President Adama Barrow must realize that as a public officer he will be and he must be held to account for his decisions, policies, actions and manner of leadership. No amount of misconceived, misguided, false, divisive and ungrateful statements can prevent Gambians and the civil society in particular from holding him to account. If he cannot live up to that scrutiny then let him step down as a public officer.
The utterly misleading statements Barrow uttered in Turkey must be condemned by all and asked to retract them.
Pres. Barrow must understand that Gambians have been standing up against dictatorship well before UDP was born. Many were killed well before Solo Sandeng of blessed memory was killed. Many fought in silence because to fight dictatorship comes in various forms. Many were not members of political parties but did nothing less than any party!
The Gambia Press Union was standing up well before anyone!!!
When Yaya Jammeh refused to accept the results it was The Gambia Bar Association that first openly condemned him to be followed by a barrage of CSOs. When Barrow was elected several CSOs paid him a courtesy call to solidarize with him. It was The Gambia Has Decided movement that took the matter to another level.
If Barrow now asks what folks did in the past and on that basis question people why they are speaking up now, is it because he wants to silence people? If people said they don’t want another Yaya Jammeh is that not a genuine call especially if we see him follow some of the same Yaya Jammeh steps and tactics?
What is even more scary was when Barrow chided the intellectuals as cowards and useless. Is this not the same infantile and dishonest attitude of Yaya Jammeh to stifle knowledge and intellectualism?
Let Barrow stop playing to the gallery and politicizing our government and pushing the presidency to the down low. His comments are a direct threat to freedom of expression and association and therefore utterly unbecoming of a president that comes immediately after a dictator.
Gambians will speak up today and tomorrow regardless of whether they spoke up yesterday. And indeed Gambians have been speaking since yesterday and Barrow cannot now rewrite that history!
When Deyda Hydara was speaking up yesterday where was Adama Barrow? Which political party protested at the murder of Deyda Hydara or the burning down of the Independent Newspaper or Radio 1fm? When Dr Isatou Touray was speaking up yesterday where was Adama Barrow? When ActionAid was threatened with closure and the country director deported where was Adama Barrow?
If Adama Barrow has forgotten the history we have not forgotten that history and he cannot change the narrative of that history today!
Yaya Jammeh committed numerous atrocities in this country yet we did not see UDP or Adama Barrow lead a protest as opposition parties do in other countries such as Senegal! It was clear that if Solo Sandeng had consulted the UDP he was not going to get a green light to protest. Hence Solo Sandeng’s protest was not a UDP protest but a citizens protest. UDP cannot own that protest!
UDP only reacted because Solo was their member otherwise the UDP leadership would not have marched to the police station as they never did so when 16 Gambian Children were massacred in 2000 or the summary execution of nine Mile 2 inmates in 2012 or the witch hunting and the subsequent brutalization of hundreds of elders in Foni in 2009 among many other atrocities.
Pres. Barrow must withdraw this very false, misleading, divisive, ungrateful and lowlife statement immediately!
What a scary and disappointing comment from someone we expected better!
For The Gambia Our Homeland
The United Democratic Party UDP holds its first political rally at Brikama after the ban on political rallies was lifted by the Inspector General of Police.
The ban was imposed by the IGP shortly after the political clashes between APRC supporters and villagers of Busumbala.
Speaking at the mass rally at Brikama, Lawyer Ousainou Darboe, Secretary General of UDP commended his party members for coming out in doves to attend the rally.
Darboe who is the current Minister of Foreign Affairs told supporters that the party is ever united since inception from 1996 to date.
“This is the time for us to unite because the president is relying on you” Ousainou Darboe told supporters.
“You’re the ones who gave him 31 Parliamentarians in the National Assembly after you made him win against 3 contestants at the convention to lead the Coalition 2016” he added.
The UDP Secretary General said President Barrow cannot be comfortable on the seat of the presidency unless the UDP wins the upcoming local government elections massively. He spoke about the sacrifices made by the late Shyngle Nyassi, Sarjo Kunjang Sanneh and Colonel Sam Sillah among others.
“Be careful of tarnishing the images of good people especially Amadou Sanneh (Minister of Finance) who was the National Treasurer of UDP and was locked in prisons by the former regime,” he said.
Darboe refuted allegations that they are amassing wealth for themselves, saying they are helping President Barrow in his development goals.
“The people who are close to President Barrow should be careful because he has trust in them, but if they betray the trust bestowed on them, they could face the commission of inquiry in the next government,” he asserted.
He urged party supporters to be law abiding particularly National Assembly Members who he said are not following their heart desires but serving the national interest. Darboe said his party will not join any party in the next presidential election but will contest on their own.
Aji Yam Seck, Deputy Party Leader of the United Democratic Party UDP called on party supporters to unite.
“We should come together as UDP supporters to support our own candidates,” Aji Yam Seck said.
She told supporters that President Barrow has learned politics from party leader Ousainou Darboe.
“President Barrow has always attest to the fact that Ousainou Darboe is his father in politics,” she asserted.
“UDP is one party,” she added. She urged the people to select the best candidates for mayoral and chairmanship positions for the upcoming local government elections.
Meanwhile, Honourable Alhagie S Darboe announced that the primaries for the selection of mayoral and chairmanship candidates is moved to next Saturday.
