told students. Whilst emphasising the importance of national consensus in the review process, Mr. Jobe said the Commission is committed to drafting a sustainable constitution that will endure the test of time and the needs of national aspirations.

In his presentation, Commissioner Lamin S. Camara, said the Constitutional Review Commission (CRC) is established by an Act of the National Assembly to review the current Constitution and draft a new constitution that reflects the wishes and aspirations of the Gambian people. “The Act has certain provisions that we need to comply with. One of them is that we need to seek the opinion of Gambians. You (students) are a fundamental part of this country and your input in the next constitution is an inevitable requisite,” Commissioner Camara remarked.

He said a constitution is a set of rules and regulations that citizens of a country have subscribed to and have pledged to be governed by. In executing its mandate, Commissioner Camara said the CRC is required to engage and have regard for national values and ethos. He added the Commission will safeguard and promote, amongst others, The Gambia’s Republican systems of governance, including democratic values and respect for and promotion of the rule of law and fundamental rights and freedoms. While enjoining students at the meeting to inform others about the CRC and encourage participation, Commissioner Camara advised senior schools to consider offering Constitutional Law as a subject.

Underscoring the importance of inclusivity in the making of the new charter of laws, Commissioner Fatoumatta Jallow said the constitutional review process has social, economic and cultural dimensions. She expressed delight that students are passionate about the drafting of the new constitution. Commissioner Jallow added that student interest should not only stop at the constitutional review process but the country’s governance in general.

Speaking on behalf of the students, Fatoumatta Fatty, President of Nusrat History and Government club said they have learnt a lot about the constitution and its importance and assured that efforts will be made as students to inspire participation and student engagement in the constitution making process. Fatty lauded the CRC for holding its first outreach program at the school. Issues submitted by the students include presidential term limit, free university education, reduction of retirement age, strict measures to fight corruption, absolute majority in elections, independence and power of the legislature, right to life, and the nationality of court judges.

The CRC’s Head of Media and Communication Sainey MK Marenah reminded students that they are a core entity and the future drivers of the electoral process and so its critical to for them to try to understand and engage with the constitutional review undertaking as the basis of the Gambia’s new dispensation.

The CRC ‘Meet the students tour’ continues with the first leg targeting senior schools across the metropolis.

In Bakau, if it wasn’t one thing, then it’s another, and sometimes it was wrestling (aka borey). They would fence the Bantaba right in the heart of Bakau Dingko kono with a sakett, and voila, you have your arena. The Bantaba was located at an intersection that had a big tree with huge surface roots, and on normal days, you would find people sitting on the surface roots using them as benches – they were that huge. The space was wide enough to temporarily fence a section of it with sakett, and still allow room for passing traffic and pedestrians. The sand at the Bantaba was soft like tissue and perfect for wrestling.

On such days, pure normalcy would drift into excitement, and later lapses into festiveness as the showdown draws near. Tickets were sold at the gate with the usual haycho, Gambian style. The wrestlers would dance to the drum rhythm of the beat of their respective cultures as they gear up to lock horns. The wrestling matches where mainly between the Fulas and the Jolas, and occasionally a couple of Balantas. The teams would sit across from each other, and the Balantas usually sat with the Fulas.

The wrestlers (mborrs) came in different weight classes, but for some reason, the bigger mborrs tend to have more juju. However, the smaller mborrs were more exciting to watch because their matches were fast a furious – with less juju! There were some mborrs who would wrestle each other most of the time and the audience liked to see them pair, but sometimes it was hard to tell who was going to be locking horns with whom, until you see them dancing their way to the center of the arena. They would then start performing their various rituals and humbal tuti preceding to their showdown.

The organizers had a free entrance policy for kids, provided they brought a bucket of water for the mborrs to rinse themselves off after their tussle. I believe this was the policy in other arenas as well. So on days when I couldn’t afford the fare, I would grab a sewo plastic from home, jarr yoni ganaw, and fill it up at the pompeh mbeda at the junction of Jallow Kunda ak Secka Kunda. From there, I only had roughly seventy to a hundred meters to walk to the Bantaba arena. Once in, I would try to sit as close as possible to where the buckets of water were placed because the proximity was crucial, if you wanted to keep an eye on your bucket and away from sacha kat yee – I had to return it home.

Once the action started, I became focused and attentive, learning the tricks – tricks like galgal fayti, lippi, busulu jalang, worr ndombo, kalang, mbass, ak ennu baychi. One of my favorite mborrs was called Borbor Dinding (I am convinced he was a Balanta), and he looked more like a sasuman than a mborr. He was slender, but infinitely skilled. His style awkward, but effective. He would quickly turn around and have his opponent behind him, which is generally considered a compromising position, but not for Borbor Dinding. That was his strength and part of his game plan. He would then let his opponents struggle to bring him down before swiftly flipping the script on them and bringing them down instead. That was his signature move, and it always worked. Rumor also had it that he used to moonlight as a Mamapara tam. Hamnga rumor time mi ndo rek!

As always, as soon as the event ended, it was time for the “mbojo mbojo” mborrs like myself to enter the fray, size up each other, and practice our moves. I was good at everything but ennu baychi, my skinny frame wouldn’t allow me. Nonetheless, my victories there were many, and it was always fun. We also used to borey at school, during break time or after studies in the evening, and our matches can be so random sometimes too. We could be walking and having a conversation, and all of a sudden have the urge to lock horns. We were some unpredictable wrestlers for sure.

