The interim chairperson of The Gambia Centre for Victims of Human Rights Violations, Sheriff Kijera, has said that the victims of Jammeh feel “betrayed and disappointed” by the Coalition government.

“I think we are very disappointed as far as the change that we all voted for is concerned,” he told The Standard newspaper in an exclusive interview.

He said there has not been much efforts from the government with regard to the ongoing investigations into disappearances among others.

“I think the people who are in government now seem to have forgotten about other victims. Ousainou Darboe and Amadou Sanneh are all victims, but none of them have set a foot at the Victims Centre to show solidarity and support with the victims of the former regime. The only other actors that we have seen are Ministers Henry Gomez and Omar Jallow,” he alleged.

“But I have to add that the victims are disappointed with OA Jallow when he stated that he wants to see a Gambia without a TRRC process and he is willing to forgive Jammeh and he does not want to see Jammeh being   prosecuted. Well that is his opinion but as a political figure I think that is a very selfish comment coming from a very responsible person like OJ. So I think we have been very disappointed and let down by some of the political figures in government.”

Kijera said bodies have been exhumed but “nothing has been done about them while the victims’ families have been traumatised during that process and there is nothing forthcoming as far as investigations are concerned.”

Kijera said the Ministry of the Interior should have been in a better position to address such issues, “But as far as we know, we have not received any communication from the Ministry of the Interior and they have never visited the Victims Centre.”

Ministry of health

Kijera continued: “We also have issues with the Ministry of Health. Last year we had a pledge from the Turkish Embassy to support about nine of our victims, particularly the April 10-11 victims. They were planning to support them to have medical treatment in Turkey. But we were supposed to provide the air tickets.

We approached the government but nothing has been coming from the government side. Fortunately GPA pledged four air tickets, Papa Yusupha Njie of Unique Solutions pledged one ticket and through him we were able to have a pledge form Trust Bank.

“But we needed medical reports from the Medical Board. We approached the Ministry of Health, in particular the Serekunda General Hospital, but they told us that they can’t do much because there was too much bureaucracy involved.”

Positives

However, Kijera thumbed up the Ministry of Justice for doing an admirable job done in contacting the Office of the Vice President to see how the government can step in to assess some of these victims.

“We are already in contact with the Office of the Vice President to work out the modalities on how to secure some funding to provide medical assistance to some of these victims. We are yet to receive any formal appointment from the Office of the Vice President. Even today I was in contact with the protocol of the vice president. But hopefully before next week, [we will hear from them],” he added.

Registered victims

He disclosed that the centre has registered at least one thousand victims, including those who suffered torture, enforced disappearance, unlawful dismissal and Jammeh’s HIV treatment.

Source: Standard Newspaper

The four participants expected to represent the University of The Gambia, Law Faculty at the Phillip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition for 2018, were refused a visa on Monday, March 19, 2018, at the US embassy. This was received with great dismay and shock by the entire students at the university and other national institutions.

The participants underwent a rigorous preliminary rounds at the Law Faculty before being qualified to represent The Gambia at the competition.

As a result, they have been busy working on their memorials for almost 6 months which they submitted and have been consistently rehearsing on their oral submissions in order to make this country proud. The team has also made various steps to ensure that they participate in the tournament.

“With such sacrifices and hard work that has been invested by these participants, I believe the students deserve a chance to represent the UTG since the competition will play a great role in broadening their knowledge, strengthen their confidence and also aid in them playing a key role in nation-building”. A source told The Fatu Network.

The chairman of the Independent Electoral Commission has revealed more details which spurred him into fleeing to Senegal after he refused to tweak the results in favour of APRC’s Yahya Jammeh at the 1 December 2016 presidential election.

Alieu Momar Njai told GRTS’ Check Point interview programme that credible sources informed him that former president Jammeh’s men wanted to inject him with a lethal injection after he refused to add 25,000 votes to his tally.

“It was after that intense pressure on me to change the results that I heard that I would have been a target of lethal injection if I did not do their bidding,” Njai said.
According to the octogenarian, even though he genuinely feared for his life, he was never going to succumb to the threats and the pressure and change the results in favour of the president.

Giving specifics, Chairman Njai said the matter “reached a head” on December 31 when he received reliable information that he was being targeted by Jammeh’s men.

He continued: “That was the time I called Professor Saliou Ndiaye, the Senegalese ambassador who told me to go to his house early morning and my son took me there early the next morning. When we reached the house, the ambassador advised my son to stay in his house and not to call from my phone or answer calls on it until he returns.

He said the Ambassador then drove him in his own vehicle to the border at Karang, where President Macky Sall sent another vehicle that took him to Dakar.
Mr Njai said when he arrived in Dakar, he chose to stay at his sister’s residence and President Sall sent one General Niang to inform him that he was safe and he could go anywhere he wanted to go in Senegal.

Mr Njai also admitted that both the US and British Embassy’s in The Gambia offered to give him “all the necessary support”.

Mr Njai said he thanked God for giving him the fortitude to stick to the truth and not to change the results.
The IEC boss said Jammeh never thought he was going to lose the election.

Source: Standard Newspaper

Every other day, we hear of one group or the other calling for a sit-down strike. On the surface, it looks like people (professionals) are finding these strikes fashionable and as such are joining the bandwagon to be in vogue. As we just entered into a new democracy, we tend to be overly conscious of political correctness. Everyone wants to be politically correct when they speak on anything.