Referred by some people as Gambia’s “most wanted criminal”, ex-President Yahya Jammeh’s name has been absent from the list compiled by Gambia’s security and intelligence authorities.
This list came on the heels of the recent “security scandal” that hit The Gambia following the entry into the country of two top army generals loyal to Jammeh. The two were based in Equatorial Guinea with Yahya Jammeh since the dictator fled the country into exile last year.
The list is already distributed to various border posts, security installations, and entry points around the country in a bid to improve alertness of the system that exists. It comprises names of 17 military officials, some of whom fled the country after Jammeh left for Equatorial Guinea, while others even before he departed.
The other home-based suspects being investigated for alleged crimes are not made public so far, The Point can confirm.
Lt. Col. Solo Bojang, Gen. Umpa Mendy, Warrant Officer Class 1 Malick Manga, Warrant Officer Class 1 Nfansu Nyabally, Lt. Col. Sana Manjang, Maj. Modou Jarjue, Maj. Landing Tamba, Maj. Kawsu Camara, Staff Sgt. Saikouba Jarjue, Staff Sgt. Sulayman Sambou, Lt. Col. Nuha Badjie, Capt. Mustapha Sanneh, Capt. Michael Kora, Capt. Michael Jatta, Gen. Ansumana Tamba, Gen. Bora Colley, and Lt. Gen Sulayman Badjie have their names and faces pasted on the page on the wall of several security installations in town.
However, what is still baffling is the matter of former President, whether or not he is “officially wanted” by the government of The Gambia, in connection with crimes allegedly committed by him or in his name.
“Jammeh’s name is not included and there is no arrest warrant issued for him,” a security source said. “Technically, even if he walks through the airport today, we do not have authority to effect an arrest on him,” the source added.
Fallout with Jammeh?
Chief of Defense Staff of the Gambia Armed Forces has said that the arrested generals, AnsumanaTamba and Umpa Mendy returned home after falling out with the former president in his exile base.
“Preliminary investigations revealed the two were dissatisfied with their living conditions and had strained relations with the former president in Equatorial Guinea,” Gen. Kinteh is reported to have said at a press conference held on Saturday.
The General Kinteh admitted “security lapse” at the National Security Council for their lack of intel on the return of the two generals from exile, hence an inquiry has been set up to look into this. The two generals deserted their duty posts hence showing their disloyalty to the state and stayed away for a year, Kinteh explained.
In Malabo
Meanwhile, family sources of Umpa Mendy have said the general has been complaining of life in exile since June 2017, seeking to return despite security implications of his entry into the country.
What is not still clear was what were the Jammeh loyalist military “deserters” not “satisfied” with even though media reports claim the dictator was living “a five-star lifestyle” in an isolated island from mainland Malabo.
Some sources also point to cutting off of Jammeh’s sources of offshore funding, when the U.S. Treasury frozen his assets and shell companies outside of The Gambia. “Jammeh had called his men in December and informed them that they were free to return if they choose to,” a top intelligence source also added.
Source: The Point Newspaper
By Omar Wally
The actions of one man (Yahya Jammeh) to withdraw The Gambia from the Commonwealth had far reaching effects on The Gambia says Gambia’s Foreign Affairs Minister.
In October 2013, former President Yahya Jammeh took a unilateral decision to withdraw Gambia from the Commonwealth describing the collection of 54 countries as a neo-colonial institution.
Jammeh did not give reasons as to why he pulled Gambia out of the Commonwealth. After five years of being out, The Gambia Thursday, February 8 was re-admitted.
The commonwealth charter was handed over to Foreign Minister Darboe at a ceremony in Banjul. He said when Gambia was withdrawn, the country’s voice was diminished on permanent issues on global platforms such as climate change, economic development and south-south cooperation which are vital to the development of The Gambia.
‘Gambia’s flag has been hoisted and took its rightful place among that of distinguished flags of the commonwealth family.’
Darboe said The Gambian judiciary will ones again be able to recruit judges from other Commonwealth countries, enjoy immigration privileges in UK which were all suspended in November 2015.
Gambia will now actively participate in Commonwealth games and other sporting activities, Darboe noted.
Musa Bah
Nusrat Senior Secondary School
The ongoing push and pull between a group of teachers and the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education has highlighted once again, the serious flaws in our education system. A press release from the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education has some grammatical errors which make it unworthy of coming from a ministry. A response from the group of teacher protestors who refer to themselves as Taskforce is even worse. One wonders how on earth our children will have a good education if the teachers and the ministry cannot even write an error-free letter!
The education system is so prescribed that it does not leave any room for origination. Students are expected to memorize theories and formulas to be reproduced in examinations. Thus when they reproduce what they learnt, they pass exams with good grades and are deemed to be educated. However, most of the times when these people go the real world, they can’t do anything beneficial. An education system that is so prescribed produces ministry officials who cannot write letters or press releases.
In the past few years, tens of thousands of students have completed senior school without the required number of credits to have admission in our university or any other for that matter. These people are then considered failures in society because they have spent twelve years of their lives in an education system and cannot qualify to go to university. Additionally, they have no skills or techniques so they can’t be employed. This is why majority of skilled workers in the Gambia are foreigners. In a study I conducted with some of my students, we discovered that 59% of fishermen in the country are foreigners. Where are the Gambians? Something tells me that other areas of skilled labour have similar figures.