I remember walking with a classmate/friend (name withheld, but he might be reading this piece) after studies one evening and found a nice patch of fine sand diggi Bakau School, so we decided to borey. We gently sat our books on the side and began to tussle. I went in for a quick lippi followed by a busulu jalang with him landing on his head. There was radio silence for a moment before he started moaning and groaning, then said in a very soft voice “woyayoye wonanaa suma puruhh bi.” At first I thought he was joking, but when he couldn’t move, I got scared. For a swift second, I believed I had committed murder! Soon after, to my relief, he quickly recovered and we were on our merry way home.

I was also once challenged, after a string of wins during break time under the big tree at Bakau School by an older kid in primary six (name withheld, but he is in Norway now). I believe I was in primary four then. I went for the mbass move on that occasion, and he was down in a jiffy. Once everyone started laughing, he wanted to turn it into a fight, rek maneh sirr daw! I have since retired from wrestling after I left Bakau School, but if you would like to challenge me, you can rewind the hands of time and meet me at the Bakau Bantaba or diggi Bakau School. Ironically, though, I never consulted “Marabout Janneh” for my wrestling, I relied purely on skill and agility. Barra sewna y wenge la. Rendeng! When Gambia was nice.

By Alieu Ceesay in Lagos, Nigeria

Momarr Mass Taal, Founder and Managing Director of Tropingo Foods- a food processing company’s focused on dried fruit and nut exports has won an award at the 2018 Africa’s largest entrepreneurship forum in Lagos.

Momarr Mass Taal is a Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF) Entrepreneur and his success story is an exceptional one considering how far his company has come from the $5000 Tony Elumelu seed fund in 2015.

Taal was presented with certificate of awards together with five other entrepreneurs for the enviable success.

The surprising thing about Momarr’s story is although he never intended to go into agribusiness from the start as he wanted to be a diplomat like his father.

At a very tender age of 18, Momarr Mass Taal had a clothing line – Malyka Clothing which was based in Canada. But on returning to The Gambia after his University degree, he saw a gap and felt the need to fill it; hence, Tropingo Foods.

In an interview, Momarr Mass Taal, said the award is something that every Gambian should be proud of.

“I dedicate this award to all Gambians.”

While urging the Government of The Gambia to empower the entrepreneurs, Taal encourage the youth to always believe in themselves and go after what they want.

As part of the first cohort of the TEF Programme in 2015, Taal was invited by the organisers in 2016 as an alumni to share with over 1000 African entrepreneurs his success story and challenges.

Meanwhile, three of the five selected entrepreneurs from The Gambia for 2918- Banky O.C Njie of Fintech, Chan Mendy, fashion entrepreneur and Sarah Bintou Dibbasey, who is into bakery are also among those attending the forum.

The trio are hoping that their entrepreneurship aspirations will be actualised with the support of the Foundation. They are hoping to interest and connect their peers from other countries.

Meanwhile, President Nana Akuffo Addo is also in Lagos to join over 5,000 young African entrepreneurs drawn from across the continent.

These young entrepreneurs, most of who are into agriculture are funded, trained and mentored by the Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF), Africa’s leading entrepreneurship-focused philanthropic organisation.

Established in 2010 and launched in 2015, this year’s forum just like the previous ones gather to celebrate Africa entrepreneurs that are impacting positively in their different countries.

This year, 1460 entrepreneurs are graduated by the Foundation- 41% women- and will receive seed capital to transform their ideas and the African continent.

The event is a unique opportunity to generate ideas, forge networks and bring policymakers and the private sector together, in a spirit of robust debate and interaction.

In welcoming the entrepreneurs to the Forum, TEF CEO, Parminder Vir OBE said, in its 4th year, TEF Entrepreneurship Programme has empowered 4,460 entrepreneurs with a total investment of USD20million; 4,000 funded directly by the Foundation and 460 have been funded by partners.

In a short statement, the Group Director of Marketing and Communications of United Bank for Africa (UBA) Plc, Madam Bola Atta said: “Together we can make a difference to our continent”.

Also in attendance are, the Founder and Chairman of the Tony Elumelu Foundation, Mr Tony Elumelu. Mr. Peter Obi, vice presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Executive Governors-A. Bagudu and Mohammed Abubakar of Kebbi and Bauchi.

The Tony Elumelu Foundation Entrepreneurship Programme is a 10-year, $100 million commitment to identify, train, mentor, and fund 10,000 entrepreneurs.

Its goal is to invest in businesses that will generate at least 1,000,000 new jobs and contribute at least $10 billion in new annual revenues across Africa.

Part 6:  Our Presidential System Is A Perversity:

 This presidential system will kill us:

 Alagi Yorro Jallow

The Gambia is a country of bestriding giants and cowering ants. That poverty and unemployment of the youth folks is killing Gambian children of anyone else. This is the country our leaders gave us since independence and has since been sustained by former president Jammeh’s autocratic rule and the kleptocratic rule of President Barrow. The Gambia: It is a country of winner takes all in everything. A country of extremes in riches and poverty; a nation of extremes in power and powerlessness. A cold-blooded nation of the well-fed not knowing that anyone else lacks.

Whether under autocracy or in Kleptocratic rule, the architecture of the Republic of the Gambia has remained largely exclusionary and, even, reactionary. Those who reign rule for themselves and themselves alone. The system which created it further waters it with torrents of impunity. The system suffocates patriotism and elevates triumphal, parochial sentiments. It has unapologetically been serving the interest of, only, the (economic and political) landlords of the moment. And, because it does not care who dies or who is dying, there is perpetual tension in the land.