Well, looking at the doctors’ strike in that light will appear to be an oversimplification of the whole situation. The various strikes we have observed so far have all had their results of sorts, and their impact was felt across the country. This one, (the doctors’) however, threatens to be more severe in consequences. A doctor staying away from his work is obviously more likely to have more immediate consequences than, say a teacher staying away from the classroom as his impact will be felt only years later.

Initially, it appeared that the Association of Resident Doctors just wanted the minister to resign and then they would go back to the hospitals; but, as the issue dragged longer, other concerns began to emerge, and it became a classical “Daxxa genaar waxaale sa sohla’ (while chasing a hen, you say your piece). It has appeared that the doctors have been unhappy about their work conditions for long. Well, Madam Lowe-Ceesay gave them a platform when she made those statements which purported to say that the doctors were corrupt. This statement was understandably taken badly by the doctors.

This unfortunate saga has gone on for close to three weeks now and there is no solution in sight, yet. The doctors and the Ministry should certainly sit down and negotiate. There is no doubt that the doctors have a genuine cause and are absolutely justified in their protest – the manner of the protest may be open for debate, whether a strike is the right thing to do or not – but no one will argue with the fact that they have a cause. The condition of our hospitals is woeful and successive governments have sadly failed to find a lasting solution.

The Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, I am reliably informed, recognizes the cause and genuineness of the doctors’ complaints and have reached out to sit down and explain their side of the story. They have intimated to me that most, if not all, the concerns of the doctors are already being addressed if only they had a chance to explain. According to a highly placed source at the Ministry, the doctors have not really been engaging them. Certainly, there is a consensus in the country that the sit-down strike should end, and soon.

In Fula, there is a saying ‘Saare haande wel suma’ (Before a village becomes enjoyable it has to burn down first). Perhaps if a solution is negotiated – I hope it will be soon – the Ministry and the Association of Resident Doctors will work towards a good working relationship.

This writeup is to call on all public officials, ministers, permanent secretaries and other ranking government officials to understand that the Gambia has changed for good. We have all been silently screaming about our poor working conditions and relationship with our governors, this new democracy has thus given everyone the right and ability to flex their muscles and change their lot.

Though the doctors are right in protesting, they should now consider other ways of channeling their frustrations so that the loss of lives will be halted.

Have a Good Day Mr President…

Tha Scribbler Bah

A Concerned Citizen

By Arfang M.S. Camara

The Minority leader and National Assembly member for Niamina Dankunku, Hon. Samba Jallow, has faulted the government of the Gambia for not issuing ID cards to citizens, adding that the issue of national ID cards is a nightmare to the Gambian citizens.

Hon. Samba Jallow was speaking on Tuesday at the National Assembly while moving the motion of sine-die adjournment debate session before parliamentarians.

He further said that the government has failed the Gambian people for not issuing them with ID card for over an year, adding that this doesn’t tell well to the Coalition Government as the issue has been lingering to the mines of Gambians for a long time now.

“To me, I think that the Coalition Government is not delivering up to the expectations of the Gambian people because these are minor issues that government can do for its citizen. It is very important for a citizen to have his/her own country’s document”. He said

He added that Gambians are moving in and out of the country without carrying valid National I.D card saying that some don’t even have one at all

“Traveling with an I.D card is not about identification alone but helps to also trace ones nationality. We have seen a lot of issues surrounding national I.D cards in the country”, adding that talks about Semlex given the contract to produce the country’s I.D cards is still not confirmed.

“There are rumors that Semlex was given that contract by the former government”. He explained.

He called on the Justice Minister who was present at the National Assembly to tell them (Parliamentarians) what is holding the production of I.D card, adding that this doesn’t tell well on the Coalition government who has been in power for over a year without producing I.D cards and passports to its citizens.

By Sana Sarr

About two weeks ago, The Minister of Health and Social Welfare delivered a speech in which she blamed the country’s ailing health system in part to “doctors stealing medicine” from the hospitals and selling them in their private pharmacies. In response, the Association of Gambian Resident Doctors issued a statement demanding a withdrawal of the minister’s statements, an apology from the minister and the minister’s resignation among other things. They threatened to go on a sit down strike if their demands were not met. I must admit that i was dismayed by this rather bold and seemingly uncompromising stance. To begin with, I know that the minister will not bear the brunt of any strike, for she, like other top government officials, probably has access to resources to send their close family members abroad for medical attention should they need it. The poor innocent Gambians will be the ones to suffer. However, I was hesitant to condemn the doctors because I also know that perhaps more than anyone else, certainly more than the politicians, they are professionals and they care about their patients. With this in mind, I held off on taking a side on the dispute. All i kept asking for was that our leadership takes leadership to help resolve the issue so it wouldn’t get to a strike.

Unfortunately, that was not to be. Not enough was done and the doctors proceeded to begin phase 1 of their strike. The minister delivered what many consider a half-assed unapologetic apology but the doctors saw  through the smokescreen and refused to budge. Phase 2 of the strike has now been activated. More Gambians are aware and, consequently, emotions have started running high. Unfortunately, I find that a lot of the negative comments i see on Social Media are, in my opinion, misdirected towards the doctors. A good number are due to a lack of understanding of the doctors’ demands or their reasons. Many, understandably,  are rooted in the sympathy for the innocent patients. Some are rooted in outright political bias, and others in downright ignorance

Let me begin by reminding you all that Gambian doctors are paid significantly less than many of their counterparts around the world. Yet, there is nothing in their demands even mentions their salaries or compensation. That should answer some of the critics calling them selfish.

Below in italics are some of the comments I saw online followed by my reaction to them.

“The strike is unjustifiable because the doctors are doing it only because their egos are bruised by the minister’s remarks. Why did they not go on strike to demand better health facilities?”