The unemployment rate among the youth is currently a staggering 70%. No wonder there is a huge problem of young people trying to reach the shores of Europe and dying in the Mediterranean seas. A large number of youth have taken to a life of crime because it is the easiest route to go. The second largest contributor our national income – tourism – is facing serious problems because the youth hassle the tourists to an extent that it is threatening to reduce the number of tourists who visit the Gambia.
There is child prostitution and the sex tourism is booming. The number of girls who complete grade 12 and cannot go to university is so high that some are forced to go into the sex trade. It is these people who – because they can speak English – who find it easier to befriend the Europeans in order to get something from them. This contributes to the rising crime rates and thus the violence against women and the murders keep happening.
Our education system needs to be relevant to our developmental aspirations. We must reorient our youth to enable them create jobs instead of seeking jobs. The system must recognize that not everyone is – can – be an academician. But equally, it must recognize that no one is stupid. Everyone is good at something or the other. We must seek to identify what the children are good at and push them in that direction. With this, they will learn a craft in which they are interested. By the time they complete senior school they will be able to do something on their own. Thus they will not depend on any employer; rather, they will be self-employed. This will have a positive impact on the unemployment rate, decrease the crime rate and generate enough income to revitalize our economy.
These are observations which can be used to begin to solve our problems. We need to rethink our education so as to impact on our development process. We need thinkers, researchers and a political will to pull us out of this quagmire. The leadership since independence has not been able to give us the life we need and deserve. Every section of Gambian society is affected one way or the other. We cannot blame the officials of the ministry or the teachers who wrote those embarrassing press releases, they simply wrote what they have been taught.
A complete change of direction is needed but it requires courage and political commitment. As we have the university, we have a bank from which we can withdraw, so to speak. Let the university be used to conduct research on all areas of development so that our policymakers can base decisions on scientific facts.
With these actions, we – as a nation – will solve many of our problems. We could produce enough food right here so that we don’t depend ever again on food importation. We will solve the problem of unemployment which has a direct link with the crime rate. This will also improve the health of our people and improve the standard of living.
Another benefit we will derive from overhauling the education system is having peace and stability in the long term. This is of extreme importance as security does not only have to do with soldiers and police and guns and whatnot, it has to do with economics as well. An employed youth who is receiving a good remuneration is less likely to join a gang of criminals or a rebel group. He would want to protect his way of life and that is the incentive for peace.
Peace is not the absence of violence but the presence of justice (economic justice inclusive).
The President of The President Barrow Youth Movement for National Development, Ndey Fatima Jammeh has tendered her resignation to the movement Thursday afternoon.
In a letter addressed to executive members and advisers of the Movement, Ndey stated that she was chosen to lead the group on transparent basis, not on the promise that they will be loyal to each other.
“However spirits faded away because of few individual’s personal interest which is not what we wanted” She added.
Below is a copy of her resignation letter.
Executive members and advisors of PBYND,
RESIGNATION
I hereby tender my resignation as the President, President Barrow Youth for National Development.
To set records straight, I was chosen to lead this group on a transparent basis and on the promise that we will loyal to each other. However, spirit faded away because of few individual’s personal interest and that is not the agenda we wanted .
We as dynamic youths should work for the best interest of our dear motherland and put personal interest aside .
I wouldn’t be part of anything that will be a threat or to jeopardise the peace and democracy of my Country.
It was indeed a pleasure working with all of you .
You are all intelligent and independent with mighty heart and brain.
I want to Thank each and everyone that stand by us in good and bad times .
Thank you all
Yours Sincerely
Ndey Fatima Jammeh
In another development, Lamin K. Saidy, adviser to the movement has also tendered his resignation.
Dear Madam President Resignation I write to tender my resignation as an adviser to the President Barrow Youth for National Development.
When I accepted this responsibility few months ago in the spirit of providing my little support to youth empowerment initiatives never has a day gone by which I regretted my past decision.
However, over the past months the nation is divided in opinion about the formation of such a group attributing it to politics. To many, it has the potential of undermining democratic principles on which our newfound democracy is built on.
Personally, I have not seen anything suggesting the above assumptions for now. However, as someone working with civil society, my conduct will have a direct bearing with the credibility of my organisation thus the need for my resignation.
This decision is personal but closely linked to my professional undertaking.
I appreciate the opportunity given to me and wish you all best of luck. I will always be a call away when needed. You all have my undying respect…
Sincerely yours,
Lamin K.Saidy
By Ousman Mbowe
Over the years, the world has found its head sinking in the shackles of anarchy, strife, and mass destruction of lives and properties due to the acts of very few people. Man has been endowed with the ability to reason and to make just judgement before acting. However, when people become indoctrinated, and are made to think in only one direction, without being given the chance to reason, it reverts man into an animalistic state wherein all his senses of right and wrong are overshadowed with only the instincts to execute what he is meant to believe.
Everyone today is aware of the disasters occurring in other countries throughout the world. Unfortunately, when we look at all the countries in chaos, majority are Muslim-dominant countries. Islam, which literally stands for peace, has been distorted by extremist-minded scholars who teach their followers that there is salvation in killing someone who adheres to a different belief from theirs. Innocent people have been turned into killing machines, not having the slightest regard for national security, the lives of women, children, and even men who have done nothing worth being killed for. This is all due to the false presentation of the true teachings of Islam by the Islamic scholars, who by the word of their mouth, and their acts, promote the killing of adherents to other faiths, promising salvation and paradise to the doers of those atrocities. This reminds me of one narration of the sayings of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) who is quoted to have said:
“By the one in whose hand is my soul, a time will surely come to people in which the killer does not know why he has killed, and the one killed does not know why he was killed.” (Sahih Muslim, 2908).