If it was like that with the founding fathers of this country, would we be looking back at their era with so much nostalgia today? If that wasn’t what birthed this country, why do we think we can grow on it?

We have seen the millions in the corruption scandals and in the other corruption scandals unfolding across the country, and we all continue to shout in pretentious shock. We all know the system we run drinks money and monies were spent provided by the donor community. We also know the kind of money this system demands are not what can be legitimately earned. The system constructs corruptions everywhere, including in the sanctimonious previous regimes. If Adama Barrow is opened too, are we sure of how many millions of us would faint in utter shock? We cannot blame the politicians. We should blame the political system that made Adama Barrow to campaign and spend money in Mankamang Kunda. We should condemn the system that compelled Yahya Jammeh to developed Kanilai at the expense of the voters. You cannot run under this presidential system and say you want to successfully fight corruption. It will be a contradiction, an act of hypocrisy.

It is the same system that makes presidents trust and appoint key government officials from only their places of birth. Because presidentialism is a “Mansayaa or Burr” system, presidents can lock out any part of the country from the power center and rationalize it. He cannot be safely questioned by anyone on the actions and inactions of his presidency. And no matter the depth of the low they sink in governance, they sit tight. British Prime Minister, David Cameron, resigned because he lost the Brexit vote — an ordinary referendum. Why is it that we have not had any leader in the Gambia offering to quit because they lost the economic power to meet their obligations to their people? Why is it that when we elect people under our presidential system, they start campaigning for the next election almost immediately? Why is it that the forces of the Gambia’s politics are so remote from the people and do not appear to know or appreciate the extent of the people’s suffering everywhere?

We have transited from a “conservative” party to a “progressive” party. That appears to have been the only thing that has changed in the ecology of governance in this country. Those whose populist mantra in the years of struggle was reform of the structure of the country have since pressed the mute button the moment they hopped on the high horse of power.

Can we survive this money-sucking presidential system which feeds only the powerful? The clear way out is a fundamental change in the way we structure and run our country. The presidential system that gives all resources to persons in power can only lead to where it has led us. It has not worked for the ordinary person and will never work.

Fela sang about “suffering and smiling.” That was decades ago. Today, the town is no longer smiling. Life frowns upon the people’s very existence. At every level of government, what has been on the burner is pure politics. But it is not strictly the problem of the persons running the system. It is a deeper, systemic problem. If we change our ruling parties a million times, we will likely get the same results. This presidential system is unworkable for us and it is not working for us. It kills and so must yield for something less expensive, more accountable, more flexible.

Musa Bah

Synopses of Part One:In the village of Nenemaaje, in the hinterland of Moofingduu, the Alkaaloo Keejang Meeta was forcefully ousted by Keejaw Warata and was himself later replaced – through the casting of stones – by Suntukung Koyoo. Suntukung Koyo had a lot of problems as many villagers who destroyed the rule of Keejaw Warata remained in his inner circle. They plotted and hatched different plans to defenestrate him. He started scheming also to ensure that he remained in the seat of the Alkalooship. That is what brought about his giving away – to selected members of the Council – bags of cowries containing ten thousand each.

The interactable problem for Suntukung Koyo though was more than just the issue of succession. He had his plate full (sometimes literally) as his wife, Suuta Lampoo – the French will refer to such a woman as famme fatale – had her eyes set on ever remaining the Premierre Dame of the village.

Thus, she started a Teery Kafoo in which she invited people from different parts of the world to contribute money or whatever they could so that she would be able to help the less privileged people in the village, especially women and children.

It was for such reason that from the farthest part of the world – where very short and smart people lived – a company called Ceebiya deposited close to thirty-five million cowries into the accounts of Suuta Lampoo’s Teery Kafoo.

Suuta Lampoo and her aunt withdrew the cowries, but it disappeared a little while later. Everyone in the village started asking about that amount. The criers said that as she got the cowries in the name of helping the villagers, it was unfair for her to just keep quiet about it. They demanded that she explain where the cowries went to. There was a lot of noise, but she remained tight-lipped about it.

To make matters worse, one of Suntukung’s courtiers – the town crier – came out to say that cowries were meant to buy air-tickets for Suntukung Koyo to go and attend a meeting at the far away country of the short and smart people. Perhaps, they surmised, he could gain some wisdom from them to bring home. But the criers were not satisfied with that explanation. For them, the Village had a lot of accounts all under the Alakalooship of Suntukung and thus no one needed to put any amount of cowries in the accounts of Suuta Lampoo. The questions kept coming, but no answer from the house of the Alkaloo.

A time came when the people from the different Kaabiloos pressured their representatives in the Council of Elders to raise questions- on their behalf about all the anomalies going on in the Alkalooship of Suntukung Koyo. They said that the representatives had been given pickup trucks by Suntukung Koyo, but they did not ask him where the pickups came from. This was against the Rule Book set here by the ancestors.

They said that Suntukung had also given a select few among them bags of cowries but did not say why or from where the cowries emanated. Now that his wife, famme fatale, had gone away with thirty-five million cowries, it is time for them to raise questions.

The Council of Elders made some noise as to what is happening in the village. The criers welcomed it only for some of the representatives to be invited to the Alkaloo’s house and everything went eerily quiet again. What must they have been told by the Alkaloo for them to go mute as if the issue has become chthonic?

The fear of many was that Sunukung Koyo was becoming exactly like Kaajaw Waraata, or very close to him. It seemed as if they had the same teacher, read from the same book. One thing about village life though, everyone is related to the other. What affects one affects all. You know that saying, ‘In Moofingdoo, it takes a whole village to raise a child,’ it is in the same way that it takes a whole village to punish a wayward child.