This suggests a lack of understanding of why the doctors are on strike. From their press statements, what I understand is that the minister’s remarks were only the tipping point that pushed the doctors over the edge of what was already a fragile relationship between them and their minister. Yes, they want the minister to apologize for her remarks and to resign, but the resignation is because the doctors feel they need a more competent individual who they feel will be capable of moving the ministry in the right direction. The apology may fix the “bruised egos”, but there will be no change in policies and direction if the same leadership remains. I think this is a simple enough issue. If the people you are supposed to lead say they have no confidence in you, what’s the point of staying? Sudorn mann la sah ma gehda!

“The minister was justified because we all know doctors steal medication from the hospital”

All the doctors serve under the supervision of the ministry of health. The minister has the authority to set up a task force to investigate any wrongdoing by the doctors. It is the minister’s responsibility to create the structures and policies to ensure accountability for all the hospital resources including medication. A failure of that system ultimately rests on the minister. There is therefore no reason for the minister to go out in public and make generalized accusations when she has not done anything to address the problem internally.

Why do the statements mean so much to the doctors? It’s rather simplistic to blame it on “egos.” It is deeper than that. The relationship between doctors and patients is based on confidence. If that confidence is undermined,  especially by the doctor’s boss, there remains little to go by. Patients will have no confidence in their doctors after they’ve been told by the Minister that the doctors are thieves and cheats.

Similarly, the relationship between doctors and the minister is also based on trust and confidence. With these remarks, it’s clear there is no trust. How then can the two parties continue to work with each other?

“By going on strike over who the minister is, the doctors are betraying the oath they signed to save lives”

I went back to read the hippocratic oath. I got the feeling that many who cite that oath have no clue what it says. I suggest that folks go and read it before trying to use it for an argument.

“The doctors should care about the patients”

From their statements, I understand that the change in the leadership that the doctors are demanding is in the hopes of bringing better services to their patients. “You cannot make an omelette without breaking eggs” is the saying. We all know that unlike most other countries, doctors in The Gambia are not the best paid. The rigor of medical school is also well-known, so I doubt many put themselves through the years of studying if they did not care about their patients. The doctors also live in The Gambia with their relatives and friends. Again, we know they’re not the richest so most of them cannot afford to send their families abroad for treatment. Therefore, this strike affects them as much as anyone, especially those of us in the diaspora, sending condemnation via social media.

“A medical emergency should be declared and a request be made to China and Cuba to airlift doctors to come treat our people to replace immoral striking doctors”

This is probably the dumbest of the ones I saw. Really, genius? Rather than ask the leadership of our government to sit with the doctors and resolve this as a family we should go bring Chinese and Cuban doctors to replace them? Are those Cubans and Chinese doctors going to remain in the country forever? And you call us an “independent” nation? Should we discard the Gambians who have spent years studying and serving our sick and vulnerable just because we disagree with them one time? And what do you do when we fall out with China and Cuba, run to Pakistan and North Korea? Or do you suggest we become a colony of China and Cuba?

”And the bloody fools should all be prosecuted if they go to work in their private clinics as well.”

That’s another gem I saw on Facebook. I don’t even know where to begin responding to this one. Prosecute individuals for working in their own private clinics. Maybe President Barrow should get a different haircut, begin walking on his knees and be renamed Kim-Jong-Adu! The North Korean dictatorship is a lie!

Here we are, two weeks later, and not a word from the executive. The president was busy posing in front of the main hospital, talking about “refurbishments” of the physical structures as his  claim to “prioritize” healthcare, while there were no doctors inside the hospital. The Vice President was posing for pictures at the Commission on the Status of Women, (CSW) conference at the United Nations. Meanwhile, poor women in The Gambia can’t find doctors to treat them. NOT A WORD! This nonchalant, even negligent, attitude of our top administration, added to some of the angry, sometimes vile, rhetoric against the doctors helped push me to be more sympathetic to what may have pushed the doctors to that desperate corner.

While i understand the sentiments and rationale asking the doctors to return to work out of consideration for the innocent patients, I can also see why they will believe that any softening of their stance will result in their plight being totally ignored. If the administration is unwilling to budge, even at the risk of patients dying, what is to say that they will even speak to the doctors if they simply go back to work? President Barrow did not bat an eyelid when he fired Mai Ahmad Fatty, someone he called a friend, without so much as an explanation to Gambians. How then, is the Minister of Health, who is not a technocrat in the health field, so indispensable to the government that they’re willing to lose doctors and patients to keep her as health minister? How difficult would it be to simply assign her to a different ministry, even if it’s just to save lives? When the players of a football team collective declare a lack of confidence in their coach, the administration has no option but to let the coach go. Soldiers cannot be led by a general they have no trust or confidence in. This should not be that complicated.

This whole episode is a very sad and difficult one for me. Personally, I would have asked the doctors to try different methods of pushing to make the changes they seek. However, after seeing how the leadership has stubbornly ignored their demands, I can totally understand why the doctors felt they had no better alternatives. I continue to hope and pray that cooler heads prevail, and that no innocent lives are lost. We can do better!

The new German Interior Minister Mr. Horst Lorenz Seehofer has vowed that his office will increase deportations of rejected asylum-seekers from Germany.

Mr. Seehofer was speaking to the press after a visit to the Donauwört concentration [asylum] camp, a day after the incident which saw over 30 Gambian asylum seekers being detained over their immigration statuses.

Over 200-member police-troop descended on Donauworth town, in the Bayerische region (Munich) of Germany, where more than 300 Gambian migrants reside, conducting arrests and taking at least 30 into custody.