This unfortunate situation is what the world finds itself entangled into. Innocent people worldwide are being killed mercilessly without committing any crime. The ones who commit such atrocities don’t themselves know what offence those innocent souls committed for which they were killed.
This is just a quick overview of what the world is going through; a situation which has torn down developed countries, brought both the rich and the poor to their helpless knees, turned comfortable people homeless, and destroyed the peace and comfort of every nation in which such was encouraged. This is exactly what Imam Abdullah Fatty is trying to do in the Gambia, and I call upon the authorities to take the right step now before our beloved and beautiful Gambia turns into ruins and ashes due to the words and actions of hate-preacher(s) like him.
On Friday 2nd February 2018, Imam Abdullah Fatty had a radio program at Star FM Radio station (96.6fm) between the hours of 9pm to 10 ….pm. He said a very serious statement which is a very powerful spark to national instability and the threat to National Security. He said in his own words “One day, I was sitting at night and young men came to me. They said to me that at this very moment, 300 young men are seated, ready. We came to you, only to ask you to command us to attack these people (the Ahmadis). I said Abadan! Don’t do it. The young men cried! I said to them that ‘if you attack them (the Ahmadis), the game will be spoiled because it will then be between you and the government, and I will not be able to bear it; the image of Muslims and Islam will be tarnished’.”
First of all, if youth of this country chose to approach Imam Abdullah Fatty to seek permission to attack the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at simply due to difference in beliefs or more so specifically due to the fact that Ahmadis applied to the government through a legal and democratic process for a television license, it only portrays that they have either been mentored by Imam Abdullah Fatty himself to develop such ideas and thoughts, or have seen him as a potential leader or accomplice to such plans and acts.
Secondly, Imam Abdullah Fatty being someone believed to be a scholar of Islam, I was hoping to at least hear him say to the youth that Islam doesn’t allow anyone to attack another due to difference in beliefs. Rather, he said to the youth that they shouldn’t attack the Ahmadis “otherwise it will be between them and the government, and he (Imam Abdullah Fatty) will not be able to bear it”; he did not tell the youth that their intention was wrong, nor did he tell them that it is against the laws of the land, and the laws of Islam. He only told them to stop, fearing to have problems with the government. Who knows what else he said to those youth after that! Not cautioning those youth in relation to the laws but being concerned about his personal image and status with the government, it clearly shows that he is encouraging such acts, and promoting them, but only waiting for the ripe time to act. Here is a man, clearly being a wolf in sheep clothing, pretending to the government that he has regard for the government, whereas he is only playing a game of deception. This same Imam Abdullah Fatty is the one who, in 1997, said on a pulpit that “all Ahmadis should be taken to the 22nd July Square, and slaughtered like sheep”. How can such a man be trusted by the government to be innocent of inciting such violent thoughts and ideologies in the youth of our dear motherland today?
I would like to kindly ask the authorities responsible for intelligence and security—the SIS, NIA, Police—or whoever may be responsible, to place an investigation on Imam Abdullah Fatty. I strongly advice the government to take him in for interrogation for two main things:
In either situation, Imam Abdullah Fatty should be called upon by the intelligence and security units for interrogation to either identify the boys who are intending to act as rebels to the law of the State, or to take Imam Abdullah Fatty himself into custody for inciting violence and discord in this country, a big course for concern to our beloved National Security which is cherished by all.
This is the birth of religious extremism, suicide bombings, instability and the destruction of the cohesion and brotherhood of any country, and of course The Gambia. If the government doesn’t take necessary action, I tell you that whatever this country in plunged into by Imam Abdullah Fatty and his kind, it will be too late to stop or reverse, and the blood of every citizen will be on your hands for not acting when you should.
From a humble and concerned citizen!
Kindly reflect on these words:
For the Gambia, our homeland, we strive and work and pray, that all may leave in unity, freedom and peace each day. Let justice guide our actions towards the common good. And join our diverse peoples to prove man’s brotherhood. We pledge our firm allegiance, our promise we renew; keep us, great God of nations, to The Gambia ever true!
2nd February, 2018
PRESS RELEASE
The University of the Gambia Faculty and Staff Association wishes to respond to the press release issued by the Gambia Police Force dated the 1st of February 2018. Following an appeal by the police to disperse the crowd that formed at the entrance of the Police headquarters in Banjul in the early hours of the February 1st, demanding Dr. Ceesay’s unconditional release with a public apology, senior police officers including the police PRO in attendance had given their word that charges have be withdrawn and that the police will apologize. However, the press release issued a few hours afterwards did not only contradict that promise but it was also full of misinformation.