Suntukung Koyo and his Council of Elders should keep that in mind

The Constitutional Review Commission (CRC) in partnership with National Council for Civic Education (NCCE) on Thursday 25th October 2018 started a civic education tour to prepare the regional communities and set the ground for the public consultations to follow. The first meetings were held in North Bank Region (NBR) settlements of Fass Njaga Choi, Essau, Pakau Njogu and Jurunku.

In his welcoming remark, Alhagie Wally Joof, Alkalo of Fass Njaga Choi expressed delight over the visit. He assured the tour delegates of his community’s readiness to participate in what he described as a ‘history making venture.’

Alhagie Sering Fye, the Chairman of National Council for Civic Education, said the purpose of the campaign is to inform communities on specific dates and venues the CRC will hold its public consultations. He added that the tour will ensure effective citizen participation in the constitutional review process.

“We want to see a constitution that would be people-centered. This process requires your participation and ideas in areas that are crucial to you as a community,” NCCE boss told the gathering in Fass Njaga Choi.

Speaking during the convergence, the CRC Civic Education officer, Saffiatou Savage-Sidibeh, said the Commission’s principal mandate is to review and analyze the 1997 constitution, draft a new constitution and a prepare a report to that effect. She pointed out that a constitution entails the fundamental laws of a country.

She said: “The participation of the communities is crucial in the constitution building process. CRC is obliged to consult you as a community and the content of the final draft of the constitution depends greatly on the feedback generated from you people.”

Mr. Ansumana Yabou, NCCE Civic Education Officer, told participants that their inclusion and participation is very crucial in drafting of the constitution process. He informed that the ‘Issues Document’ on circulation captured areas such as citizenship, fundamental rights and freedoms, legislature, judiciary, elections, among other sectors.

In a similar but separate development, the Constitutional Review Commission wishes to notify the general public that its direct public consultations originally scheduled to commence on Monday, 29^thOctober, 2018, have now been postponed. The Commission will issue another press release in the coming week to advise precisely when the postponed public consultations will commence.

The Constitutional Review Commission was established by the Constitutional Review Commission Act of 2017 to review and analyze the 1997 Constitution, draft a new constitution for the Republic of The Gambia and prepare a report in relation to the new constitution.

For more information, please contact the CRC Communications Unit on 3420440 / 2484149.

Sainey M. K. Marenah

Head of Communications

Constitutional Review Commission (CRC)

Email: [email protected]

October 24, 2018

CRC Set to Commence Public Consultations on Monday

Kotu, The Gambia- The Constitutional Review Commissions (CRC) is set to commence its public consultations in the North Bank Region from Monday, 29th October and the public consultation is expected to last in June 2019.

Briefing journalists at a news conference held at CRC secretariat in Kotu on Wednesday, the CRC Chairman, Justice Cherno Sulayman Jallow, said the in-country public consultations will be done in phases at district and ward levels with a view to engaging the populations and thus, make the process as inclusive and participatory as possible.

The public consultations, he added, will involve, among others, inviting written contributions, responses to questionnaires, focused and thematic reviews, face-to-face dialogue and contributions through the CRC website which is under construction.

The public consultative process would also incorporate the views and aspirations of Gambians living in the Diaspora and it will cover some countries in Africa, Europe, Middle East, some states in the United States of America as well as Canada.

“As a safeguard and with the objective of ensuring that all Gambians and each community has the opportunity to express opinion on the constitution-making process, we are considering providing a separate platform whereby persons and communities that feel that their views may not have been properly or adequately represented at the public consultations to seek special audience with the CRC and we will do our best to accommodate them,” he assured.

The chairman announced that the Commission and National Council for Civic Education (NCCE) will start a civic education tour on Wednesday, 24th October, to prepare the regional communities and set the ground and the tone for the public consultations to follow.

Justice Jallow said the Commission has deployed 12 regional coordinators to their respective regions to commence their regional work and prepare the ground for the CRC-NCCE civic education tour and the CRC public consultations.

The chairman said the CRC with the cooperation of the National Council for Civic Education, embarked on a nation-wide pre-consultation tour covering all of the seven administrative regions in The Gambia as part of its strategic objective of ensuring a positive and meaningful engagement with Gambians.

The CRC has published an Issues Document as part of our engagement process with the Gambian public and other stakeholders.

Justice Jallow said the Issues Document has been designed and developed by the Commission to initiate dialogue on key constitutional matters which Gambians and other stakeholders may wish to address their minds to.

He noted: “I should point out and emphasize that the Issues Document should not be taken or viewed as constraining the thoughts of Gambians and other stakeholders as regards the issues that should be considered in developing the new Constitution for The Gambia. Rather, the Document must be viewed simply as a guide in initiating dialogue, and we welcome further thoughts not addressed in the Document.”

In addition to the Issues Document, the chairman said the CRC, partnering with International IDEA, is developing a questionnaire which will be used to carry out a survey on key issues of constitutional law.

He added that the questionnaire, a draft of which is currently reviewed and finalized, will map out in simple form issues that require positive or negative responses and, in a few areas, require only brief responses.

While seeking the public’s cooperation in facilitating responses to the questionnaire, the chairman hoped that the method will further enable the CRC to make an objective assessment of the interests and aspirations of the Gambian people towards the constitution-making process.

Speaking on challenges, Justice Jallow said securing adequate financial resources has, unfortunately, become one of the biggest challenges the Commission is currently grappling with as it endeavors to implement its Action Plan, carry out interface consultations with the Gambian public at home and abroad and run the Secretariat smoothly.