According to eyewitnesses, the “unfriendly police action” included assaults, when hound dogs and riot gear police raided the community on Tuesday afternoon in an operation that lasted hours into the evening last week.

In a statement released from the Bayerische state police after their operation in Donauwörth, they claimed the arrested individuals are being investigated for “breach of the peace, resistance to law enforcement officers, attempted dangerous assault and insults.”

“It came as a result of an attempt to deport one of our brothers to Italy last (Monday) night at about 3.30 a.m. We protested his taking away because it was not the right time for him to be sent away to Italy, according to a letter sent to him from the Foreign Office in Augsburg,” a resident there explained.

Due to that protest incident, the deportation effort of the Gambian migrant was postponed. However, the police reacted with massive raids the next afternoon, taking into custody at least 30.

Donauwört city has recently become a hot spot for West African migrants. Several attempts were reportedly made by the migrants to negotiate for better conditions of living just as other states in that country. The last of that was meeting held on Feb. 28, 2018.

In reaction to their demands, the state instead issued a directive, announcing further cuts to social benefits for the asylum seekers, including transportation to school and monthly allowances (pocket money).

Early this month, the city of Donauwört also became the scene of mass protests by asylum seekers, marching out of their asylum camp and dispersing into the city and elsewhere.

“We march out for a better place… that might be better than living without life and peace in Donauwört,” a protestor was quoted as saying, upon receiving the news about cuts on their benefits in that city.

“In Donauwört, we lack almost all the opportunities that other refugees in Germany enjoy as entitlements,” he added.

The marching refugees headed towards the train station. Upon their arrival there, they were stopped by police. Roads were blocked for some time, before trains were allowed to depart on a normal routine.

Meanwhile, the refugee crisis has become a big issue for the city residents at Donauworth; their Social Court has intervened in the crisis through the Refugee Council of Bayern, promising that the Social Welfare Office has reconsidered some refugees to reapply for their social benefits.

The fear factors for the high presence of refugees from West Africa, according to some analysts, are also related to the spread of the Islamic religion by the migrants.

The new Interior minister, a politician of the Christian Social Union in Bavaria (CSU) and the chairman of his party was also quoted as saying that Islam does not belong to Germany. “Germany is shaped by Christianity,” he stated.

From 2008 to 2018, Horst Lorenz Seehofer was minister president of Bavaria, and now serves as the German minister of Interior.

The Bavarian Refugee Council also views the police action against refugees as “massive intimidation attempt by the residents of Donauwörth.”

“The intervention of the police is a lack of real sense,” criticized Stephan Dünnwald, spokesman for the Bavarian Refugee Council.

Source: The Point Newspaper

There is no doubt that the former government almost destroyed our economy, and many other things besides. We all saw and agreed that something had to be done. We fought and were victorious. We ushered in a new government and said that we will have a system change. We will put in place policies which will straighten our institutions, improve our economy, reduce youth unemployment and many other lofty objectives.

Well, it turns out that changing all the bad policies which put us in this mess in such a short time is a tall order. But we don’t need to throw in the towel yet; we have to be resilient. It is true that no one can achieve drastic changes without having to do some unpleasant things in the process. That is why we saw – or at least I saw – the introduction of the vehicle policy as an excellent way to begin. Unfortunately, it seems to have been ‘eaten up by the wolves’, at least for now.

This would have been a very good way to save a lot of money which is doubtlessly needed in our current situation. We need to save as much money as possible seeing that the former government almost bankrupted the country before its downfall. So, we would have thought that everyone would be prepared to face the harsh consequences of this and face the unpleasantness of economic adjustment. But, again, we seemed to have been wrong, somewhat.

Another point we might have needed – might still do – is minimizing the other forms of wastage that goes on in our government. For instance, your travels (I am not referring to the numeracy of your foreign trips having repeatedly written and spoken about that already), I am talking about the convoys and pomp that go with it. I was on the road this morning and observed the many vehicles that accompany you to the airport. The closure of the roads and the fact that many, if not most, high government functionaries have to leave their work and see you off.

If we were able to quantify the amount of money that is lost due to these delays and absence from work of these officials, we would seek to put a stop to it immediately. Your security, of course, is of paramount importance but it does not have to be with all those vehicles burning all that fuel which all costs a lot of money. We are trying to reduce cost and  spending thrice more funds in other areas.

We need to be smarter in the way we spend the taxpayers’ money!

Have a Good Day Mr President…

Tha Scribbler Bah

A Concerned Citizen

By Arfang M.S. Camara

The National Assembly Member for Lower Badibou, Hon. Alagie Jawara has stated that as lawmakers they have all the right to vet any person that the President appoints.

He added that the National Assembly has come up with a committee called the Public Appointment Committee which should be vetting anyone the president wants to appoint so as to see and know the person’s ability to man that position.

The Honorable Member applauds the Speaker of the National Assembly, Hon. Mariama Jack-Denton for coming up with the idea.

Hon. Alagie Jawara was speaking in an interview with the Fatu Network held at the National Assembly Conference Hall, on Friday.

Alagie is the son of Muhammed Joof Jawara and Saffiatou Hydara. He was born and raised in Badibou Kerewan.

The NAM for Lower Badibou further said that the committee which will soon come into effect will help know the qualifications, competence, capability and ability of any individual who is about to the appointed by the president. He went on to say that this would help the government to not appoint people based on friendship or relations but ability and qualifications.

“This committee will be very important to any individual who wants to manage a public office so that they will not be making mistakes”.