The release claimed that “Dr. Ceesay was interviewed until 22:00 hours when he was granted self-bail which he declined to accept”. This is a clear misinformation. First of all, it doesn’t follow logic that someone who has merely been invited to be interviewed and not arrested and detained could be granted self-bail. The fact is that Dr. Ismaila Ceesay was invited for questioning on the 31st of January, 2018 around 13:30pm, interrogated for three hours and later put behind bars for 5 hours with no explanation offered on his detention. Meanwhile, friends and family including his ailing mother demanded some explanation from both the officers at the Interpol and the Serious Crime Unit where they all denied knowledge of who ordered his detention or why in fact he was detained. It is one thing to be called for questioning and allowed to leave when that is done, and quite another to be put away in a cage as if you were a criminal or a dangerous animal and no one willing to explain why that was happening.
8 hours passed before Dr. Ceesay was finally summoned at the Serious Crime Unit for further questioning, and charged for incitement of violence under section 59 of the criminal code which states: “A person, who, without lawful excuse prints, publishes or to any assembly makes any statement indicating or implying that it would be incumbent or desirable-
Commits an offense for which he may be arrested by a police officer without warrant and is liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term of three years.”
In breaking this down, Dr. Ceesay has only granted an interview to only one journalist where he gave his expert opinion on the security situation in the country. He did not print the said interview, neither did he publish it himself nor given any statement in that effect to an assembly (note that an assembly constitutes more than two people). In addition to that, Dr. Ceesay’s genuine intentions were to draw government attention to security lapses that exist as a result of certain miscalculations which could pose a long term national security risk and not the contrary.
Instead of committing a crime, Dr. Ceesay has in fact been exercising his rights as granted by the constitution which guarantees that:
“(1) Every person shall have the right to-
(a) freedom of speech and expression, which shall include freedom of the press and other media; Association and movement
(b) freedom of thought, conscience and belief, which shall include academic freedom;…”
Therefore, the UTGFSA recognizes that the police has a duty to apply the law but strongly maintain that in this case, they have not acted in tandem with the rule of law, and that their actions were unprofessional and politically motivated to say the least.
The UTGFSA call on the IGP to do the right thing and apologize to Dr. Ceesay for infringing upon his rights.
We would like to close this statement with a quotation from a respectable historian and political scientist Prof. Abdoulaye Saine of the United States, “Dr. Ismaila Ceesy’s comments are a thoughtful and succinct assessment of the troubling security environment in the Gambia. Ceesay should be applauded, and tapped for a senior security advisory position, rather than arrested for raising a national security dilemma that is apparent.to most observers. Clearly, Ceesay is being singled out; as he is not the first to express these concerns- speak to any Gambian. The troubling practice under Barrow of retaining, and rehiring key Jammeh loyalists in top security posts, is routinely discussed among specialists, and laypersons alike, I am still at a loss, as to how two Jammeh loyalists from Equatorial Guinea could so easily breach security protocols at the national airport. It is a fact that the Gambia’s security apparatus have been sidelined by ECOMIG forces- a recipe for future instability.”
IPRO
UTGFSA
A lecturer at the University of The Gambia, who was Wednesday evening questioned and detained by the police, has said that his experience is a wakeup call to all Gambians that the country could easily ‘sleepwalk’ back into another dictatorship.
Speaking to The Standard following his release yesterday, Political Science lecturer Dr Ismaila Ceesay said: “My experience was harrowing given the fact that we were not expecting to experience this, in the New Gambia. Nonetheless, it is a wake up call for every Gambian who cares about this country and for the human rights of every Gambian. There are no guarantees. We could easily sleepwalk back into another dictatorship if we are not vigilant.
“Now we should learn lessons from the past 22 years of dictatorship and ensure that we do not take a U-turn to dictatorship with these things happening. I think my resilience and my refusal to be intimidated and my refusal to be given bail although it was my constitutional right, choosing to stay there until they drop the charges is sending strong signal to the government that no more would Gambians allow to be intimidated or suppressed in this country,” he said.
The young academic said Gambians should “be very careful” with the new government’s rhetoric on the newfound freedom of speech and democracy. “Jammeh came here, he fooled us with accountability and transparency and this new government is fooling us again with human rights, rule of law, freedom of speech and new Gambia. That is not the issue; the issue is what they do in practice. I think we should be very vigilant as Gambians in every walk of life; be it journalist or any other person, because I was picked up and detained for giving an expert opinion about issues regarding authorities. Tomorrow it could be you. We don’t know whether it will snowball into a full-blown dictatorship. That is why I think we have to be vigilant,” he added.
Gambians, Dr Ceesay added, must ensure that his case is the last time that the government tries to intimidate and suppress people.
He said even the newfound democracy that the government is claiming ownership as an important achievement was fought for by Gambians.
“In fact, they are being deceptive because they don’t even know how to handle it; that is why their actions are counterproductive to what we fought for. So for me, the statement that they fought for the newfound democracy, is misleading and disingenuous. Let them come up with something else as an achievement,” he challenged.
On his invitation and detention, Dr Ceesay said
“The police said they were not happy with some of the pronunciations I made. They asked me whether I made those pronunciations, I said yes. But I think they were concerned that my intention was to incite violence and also to undermine the security of the state. But I told them that was not the intention as I was just expressing my opinion as an expert analyst in an objective manner but that was not the point of view they held,” he explained.
“They questioned me for three hours and then they detained me in a cell for another five hours after which they took me to the Serious Crime Unit, interviewed me and charged me with incitement to violence.”