Considering the short window of eighteen months within which the CRC is to deliver on its mandate, the chairman said it is crucial that the Commission’s work is not hampered by unnecessary bureaucratic processes and procedures which have the potential to slow down the progress of the Commission’s work.

Justice Jallow reiterated that the constitutional review process is open, transparent and impartial and that the process will be guided by the principles of participation, inclusiveness, representation, transparency and national ownership.

For further information, Contact CRC Communication Unit

Sainey MK Marenah

Head of Communications

Constitutional Review Commission

Futurelec Building, Kotu

+2203420440

The Ambassador of the Republic of The Gambia to the State of Qatar, H.E Foday Malang, Monday 22^ndOctober 2018 met the Chief Executive Officer of Qatar Media Corporation.

The CEO, H.E Shaikh Abdurahman Bin Hamad Al Thani, received Ambassador Malang at his office.

The meeting availed them the opportunity to discuss media relations between the Republic of The Gambia and the State of Qatar.

They also discussed the importance of media in strengthening bilateral relations and the means of enhancing it.

His Excellency Ambassador Foday MALANG gave an overview of The Gambia’s national media and chances of possible collaboration between the Qatar Media Corporation and The Gambia.

CEO Shaikh Abdurrahman hailed the existing relations between the two brotherly nations and expressed readiness to help the media in The Gambia.

In a separate and earlier meeting, H.E. Ambassador Foday MALANG also met the Director-General of Qatar News Agency (QNA), Mr Youssef Ibrahim Al Malki in his office.

Talks during the meeting centred on media relations between the two countries, and the need to enhance them.

In each meeting, after listening to the ambassador’s overview of the Gambian national media status as presented, both Qatari media houses officials expressed delight and their readiness to explore possible areas of collaboration with The Gambia media establishments.

As “Chalo or Kobo” — the traditional Gambian delicacy — are now threatened with extinction:

Alagi Yorro Jallow

Mamudu:  I am perplexed and still amazed how farm raised tilapia (‘furro or wass’) from China manages to pass through customs and phytosanitary controls at our ports. It is just recently that the USA banned farm raised fish and shrimp imports from China due to drug residues and poor aquaculture practices like feeding salmonella laden pig and geese manure to fish.

Mamudu: How Chinese fish got past veterinary control services at the port of entry in the Gambia, then found its way into dinner tables in Bakau, Banjul, Brusubi, Pipeline and in rural Gambia is puzzling. The country’s border control officials are corrupt beyond repair. They can pass snake venom as human food if you can part with the right amount of money. If we can eat farm raised tilapia from China, despite the ongoing health concerns, then Gambia’s phytosanitary standards must be concern for the Health department.

Mamudu: The Gambia imports frozen tilapia, frozen mackerels, sardines, prawns and salmons among others imports frozen tuna, octopus, frozen whole tilapia fillets from China and lobsters caught in the, lakes and the Atlantic and Indian Ocean. The country has a large exclusive fishing zone with potential to produce tons of fish annually estimated at about billions of Dalasis. However, it is yet to optimally utilize the opportunity.

Mamudu: Fishing is the mainstay of river-side communities in Badibou, Niumi, Kiang and Jarra. It has fueled the economy and provided employment for decades, but these days overfishing, a lack of infrastructure and cheap Chinese imports have hit the industry hard. The Gambia’s fish stocks have been ailing and its main competitor are European Union and China, one of the world’s largest economies and leading fish producers. The increased demand from Gambia’s fish-hungry population means the country is relying on frozen farmed imports. The traditional tilapia delicacy leads the way in the decline in the Gambia fish population while government gives fisheries no respite.

The Gambia’s Fisheries ministry has failed to save its country’s diminishing fish stocks. Majority of Gambians depend on the fish caught off shore for their basic protein needs, but because of the river waters are becoming increasingly overfished by European trawlers. Many species, including “Chalo or Kobo” — the traditional Gambian delicacy — are now threatened with extinction.

Mamudu:  I was livid when I discovered from a restaurateur who confirmed that they were purchasing their tilapia fillets from suppliers, who were sourcing their tilapia from global markets including China. The Gambian in me couldn’t accept this scenario.  This restaurateur (name withheld) revealed that they serve approximately 5000 meals per day, fish fillets in various forms (grilled, battered and fried, curried etc.) were popular options and accounted about 10% of sales about 1200 fish meals a day. He added that “the tilapia fillets were of a specific size (approx. 225-250gms per fillet) and the customers had come to expect that size as a brand standard, deviations from the size met with disappointment and/or anger from customers”. Digging into the numbers, according to the restaurateur, one fish gives you 2 fillets. The restaurant consumed about 1200 fillets per day, which translates to about 600 tilapia fish…daily that the restaurant served.

Mamudu: Armed with the numbers. Is it possible to get suppliers that could supply the restaurant and other eateries with local tilapia fillets 1200 per day or more,365 days a year? Now the reality hit, why they couldn’t find a single local fish processor/supplier who could consistently fill this order of tilapia rather from China.

Mamudu: How can the Honorable minister of Fisheries delved into the debate of local vs import fish tilapia, logistics, infrastructure (refrigeration, roads etc.)