He also went on to advised the Gambian leader Adama Barrow to listen to parliamentarians and the executive around him, adding that they are one of the branches of the government that helps in implementing development agendas.

The Proprietor of Mobicel Multimedia Telecom Company, Bala Jassey has said that the former President Yahya Jammeh has apologized to him three times at a meeting at Kanilai.

Mr Jassey made these revelations amongst others at the commission of inquiry probing into the financial dealings of the former President Yahya Jammeh and his close associates at the Djembe Beach Hotel, Kololi.

“The former president stood and apologized to me three good times in the presence of everyone,” Bala Jassey said.

“Jammeh said he was misled by the minutes given to him about me,” he added.

The Mobicel Proprietor said he was invited to a meeting with the former president through a telephone call by the former Secretary General, Momodou Sabally at Kanilai, the former president’s home village.

Jassey who went to the meeting with his Swiss counterpart said when they arrived at Kanilai they found Momodou Sabally sitting next to the former president with General Saul Badjie and former Gamtel Managing Director, Babucarr Sanyang. He said the former president wanted MGI to takeover the International Gateway from Tel Company.

“The former president instructed Sabally to terminate the services of Tel Company as soon as possible,” he said.

However, he said the Agreement with MGI was signed but he does not know when, where or who the signatories were.

When asked about his relations to General Saul Badjie which he said was established through a telephone conversation, he said he does not introduced General Badjie to the MGI Manager.

“I have never introduced General Badjie to MGI Manager,” he asserted.

Jassey said it was General Badjie who took him to the then Secretary General, Momodou Sabally for him to install a Cisco Wireless for the former First Lady.

A folder containing documents relating to Mobicel Multimedia Telecom Company was admitted and marked as exhibits.

When questioned about the management service agreement between Mobicel and MGI Company, his respond was that most of their correspondence were made through Email. Apart from the invoices he could not provide any information on the services offered to MGI Company.

Meanwhile, Mr Jassey was ordered to provide proofs of his qualifications before his next appearance.

Dear Editor,

I was deeply saddened to read on your paper on the passing of ‘Draman Touray’. I feel a real loss and pain in my heart losing a dear friend and mentor. Since learning of this devasting news, I find myself thinking how much I will miss him already.

To the man I know ‘Draman Touray’ – He was a fine gentleman and a significant influence for good in the lives of many people. A humble guy, highly charismatic with a sense of care and patriotism towards country. The smartest Gambian ever was in the field of Microsoft engineering information technological aspects.

Excellence – was the character of the man who would be my friend. He walked the earth surfaces with such ease and gently outlook on life. To great surprise, never did he even mention to me that he had attended Columbia University in the United States, except that I came across the segment he did at TAF networking event at Coral Beach Hotel back in December. ‘’Oh yeah, I did’’ he interrupted, when I enquired about his time there & work on ‘Wall Street’ with ‘Goldman sacks’, going on to explain some of his achievements & connections in the United States.

‘Draman’ was a charming young man, always modest who loves his country. Him and I would call each other over the telephone connecting London to Banjul or his office in Dakar talking for ages as if no care in the world. We would talk politics at home and the region, business and such events around the world. He loves his family, especially the kids whom he would take out around leisure parks in Dakar to enjoy playtime. A quality guy all around. An incredible human being he really was dreaming for a better Gambia. Over the years, we came to signal such catchphrases and buzz words today commonplace in Gambian discourse circles, such as ‘National Interest’, ‘Love4Country’, engaged in smart conversations; intellectual correspondences.

To the world – the city feels empty, truly, for I lost an unconditional friend. The man did possess huge passion for The Gambia & Africa’s future. ‘’Do not despair Mr Saine’’, he once told me even when all else seemed so bleak at the height of the political impasse. A cheerful outlook on life; a champion for Senegambia youths creating jobs + training opportunities throughout his companies – such is the calibre of a man Abdou Rahman Touray was.

To his family – I send my deepest condolences at this very difficult time. It is hard to know what to do in times like these, I want you to know that you are in my thoughts and prayers.

To the memory of a departed friend – He personify true friendship, always honest. I like him because he told the truth even when inconvenient to do so. And I admire his humility& patience, and for all that he was. Until we meet again, R.I.P.

Gibril Saine, London.

Aji Kura Ceesay, a sixty-eight year old woman complained about her suffering in the hands of the notorious National Intelligence Agency (NIA), under the dictatorial regime of the former President, Yahya Jammeh in January 2015.

The sixty-eight year old is the aunt of the late Alhagie Mamut Ceesay, a Gambian-US based citizen who was allegedly killed with his friend Ebou Jobe by the former president during their holiday to The Gambia.

Aji Kura, a native of Mamut Fana village in the Niamina East District of the Central River Region of the Gambia (CRR), has complained about her unlawful arrest and detention along with one ‘Oustass’ Abdoulie Gaye by the notorious National Intelligence Agency (NIA) agents without any reason given.

“An NIA agent came to my family house looking for me and I was escorted to the compound of the village head, where I found two agents waiting for me with ‘Oustass’ Abdoulie Gaye,” Aji Kura Ceesay said.

She said they boarded on the former CRR Governor’s vehicle driven by the police Station Officer (SO) to Jareng Police Station where they were briefly held in custody before taken to the NIA Headquarters in Banjul.

According to the old woman, the NIA agents deliberately avoided questions about the reason for their arrest on the way to the NIA Headquarters in Banjul.

She said they arrived late at night at the NIA Headquarters where they transferred them to a tinted car and then took them to the police headquarters.