Source: Standard Newspaper
To say that I am disappointed in the recent actions of the government will be an understatement. The current state of affairs does not portray what most of us understood by the term ‘New Gambia’. We envisaged a Gambia where there will be freedom of expression, the rule of law, respect for human rights and the protection of individual freedoms and liberties.
The fight was all about restoring democracy and the rule of law. What obtained in the past twenty-two years was that individual citizens were denied of their rights. There were arbitrary arrests and detentions; in some instances, there were cases of torture, murder, embezzlement and rape. All these could only happen continually because there was no freedom of expression.
Freedom of expression is the key to development when it comes to democracy. In fact, freedom of expression is the bedrock of a solid democracy. There is no democracy if people’s freedom to speak their minds is curtailed. We know also that there should be freedom of assembly and association. This is particularly important in the area of academia. It is the academia that proffers ideas from which will spring development.
The incident of the arrest of Dr Ismaela Ceesay is therefore an affront to democracy and the complete opposite of what we all fought for. How can an intellectual like Dr Ceesay be arrested and detained for expressing an opinion? This is totally wrong and completely unacceptable. Dr Ceesay did not do anything that could be said to threaten the security of the nation. If anything, Dr Ceesay should be commended for pointing out something which will contribute to the security of the country in the long term.
Furthermore, it is regrettable that the Editor-in-Chief of the Voice Newspaper was called by Mrs. Amie Bojang-Sissokho for publishing a story that is seen to be critical of the government. If the government officials start calling newspaper editors for publishing stories they don’t like, they will have to keep at it every day which will leave them no time to do their jobs.
Besides, this (freedom of expression) was almost the only tangible achievement we – as a people -registered since ‘New Gambia’ came into being. If that is also taken away or threatened, we will be left with nothing but the change in the name of our president. This is not what we signed up for. We did not go to the polls on December 1st 2016 to change the name of the president.
I condemn in the strongest possible terms the arrest and detention of Dr Ceesay and the efforts to stifle the press. We must respect the lives of the individual and observe the rule of law. We must always abide by the dictates of the constitution.
Have a Good Day Mr President…
Tha Scribbler Bah
A Concerned Citizen
PR/ref/MOICI/001/18
February 1, 2018
The Government of The Gambia acknowledges that Dr. Ismaila Ceesay, a political science lecturer at the University of The Gambia was invited by the police for questioning on Wednesday, January 31, 2018, over comments in an interview granted to The Voice newspaper issue of the same day.
Dr Ceesay who was subsequently released the same evening following questioning on security related issues he referred to in the newspaper interview preferred to spend the night at the Police Headquarters, insisting that he needed to wait to talk to his lawyer.
While soliciting the understanding of the general public in such matters, the Government wishes to reassure Gambian citizens and non-Gambians resident in the country that their fundamental rights to free expression as enshrined in the Constitution will be respected.
The only reason The Gambia Police arrested Dr. Ismaila Ceesay is because of this sentence in a report of his interview with the Voice Newspaper.
“Top Political scientist Dr Ismaila Ceesay has said that the presence of the regional forces in the country will not prevent long term security risk “ if the president does not win the trust of the army.”
This is the report of the newspaper attributed to Dr. Ceesay.
Why on earth should the police arrest a citizen for such an opinion? If the Barrow Government disagrees why don’t they issue a rejoinder to condemn the good professor?
What is in this statement that warrants an arrest? How can this statement destabilize The Gambia? How can this statement make The Gambia army to overthrow the government? How can an opinion of a university professor cause a security risk?
The Gambia Police must realize that they are not the spokesman and defenders of the government. The police are human rights protectors as per section 17 of our Constitution. The rights they protect are the rights spelt out in Chapter 4 of our Constitution among which is Section 25 on freedom of expression. Hence this action of the Police is a violation of their obligations and the constitution.
It is indeed extremely concerning that just one year after the end of a very brutal dictatorship that was notorious for human rights violations we would have a new government that would also clampdown on the rights of citizens.
All citizens must stand up to demand the unconditional freedom of Dr. Ismaila Ceesay immediately. We must realize that today it is Dr. Çeesay but tomorrow it will be you and me if we fail to stand up. Let us learn from the 22 years of Yaya Jammeh.
Free Dr. Ismaila Ceesay Now!
KMC mayoral aspirant Bakary Badjie has revealed that he has decided to stand as an independent candidate in the forth-coming mayoral election.
Speaking to The Standard yesterday, Mr Badjie said this decision came following months of meetings with ‘almost all political parties in the country’, after which he and his team thought that it is best to run as an independent candidate.
“Based on the current political situation of the country,” he stated, “and looking at our support base, we decided to remain independent. We will go in the elections as an independent candidate and challenge Gambians to overlook party affiliations and choose the candidate that fits the job,” he said.
Asked if his decision would not dash the hope of parties who may aspire to sponsor him being of young ‘astute and raw political talent’, Badjie said that is anyone’s guess before adding: “These parties were only interested in me running on their ticket and not necessarily interested in supporting me under independent basis. Having known what used to happen in the council, where each party that is in the council sees it as its own, and use tax-payers’ money to spend on political activities instead of taking care of the basic needs of the people, we think we would serve the whole KMC well when we have no loyalty to anyone who will expect rewards from us,” he said.
Badjie, a former head of programmes for the Child Protection Alliance, CPA, also took time to rubbish rumors alleging he may be ineligible to stand for mayor, after spending time in the United States.