1. The local vs imports debate independently of building local supply chain capacity.

2. Passionate building local capacity that reacts the demands of the market.

3. Create avenues to fund local scalable fish farmers/processors then revisit the debate.

Mamudu: The Gambia government need to take the responsibility of enabling sustainable incomes and livelihoods for their citizens. The governments also need to tackle overcapacity, the destruction of fisheries, ecosystem preservation, as well as control and surveillance. In fact, a reduction of the fishing activity for some years would help restore stocks to a level enabling fishermen to catch and earn more income than they currently do, without depleting the resource in the long term

Wssalamualaikum Rahmatullahi Wa Barakatuh.It is customary in our culture that when you visit someone’s  house, before you speak to anyone you must first acknowledge and greet the host, as they say in wollof, “wakhtan dafa nekh borom kerr”.

As custom dictates, I would first like to recognize and greet H.E Cheikh Niang, Permanent Representative of Senegal to the UN, H.E Mr. Barro, Deputy Permanent Representative, and his entire staff. I would also like to recognize H.E Lot Dzonzi, Deputy Permanent Representative of Malawi to the UN, other dignitaries present, my fellow colleagues and comrades, and every single person who is here with us today.

When you ask yourself who is an African writer, who comes to mind? Is it someone of African origin? Someone who lives in Africa? Or simply someone who writes about Africa? Africa is a diverse continent of rich cultures, traditions, heritages and customs, producing great writers from different backgrounds.

Some of the writers’ books have played a significant role in Africa’s education for ages. Senegalese authors for many years have contributed immensely towards the renaissance of our continent. Writers such as Mariam Ba of Senegal, in her book So long a Letter has paved  the way for Afro-Feminism, and Chiekh Anta Diop has paved the way for modern day Afro-centrism.

“The history of Africa will remain suspended in air and cannot be written correctly until African historians connect it with the history of Egypt.” Chiekh Anta Diop, Negro Nations and Culture

“In a word, a man’s success depends on feminine support.” ― Mariama Bâ, So Long a Letter

Chinua Achebe in his essay The Novelist as a Teacher (1965) addresses crucial issues relating to the role of an African.

Achebe asserts that “the writer cannot be excused from the task of re-education and re-generation that must be done.” This means that it is a moral responsibility and even a duty for the African writer to be accountable for his/her society. Whether we like to face up to it or not Africa has been the most humiliated and insulted continent in the world. Our very claim to humanity has been questioned at various times through history, our humanity abused, and our dignity insulted. These things have happened in the past and have gone on happening today. As a common courtesy for our ancestors who came before us and many generations to come after us, we owe it to our society to write and not only to write but to educate and agitate minds to express our cultural identity, to preserve our battered and adulterated humanity, and restore our dignity as Africans. The African writer should be one and the same with his or her society and the African writer must live and communicate the society’s ethos.

The African writer has three primary functions in relation to his society as outlined by Achebe: 1. as a historian rescuing its past, 2. as a critic analyzing its present, 3. as a mentor helping to guide it towards its future.

Considering our current circumstances, it seems like there is an assault on education in Africa, for lack of a better term. Looking at the statistics, the duties of the African author towards our continent is more prudent and prominent today than ever.

-Per the Africa-America Institute report in 2015, 149 million children enroll in primary school every year. Across Africa, secondary schools can accommodate only 36 percent of qualifying secondary students. About half of all out-of-school African children will never step foot in a school in their lifetime. Globally, 58 million children of primary school age were out of school in 2012. Of that number, 38 million children were in Africa.

– 49 million children are enrolled in secondary school. Meaning if 49 million children completed secondary school at any given year, only 18 million will be able to enroll in high school, leaving a deficit of 31 million children.

-Today, only 6 percent of young people in sub-Saharan Africa are enrolled in higher education institutions compared to the global average of 26 percent.

-Africa is facing a severe shortage of highly-skilled African talent. Young people in Africa make up nearly 40 percent of the working-age population, yet 60 percent are unemployed. On average, it will take a university graduate five years to obtain a job in Africa.

-60-70 percent of 18-24 year olds are enrolled in college globally. In Africa only about 10 percent are in university or college. Roughly 27 million people graduate high school every year, universities can only accommodate about 5 million, leaving a deficit of 22 million people.

-Nigeria graduates 1.7 million high school graduates but can only enroll 300,000 in college. Kenya graduates 300,000 students but can only enroll 50,000 in university.

These numbers are an indictment towards our continent and we all have a collective pluralism to make a difference.

More often than not, I get asked why I choose to become a writer. The simple answer is that I am not a writer, I am an Engineer who happened to have a story to tell and I wrote a book. But if by default that makes me a writer, then so be it. I am only answering to the call of great sons and daughters of our continent who paved the way for our generation.

Ladies and gentlemen I would like to time travel with you all back to 1961 to the Congo. And I would like to paraphrase the last letter written by a great African son that many are familiar with, Patrice Lumumba before he was murdered. The letter was believed to have been written to his wife Pauline Lumumba. And you Francophone speaking countries that are here excuse me if I misspoke, the letter was originally written in French and I do not speak French, I will only be paraphrasing.

Dear Pauline, he said. I am writing you this letter without knowing if you will receive it, or if I will be alive or dead when you receive it.

Now that I know without any doubt that I am going to die, no amount of cruelty, torture, and insults is going to make me beg for mercy. I will die with my head high with faith and profound believe in the destiny of our country.

I will rather die than to live in humility and renounce the principles I considered to be sacred to me.

Tell my children whom I may never see again that the future of this country is bright and I expect them and every Congolese to fulfill the sacred task of restoring the independence of this country.

Don’t cry when I die, because a day will come when the history of Africa will be written by Africans. And it will not be the history taught at the United Nation, Washington, Paris, and Brussels. But it will be the history of glory and dignity.