Upon arrival, she said they saw the agents talking to a plain-cloth police officers but were later taken back to the NIA Headquarters.

Aji Kura said she was put in a cell with six other women while ‘Oustass’ Abdoulie Gaye was held at the male wing. The following morning, she said she was taken for interrogation.

“I was asked about my relations to Alhagie Mamut Ceesay,” she asserted. “I’m an aunt to him,” she responded. She continued:

“They asked whether I was aware that two US based Gambians along with their father planned to overthrow President Jammeh but I told them that I was not aware and was taken back to my cell again”.

The old woman further spoke about her ordeal in the hands of the notorious agents, complaining about severed headache and hypertension during her detention.

“I spent 28 days in custody without access to a lawyer and family members,” Aji Kura stated.

“It was horrible,” she added. The sixty-eight year old said the way they were arrested and harassed made her wonder whether the notorious NIA agents under the former regime were trained in dealing with detainees.

Meanwhile, the sixty-eight year woman called on the new government to engaged the security officials to respect human rights and to be God fearing in handling citizens.

State House, Banjul, 19 March 2018 – President Adama Barrow said he was elated to receive The chairperson of Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA), Mr Serdar Cam and delegation, shortly after his visit to Turkey.  President Barrow said receiving the TIKA team, demonstrated the seriousness with which President Erdogan of Turkey  attached to their discussions during his visit.       He added that refurbishment of the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital, the main referral hospital emphasised the importance his government attaches to the development of the health sector.  The President thanked the Turkish government for the support and partnership with The Gambia.

The Chairperson, of Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA), Mr Cam informed President Barrow that their mission was to assess the situation for the renovation of the EFSTH, expansion of the National Assembly and to explore other possible areas of cooperation.

Turkish Ambassador to The Gambia, His Excellency, Ismail Sefa Yuceer re-echoed the possible areas of investment in The Gambia.  He added that his country, which is currently Chairing the Organisation of the Islamic Conference is willing to support The Gambia as it prepares to host the 2019  OIC Summit.

Foreign Affairs Minister, Honourable Ousainou Darboe who led the Turkish delegation to State House expressed the government’s commitment to further strengthen The Gambia –Turkish relationship.

In another engagement with a delegation from the West African Examination Council – WAEC, the Gambian leader said Africa can learn best practices from others by putting emphasis on science and technology as key areas to the continent’s development.

President Barrow made this remark when the Minister for Basic and Secondary Education, Honourable Claudiana Cole led a WAEC delegation to State House this morning.  He commended the Council for being a model of African integration and added that there is capacity and knowledge in Africa thus there is no excuse for failure.  President Barrow added that with the political will and commitment to education, Africa can develop. He acknowledged that Africa is on the right direction by focusing on democracy as the way forward and there is optimism about African integration.

The delegation from Liberia, Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone and The Gambia is currently attending the 66^th annual general meeting of WAEC which is being held in The Gambia.

Also in today’s engagement, a delegation from Madina Suwaneh in the Kolda region of Senegal led by religious leader, Sheikh Abdalaye Karamba Suwaneh called on President Barrow.   Karamba Suwaneh praised the character of President Barrow and prayed for peace and success in his undertakings.  He advised The President to remain humble, truthful and maintain the virtue of kindness.

President Barrow thanked the Khalipha of Madina Suwaneh for calling on him at his office.  He urged the religious leader to continue to pray for the peace and success for his government and the Gambian people.  Similar sentiments were expressed by the Presidential Religious Adviser at State House, Honourable Dembo Bojang.

Alhajie Alhaiba Hydara, Imam of Banjul International Airport who was part of the delegation, said for over a decade, the Khalipha conducts an annual visit to The Gambia to pray for his scholars as well as the people of the country for peace and progress to prevail.  Madina Suwaneh in Kolda, Senegal is known in the Senegambia region as a home of religious scholars.

State House, Banjul, 19 March 2018 –Office of the President informs the general public that His Excellency, Mr Adama Barrow President of the republic of The Gambia will travel to Kigali, Rwanda to attend the Extraordinary session of the African Union on the African Continent Free Trade Area.   This is the first time member states have come to such an agreement to strengthen African integration through trade.

The President and delegation will depart Banjul International Airport, tomorrow, Tuesday, 20^th March 2018 at 8:00AM.  Those invited to see him off  are requested to be at the airport half an hour before departure for the usual ceremonies.

Dr. Ismaila Ceesay, a political science lecturer of the University of The Gambia has stated that President Adama Barrow will fail as a president if he does not listen to technocrats and also by not putting the right people in the right offices.

“If Barrow wants to succeed he should be more transparent and he should make sure that he gets the right people in the right places,” he said.  “Barrow has never worked in government; obviously everybody knows that.  But that’s not the issue at the moment. You have to surround yourself with the right people because this is a transitional period. We are beyond politics and what is most important now is fixing Jammeh’s mess and put The Gambia back on track.”

Barrow, he said, needs people with the right expertise and knowledge around him. “He should get the right people at the right places to do the job. Currently if you look at the civil service, there is a mismatch between the capacity of certain permanent secretaries and the portfolios they occupy. It is important for President Barrow to be more open to critique and listen more to expert opinions. Leaders develop by accommodating dissenting views.”