“The last local government election was in 2012, so from 2012 to now, I was in The Gambia. So, that issue of qualification is what personally, myself and the campaign team want the people to understand, that anything that has to do with the election, I am qualified based on section 17 of the Local Government Act.”
Source: Standard Newspaper
The theme for this year’s Summit is ‘Winning the Fight against Corruption: A Sustainable Path to Africa’s Transformation’. This theme presents a unique opportunity to reflect on an address specific challenges related to the fight against corruption on the continent. The AU summit deliberate on a number of issues, including institutional reforms of the African Union, continental free trade and the state of peace and security on the African continent.” including the consideration of the report of the Executive Council, the Annual report of the Chairperson of the Commission for the period January to December 2017 and the report on the implementation of the Assembly Declarations including that on the Solemn Commitment on the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM).
The PRC meeting was the first statutory meeting of the 30th Ordinary Session of the Summit of the AU, which was held from 22nd – 29th January 2018. The PRC meeting prepared the agenda of the AU Summit with appropriate recommendations for consideration by the Executive Council, which took place from 25th to 26th January 2018. The meeting brought together all the Ambassadors of the 55 African Union Member States based in Addis Ababa and other key AU officials.
In his opening remarks, the African Union Commission chairperson, Moussa Faki Mahamat told the delegates that this year’s summit will deliberate on mechanisms for combating corruption, as a means of transforming Africa. He further more highlighted on the efforts that are being taken by African states to fully finance the African Union as agreed in 2015, in addition to implementation of the Single African Sky.
According to a 2016 Corruption Watch report indicated that the most prevalent types of corruption reported in the continent over the past few years center on abuse of power, followed by bribery and then procurement corruption.
Within the framework of the 30th AU Summit, H.E Dr. Abou -Zeid Amani, Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy, on Friday 26 January 2018, hold a press conference on the following issues launch of the Single African Air Transport Market, Status update on DotAfrica, Update on the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA), Update on the Africa Renewable Energy Initiative (AREI), Operationalization of the Geothermal Risk Mitigation Facility (GRMF) and the Regional Geothermal Programme and Update on E-Governance.
In another development the Single African Air Transport (‘’SAATM’’) which was launch is one of the Flagship Projects of the African Union’s Agenda 2063. It will ensure that aviation plays a major role in connecting Africa in order to achieve social, economic and political integration and boost intra- Africa trade. Travel and tourism is vital to the globalized economy. Aviation is a vital tool for development globally and has the potential to greatly transform and improve economic and social benefits across Africa.
On her part Amira Elfadil Mohammed, AU Commissioner for Social Affairs said the free movement of people will help reduce dangerous migration trends, mainly to Europe via the Mediterranean Sea. As the free movement of people will offer potential overseas migrants, particularly those taking dangerous routes, new options and thus help their pursuit for better life and employment across Africa.
She furthermore highlighted that nothing more than 80 percent of African migrants commit intra-Africa migration, she lamented that easing visa restrictions within the continent has the potential to further reduce the current 20 percent of migration to Europe and other parts of the world mainly via dangerous routes.
Commending the achievements of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) for the free movement of people, she also called on other African regions to take lessons from ECOWAS and create an integrated continent.
African leaders also committed to eliminating malaria by 2030, as articulated in the Continental development Agenda 2063. Malaria, a treatable and preventable disease, already costs the African continent’s economy US$ 12 billion per year in direct losses, and 1.3% of lost annual GDP growth, an earlier report by the RBM Partnership, Action and Investment to defeat Malaria, has shown.
According to the World Malaria Report 2017, progress across Africa has been uneven, putting at risk the tremendous progress to-date and African leaders’ collective ambition to end the disease. While some African countries have seen a greater than 20% increase in malaria cases and deaths since 2016, others are showing that beating malaria is possible.
Participants also heard that high-burden countries such as Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which account for 27% and 10% of the global malaria cases, respectively, also face significant gaps in financing their malaria efforts over the next three years. Nigeria faces a financial gap of US$ 1.4 billion, equivalent to 68% of the country’s needs, whereas DRC requires an additional US$ 536 million to fully implement its national malaria strategic plan. Alternatively, several African countries that have stepped up their efforts, such as Senegal and Madagascar, have achieved a greater than 20% decrease in malaria cases in 2016, according to the World Malaria Report 2017.
In June 2014, African Union Heads of State and Government adopted the Malabo Declaration on Accelerated Agricultural Growth and Transformation for shared Prosperity and improved Livelihoods. Among other commitments of the Declaration, the Assembly specifically committed to mutual accountability for results and actions by conducting a biennial review that involves tracking, monitoring and reporting on the implementation progress in achieving the provisions of the Malabo Declaration. The inaugural report and the Africa Agriculture Transformation Scorecard, tracking progress of the implementation of the Malabo Declaration, was presented to the Assembly. The Biennial Report and Africa Agriculture Transformation Scorecard comprise individual country performance scores on progress made for implementing goals set in the Malabo commitments.
The growing terrorism threat in Africa is a shared responsibility, requires the intensification of our efforts in a coordinated global approach. The transnational nature of terrorism knows no borders + no single state can fight it alone. Said Moussa Fakki Mahamat, the AU Chair.
H.E Paul Kagame in his inaugural speech in front of his peers as the new President of the Union for the next year. He is also supervising the AU Reforms on behalf of the Union. His personal commitment to this transformative agenda for the Continent remains key in making Africa great.