Shortly After he was shot and killed and his body dumped in an acid.

In the spirit of Patrice Lumumba, I will echo similar sentiments that many African authors before me have said, the African writer’s task is to rescue the African past from the colonial misrepresentation and biased stereotyping to which it has been subjected to. The African writers in contemporary African societies must perform the dual functionality of educating their audience and helping them reclaim their past heritage, pride, and dignity.

Thank you to the Senegalese mission once again, God bless our people and God bless Africa.

State House, Banjul, 22^ndOctober 2018 

State House, Banjul, 22nd October 2018 – His Excellency the President of the Republic, Adama Barrow, on Monday, received the ECOWAS report on assessment of weapons and small arms in the country, following the departure of former President Yahya Jammeh.

The exercise, which was conducted by the sub-regional group in 2017, was headed by a team of specialists from Small Arms Division of ECOWAS, Mining Action Group, Bonn International Centre (BICC), the Defense and Security Advisor of ECOWAS to The Gambia, and the Commander of the regional peacekeeping force in The Gambia – ECOMIG.

The ECOWAS Special Envoy to The Gambia Mrs. Vabah Gayflor who led the team to State House explained that the exercise was necessary to ensure that the status and situation of weapons and ammunition in the country are known.

“We knew there was a lot of small arms proliferation. We also know that it requires technical expertise to manage all of that and the infrastructure that is in place to make sure the country was safe,” she maintained.

Mrs. Gayflor said ECOWAS partnered with the German group, BICC, which specializes in controlling arms and supporting disarmament, to conduct this exercise.

Following the closed-door presentation, the Minister of Interior, Hon. Ebrima Mballow explained to the State House media corps that the exercise was conducted to document the stockpile of weapons and ammunition in The Gambia, after the fall of the former regime.

“Today, we are here to witness the presentation of the report to the Head of State concerning where these weapons are, their nature and capacity. The assessment team had done their work judiciously to compile a comprehensive report for the government,” he concluded.

Alagi Yorro Jallow

Mamudu: I don’t know why the sight of a he- goat visiting inside the wolves’ den reminds me of my grandmother. Whenever a hen she was raising pecked inside her cooking pots, my grandma would shriek and scream: why is this hen in a hurry to inspect its final resting place? The politics of personal destruction and politics of defections!!!

Momodou Alieu Yetteh Bah had come to install in a permanent psychosis whereby the tyranny of the political clock trumped all priorities. More crucially, Yetteh Bah is expected to break with the phenomenon of ‘political – transhumance,’ coined or popularized by a Senegalese political pundit, where members of a dethroned Govt join the reigning Govt to keep privileges, which vitiates the rules of the political competition and make a mockery of people’s choice.

In a nutshell, what is expected of Momodu Alieu Yetteh Bah is a new form of governance, a more ethical approach to public money and a return to political orthodoxy. The phenomenon of ‘political – transhumance’ means disaffection to defection.
Mamudu, Yetteh Bah lost his conscience. And eloquence. DEFECTION or TRANSHUMANCE? Absconding; decamping to the opposite. Abandonment of a cause – the loss of compass, balance, eloquence and conscience? The collision between the right to exist; to be a citizen in a state; the right to live in freedom and dignity.

This, the right of the political transhumance phenomenon – a century old moral question that won’t be resolved by political correctness, contempt for reason, and ethical standards.
Mamudu: ‘Mista’ and Mademoiselle of Gambian politicians do not seem to operate within a set of any known principles or ideology. Our political prostitutes are akin to the Gallinae kind of ancient Rome: political -prostitution, extortionists, practitioners of cash-and-dash and petty thieves; of robbers who lure men and women into political traps.

President Adama Barrow and Vice president Ousainou Darboe are busy recycling and recruiting members of the APRC “top brass” people. These are former Yahya Jammeh enablers serving in diplomatic positions and senior government civil service positions, those politicians represent a select crop of Gambian politicians who have perfected the art of “personal opportunism.”

Mamudu: Those ‘Mista’ and Mademoiselle politicians have served in virtually all administrations by changing their allegiance in tandem with the political spur of the moment just like the proverbial chameleon. They have never stood for anything apart from cheerleading the regime in power for personal gain. They have never made any real or imagined sacrifices for the nation. It is the nation which has always bent backwards to accommodate them to save them from political oblivion – posh diplomatic assignments, cabinet positions to public jobs for kin and friends.

Mamudu: ‘Mista’ and Mademoiselle Politicians know “when to use” and “when to dump.” Free agents in every sense of the word loyal only to self and stomach. They have perfected the art to a divine fault. Time is nigh for every Yetteh Bah to join the “change” bandwagon. The only change in our political sphere is time. The players remain the same. Same forest, same monkeys irrespective of who wins. So, expect the same problems post 2021.

Mamudu: The politics of shamelessness. Give it to ‘Mista’ and Mademoiselle politician. Trust him or her, to entice; to convert nakedness into a smart suit; to redirect opprobrium into an opportunity. Wasn’t Momodou Alieu Yetteh Bah, Interior Minister of Yahya Jammeh, Speaker Abdoulaye Bojang, Suku Sighateh, Seedy Njie and other National Assembly members who voted to extend Yahya Jammeh’s term of office for three months after Gambians decided:

Declared State of Emergency: Constitutional coup: Those Yahya supporters and enablers turned to Adama Barrow with Yellow tags now deserted the Green tags? (wasn’t Speaker Abdoulie Bojang, Seedy Njie, Yetteh Bah, and Suku one of them). Mamudu: Mista and Mademoiselle politicians will rationalize violence; sanitize theft of public resources; deodorize impunity. Because he or she wears the suit of pride, has no sense of guilt; does not possess a moral barometer; has developed the art, and science? of not feeling pain about oneself. Give it to Mista and Mademoiselle politicians?