Dr. Ismaila Ceesay, an outspoken political science lecturer at UTG was arrested on Jan. 31, over comments he made in an interview with The Voice newspaper. The paper published a story in which he was quoted as saying; “the presence of ECOMIG Forces won’t prevent long-term security risks if the president does not win the trust of the army”

On Gambia’s external relations, the political scientist said that The Gambia under Jammeh pursued a more confrontational foreign policy. He, however, claimed that contrary to this, The Gambia’s foreign policy is now more reconciliatory under the Barrow administration. This policy shift, he argued has partly to do with the different personalities and nature of the two presidents and the awareness by President Barrow that The Gambia cannot afford to be sidelined in the comity of nations if the country is to successfully pursue its development goals within the framework of the National Development Plan. Dr. Ceesay, however, stressed that successive governments have adopted a more reactive rather than proactive approach and thus called for the need for Gambia to adopt a more proactive foreign policy.

NAWEC and SENELEC Deal.

Quizzed by this reporter about the deal between the National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC) and SENELEC of Senegal, the political scientist said that one of the problems of the Barrow government is their lack of being transparent. “They are not very transparent when it comes to certain issues. This energy deal is a national issue that should have been subjected to a national debate to explore the details of the deal and its short and long term implications for the economy and sovereignty of The Gambia, he stated.

The government, he went on, should ensure that they are transparent in all their dealings. He frowned on the decision for ministers not to publicly declare their assets as earlier promised by Barrow. “All ministers, including the president himself, should publicly declare their assets once they assume office. This ensures public confidence in our Public Servants and helps fight graft.

Source: The Point Newspaper

Let me state at the outset that I stand with members of the Medical and Dental Association and the Gambia Association of Resident Doctors in their current action to demand the resignation of the Minister of Health and Social Welfare and the addressing of pertinent issues in our healthcare delivery system. The strike by these doctors is in the interest of the sick and all Gambians in general. It is not until these doctors went on strike that we have seen the Gambia Government now speak a language of solving the issues in the health sector. Thus without this action it is clear that the Government will take a long-time, if ever at all to focus on and address the issues in our health system.

Therefore Gambians in general and the Secretary General and Head of the Civil Service in particular must stop misrepresenting, intimidating and blackmailing these doctors by appealing to lower sensibilities that patients will suffer or die because of the strike. These doctors and their strike are not the cause of pain, suffering and death of patients in our health facilities. Our health system has been in shambles since the first republic and no government has ever taken any serious attempt to ensure that Gambians enjoy an efficient, quality and responsive health delivery service. These doctors want to change that now! SUPPORT THEM!

After 53 years of Independence, infant and maternal morbidity and mortality remain unacceptably high. Scores of Gambian children die before their fifth birthday due to preventable diseases. Many more Gambians are forced to go to Senegal or beyond to seek basic medical attention because of lack of necessary drugs and equipment in our health facilities. Yet we have had governments since Independence that still cannot address our health needs due to corruption, inefficiency and lack of patriotism and vision.

For 30 years Dawda Jawara presided over one of the worst healthcare delivery systems in the world. For 22 years Yaya Jammeh did not only embark on further damaging that already deplorable healthcare system but he went even further to interfere with that poor system just to benefit only himself thus further damaging the right to health of Gambians. For 14 months since he took over Pres. Barrow has not yet taken any concrete step towards addressing the dire conditions in our healthcare system.

This strike by the doctors is therefore in the interest of the ordinary Gambian and all must stand with them to ensure that there is strategic and adequate leadership, adequate investment and accountability in the healthcare system that will bring a final solution. Under Yaya Jammeh no doctor would have dared to strike because that regime would clampdown on that doctor. Now that we have kicked out that dictatorship, we must realise that until we agitate for our rights and demand accountability in the public sector this country shall not change. We must agitate now and not later!

Contrary to the views of the Secretary General that the doctors do not have a right to strike because they are civil servants, let it be clear to Mr. Habib Drammeh that the Constitution of the Gambia guarantees the right of all citizens to peaceful association, assembly and protest. Hence as citizens, these doctors have a right to protest.

The protest by these doctors must not be disingenuously misinterpreted as political just to discredit them as the Secretary General attempted to do on GRTS Radio’s morning show today. These doctors are protesting to address the perennial corruption, leadership deficiency and lack of government responsibility in the healthcare system. Hence this strike is in the right direction to change once and for all the abysmal status quo in our hospitals and health facilities.

Thanks to this strike, the Gambia Government has now been awakened to look more critically at the issues in the health sector with a view to addressing them. If there was no strike, it is very clear that the health sector will be left to continue to fester as always since Independence.

Gambians must realise that politicians and public officers will always seek to stifle, derail, mislead, distort, caricature and intimidate citizens when those citizens have decided to stand up to demand transparency and accountability. In their attempt to protect their power, positions and privileges, politicians and public officers always seek to divert the issue in order to undermine and weaken genuine people standing up for genuine issues. We must not allow that ever again!

These doctors are responsible and genuine Gambians. Anyone who visits our health facilities and encounters our Gambian doctors knows that these young doctors are dedicated, hardworking and impressive. They are not irresponsible bunch of fools. They are patriots. Therefore let no one impugn their person, dignity, character and their role. These doctors have embarked on a life changing mission and all Gambians must support them.

It is only through actions like this that will force politicians and public officers at the State House, National Assembly and the Ministry of Health to act in the interest of the people. Without such actions, these politicians and public officers will only continue to give the same excuses and rhetoric as Dawda Jawara and Yaya Jammeh had always done only to see more Gambians dying from preventable diseases due to poor health delivery system. This must stop.

For the Gambia, Our Homeland!

Security sources have confirmed the arrest of former Prisons boss, David Colley in connection with the death of Baba Jobe, former majority leader of The National Assembly.

David is alleged to be part of those who coordinated the strangling to death of Mr. Jobe in 2011 alongside former Interior Minister, Ousman Sonko.

Baba Jobe was arrested in October 2003, charged with economic crimes and jailed for a period of nine years.

Sources added that David Colley may be charged on Monday. He is currently detained at The Police headquarters in Banjul.

The Fatu Network will keep you updated.

By MakalliMatta Consulting

Chop Shop — adding a new flair to Gambian fast-food 

From an early age, Aminatou Jallow was breaking moulds and traditions imposed upon her as a woman in Gambian society. The proprietress of Chop Shop — the ever growing fast-food sensation founded in 2014 – battled many personal and professional challenges to build her brand to where it is today. From a small shop in Fajara, the restaurant has grown and expanded to three other locations. We had a chat with Aminatou to discover how Chop Shop managed to add a new and unique flair to the very difficult and saturated Gambian food industry.

The woman herself: Aminatou who moved around often as a child, spent a chunk of her childhood under her grandmother’s care in Banjul. At 17 years of age, her life took a then difficult turn when she became pregnant right after finishing Form Five at Reverend J. C Faye Memorial School. Along with dealing with the stigma attached to teenage pregnancy, Aminatou was judged and ostracized. But this did not stop her in dreaming big.

“My courage was my mom,” she says.

Her mom encouraged her to look at the situation as a phase and as motivation to strive for better.

“I had to grow up and mature faster than most people my age,” she continues, regarding the challenges she faced as a pregnant teenager. With the support of her mom, Aminatou completed International Business College. Upon earning her diploma, she went on to win the “Miss Face Gambia Beauty Pageant,” serving as an ambassador for Forum for African Women Educationalist (FAWE), promoting  girl’s education and working to prevent teenage pregnancy.

After obtaining her Bachelors followed by her MBA in the United Kingdom, Aminatou returned to The Gambia and worked for the telecoms company, Comium and the now defunct PHB bank as the head of Product Development. She found that she was not professionally fulfilled by bothered roles. From our chat, we discovered that following the norm has always been a challenge for Aminatou. During her time at PHB, she would often challenge the Managing Director’s decisions and offer her own way of doing things. One day, he said to her, “Have you ever thought of being an entrepreneur? You have the mindset and skill to do something greater than this.”

Six months after she started working at PHB, Aminatou resigned. “From there I decided that I will not work for anyone else. Because I knew l would end up resigning again,” she says as she reflects on what drove her to become an entrepreneur.

Chop Shop started with the goal to fill a gap in the Gambian food industry:

“I wanted to open a restaurant that would be somewhere between fine dining and fast-food. I realized that there weren’t many places like that.”

The restaurant, whose clientele is mostly working class Gambians, is known for its sweet-bun burgers, but initially Aminatou did not want her establishment to sell burgers. She got the idea for the sweet buns after having to resort to using local sweet bread for a burger she ordered during a night out. The combination of savoury and sweet was so good that she replicated it at Chop Shop and it quickly propelled the restaurant to new heights.

“The burger is what sold Chop Shop. Everywhere I looked on Facebook I saw people raving about the burger,” she says.

What sets Chop Shop apart from the rest? Aminatou credits this to her consistency and her commitment to brand development. Centralizing the food processing at Chop Shop has been key in making sure the food served is consistent across the different locations. She continues to invest in food processing machines and developed Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to ensure that customers continue to get the same quality and tasty food at any of the locations they visit.

“I care about how people feel when they come into the restaurant. That’s why every year, I put money into renovations and think about ways I can make Chop Shop better” she says.

She goes on to explain: “I always consider the brand in whatever I do. And I instill this in my staff by reminding them that they are a representation of the brand.”

Aminatou recognizes that lack of consistency and structure has been the downfall for many businesses in the country, so she has gone to great lengths to make sure Chop Shop excels in this area. While carefully reading about case studies of successful franchises such as McDonald’s, she is constantly thinking of how to solidify her brand before expanding. To the young entrepreneur, making sure she has a solid foundation and a strong brand is more important than expanding at a rapid rate.

“Whenever you’re giving someone food, you have to give it to them in the right manner,” she explains as she discusses how she trains her staff to conduct themselves. Along with emphasizing the importance of customer service to her staff, Aminatou instills in them the values of discipline and loyalty, whilst working to empower staff as well. She has developed a system that ensures that staff are able to execute their duties without much supervision from her, meaning she does not have to micromanage them. This enables Aminatou to focus her energy on other aspects of business and brand development.

Aminatou has been inspired by watching her mom work extremely hard to fund all five of her children’s education. With the implementation of her Career Spa, Aminatou offers guidance and training to young women entrepreneurs in the early stages of their development.

“No matter what stage you are in your life, challenges are going to keep coming. You just have to be prepared to face them” Aminatou says.

The young entrepreneur has faced many challenges in her life, but throughout them all, she has stood tall and remained driven in the face of adversity. Being unafraid to take risks and focusing on establishing a solid foundation; these are elements that have enabled Aminatou to establish one of the country’s most popular restaurants.

Contact Aminatou: [email protected]

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As part of of our 2018 Women’s History Month celebrations, MMC would be highlighting one Gambian woman per week engaged in mainstream business, driven by brand relevance and legacy building. We would like to see more Gambian women formalizing their businesses. We indeed recognize that the informal business sector is female dominated in Africa as a whole but for this month, we would like to inspire that young girl whose mother is a fruit seller to be inspired to be a farmer and supplier of fruit to hotels, supermarkets etc. We want women to dare to dream to be players in big business. We are already on that path but we need more of us on deck.

Happy Women’s Month!