Mamudu: Rushworth Kidder proposes that in ethical dilemmas, politicians ought to embrace honesty, moral responsibility, magnanimity and, fairness (“The Ethics of Right versus Right”). Yes. The Political transhumance or defection phenomenon won’t be resolved by preaching hatred & demonizing others as children of a lesser God.

Mamudu: From now henceforth; the empty promises industry of political transhumance is it driven by inability. To act? Won’t throw stones! A factor of living; in glass houses? Because, in politics, cooking bloated, broken promises is the opium of the masses? The empty promises industry. A disrespect for values. And, people. A blot to leadership?

“Those who make promises they don’t keep end up powerless and frustrated” (Paulo Cuelho). Because? The empty promise industry doesn’t last: Mamudu: Listen to James Freeman Clarke? “A politician thinks of the next election. A statesman of the next generation”. The next election; the next generation. Ours, an abdication – a desertification of, statesmen?

Presidential aides, senior govt. officials we have advised again and again that these spins are not necessary and are disingenuous. They hurt the President more as they create unnecessary and avoidable conversations around him. So why this clumsy spin and gaslighting?

Honorable minister how can over $750,000 deposited into the FaBB account operated by the First Lady. The said amount was traced to a Chinese company seeking to do business with the government. The same amount was swiftly transferred from a local Bank to an airline company in Portugal.

Honorable minister who did the transfer, why and where is the money now. Honorable Minister; you are a journalist, a skilled investigative journalist; so, I need not tell you the money laundry implications of such questionable financial transactions across borders. Investigate and stop the gaslighting, Honorable minister.

Honorable minister spins work temporarily. Whatever your gaslight or spin today you will eventually have to defend and explain away either with the truth or another clumsy spin and gaslighting.

The greatest irony of life: Honorable Minister; you have all the RIGHT to defend the first Lady’s alleged nefarious behavior?
Honorable minister: Do you know former president Robert Mugabe had bloggers living hand to mouth who were defending her wife’s purchase of $40,000 bag? Honorable minister; to succeed in stealing people’s money is one thing but stealing their way of thinking is inexplicable.

Folks; so, don’t be surprised to see the same replicating here some Cabinet ministers, bloggers, sycophants, blind supporters and demagogues defending their leader and their leader’s family members even when citizens are being looted, their brains and dignity are no more, and you cannot argue or reason with such characters. They deserve more pity than rebuke!

Her Excellency Ramzia Diab-Ghanim, The Gambia’s High Commissioner to Malaysia and the Southeast Asian countries (ASEAN) on Saturday 20^thOctober, 2018 addressed members of the African Students Association (ASAY) in the special region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia on the occasion of the 1^stAfrican cultural day.

The first- ever African cultural day was organized by the African Students Association (ASAY) in the city of Yogyakarta in collaboration with the Postgraduate School of the State University of Yogyakarta (UNY) under the theme: Effective Multicultural collaboration in strengthening Africa-Indonesia Partnership.

In her keynote statement, H.E Ramzia Diab extended her gratitude to the Director of the Postgraduate School of UNY and ASAY for inviting her to attend such a historic event.

She said the event is a laudable initiative underpinned by cultural understanding of peoples from different backgrounds who aspire to achieve a given goal of understanding and unity of diversity for the collective advancement in our relationships at academic insitutions, at work, in government, and in private organizations.

H.E Ramzia further called on ASAY to commit to undertaking an effective multicultural collaboration with an objective to strengthening Africa-Indonesia collaboration. She encouraged ASAY to continue to work as a team that will help to strengthen multilateral relationships between African countries and Indonesia that will go beyond university campuses.

In his welcoming remarks, Prof. Dr Marsigit, Director Postgraduate School of the State University of Yogyakarta expressed his delight in inviting the Ambassador to attend this historic event and reiterated the commitment of the Postgraduate towards a sustainable collaboration with the African Students Association. Professor Marsigit assured the Gambian High Commissioner of the resolve of the Postgraduate School to engage in constructive and meaningful initiatives with the Gambian High Commission.

In his remarks, Professor Dr. Sustrisna Wibawa, Rector of the State University of Yogyakarta spoke of his pleasure in hosting the Gambian High Commissioner as her presence to the event has underscored her exemplary leadership qualities. Professor Wibawa added that there is an increased number of African students pursuing various programs of study at UNY and reiterated the commitment of the State University of Yogyakarta to achieving academic excellence and assured ASAY for a fruitful collaboration.

Other speakers at the occasion included Mr. Kijambu John Baptist, Coordinator of ASAY, Tsshepiso Stanley Africa student from Botswana. The event was interspersed with a video streaming of participating countries and cultural performances about Africa to the delight of the audience.

The event was attended by Dr. Widyastuti Purbani, Vice rector of UNY, Dr. Sugito, deputy Director  of the Postgraduate of UNY, representatives of  the Universitas Atma Jaya, SD Islam Al Azhar, Pelangi Indonesia, invited Indonesian guests and African students from other Indonesian universities. The event was chaired by Modou Jonga, Gambian student at Universitas Gadjah Mada and Dobrin Bugov.

Issued by the Communication Unit of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Gambians Abroad