Saidina Alieu Jarjou
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
In a democracy, we talk of the rule of law. This means that everyone should – or should be made to – respect the law and abide by it. It means that we will do away with impunity by enduring that whoever breaks the law is punished in accordance with the law. It also means that the due process will be followed to ensure that no one’s rights are violated.
In fact, for the maintenance of peace and stability, there needs to be strict adherence to the rule of law by all and sundry including government functionaries. If these [government functionaries] are found wanting in the area of abiding by the law, everything crumbles down. The government will then be seen as either corrupt or ineffective.
In the past one year, a lot of instances can be sighted where people have been found to portray a total disregard of the law. For example, there is a law against the importation and usage if plastic bags. But plastic bags have become so rampant that they can be found and seen everywhere around the country. People are using plastic bags as if it is nothing. These have a very bad effect on our environment and there usage will do a lot of harm to the country.
A few days ago, a police officer assaulted a taxi driver in front of some eyewitnesses. This type of behaviour was very common during the rule of the previous government. One would have thought that with the new dispensation, this will become a thing of the past. But it seems that some people are still holding onto the old habits, as they say, old habits die hard.
In some parts of the country, there seem to be a total breakdown of law and order. This morning, while I was listening to ‘Gambia This Morning’, a program on Gambia Radio and Television Services. I heard a reporter from the North Bank Region of the country say that two incidents of armed robbery occurred at one of the groundnut selling points. This comes to add to the occasions of armed robberies reported around the country in the last year or so.
Furthermore, a series of rape have been registered during this period. It is as if the rapists are daring the government to do something. It’s almost on a weekly basis now that we hear of rape cases. What is responsible for this state of affairs? In the streets now one can meet a person smoking cannabis as though it were legal.
Worse, the murder cases seem to have escalated. Two weeks ago, we heard of a woman being murdered and left in her salon. Police are still trying to find the culprit. Earlier, a girl was murdered and left in the streets of Manjai Kunda. These are just a few of the spate of crimes being perpetrate around the country. It is becoming scary, to say the least.
Mr President, the first duty of a government is to protect its citizens. The citizens must be made to feel safe in their homes. The breaking of the law with impunity must stop. Enough is enough!
Have a Good Day Mr President….
Tha Scribbler Bah
A Concerned Citizen
Following the security lapse that resulted in the entry into the country of Jammeh’s top loyal military men from exile, the security authorities have collaborated to produce what they called the country’s ‘most wanted 36’.
According to security sources, this list has already been distributed to various border posts and entry points in the country, in a bid to avoid the repeat of the recent airport incident. The list comprises names of home-based suspects being investigated for alleged crime and those outside the country, sources stated.
“It is true that generals, Tamba and Mendy have entered the country with diplomatic passports that they held before they went into exile. But these were not passports issued recently,” a top immigration official maintained.
“It has been a security lapse on our side, we admit that. However, the person they interacted with more was the officer in-charge of operation at the airport, Lamin Jatta,” a top intelligence source stated.
Jatta was not available for comments as he was suspended from active duties pending outcome of investigations.
The intelligence authorities meanwhile decried concealment of information from them hence the slippage into the country of the army generals without apprehension. “We the SIS were never notified… this is why our men on duties did not take any action,” the official stated.
“The officer commanding SIS Airport post, Gassama and agent Kinteh both faced suspension pending the outcome of the investigation…This is the consequences of concealment of information among the country’s security setup,” our security sources said.
“If the state informed us that these people are wanted, our men would have arrested them on sight,” our intelligence sources maintained.
Lamin Jatta, Gambia Civil Aviation Authority’s Operations commander (now on suspension) was alleged to have facilitated the smooth movement of the suspects in and out of the airport.
Meanwhile, would this have been averted with the investment of millions of U.S. Dollars in the biometric infrastructure and software by The Gambia in 2009, was the question I put to Draman Touray, Gambia’s foremost software engineer and biometrics specialist.
At his office on Atlantic Boulevard, Touray called his databank administrators to illustrate how The Gambia Biometric Identity System (GAMBIS) would have flagged anyone whose information was captured in the over 800, 000 persons.
“The project is the world’s first integrated Biometric Identity Management System. Through this system, the government of The Gambia was capturing biometric details for all citizens and aliens in the country,” Touray stated.
System administrator, Mr. Jah, wearing a long-sleeved white striped shirt with blue tie brought his laptop computer into the conference room and connected a cable to a 46-inch LCD Sony TV mounted on the wall.
This reporter was asked to produce his National ID card, whose NIN (national Identification number) was inserted into a search box in the GAMBISdatabase: There, all my details, including thumb prints; who processed my ID card application and who approved it backin 2012 all appeared.
“With this, no one will leave or come into the country without their necessary details showing…. But the system is not in the hands of the country’s security authorities,” Jah explained.
“We are an indigenous Gambian company that built this system, trained immigration officials, software engineers at the University of the Gambia, among others investment all at the tune of D402 million…,”Draman Touray, who studied Mathematics and Computer Science; and had a career at Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan and Morgan Stanley before coming home to invest.
“The ongoing programme, which was inaugurated on 23 July, 2009, aims to digitally record the biometric details of all citizens and aliens in the country. The reason for the project is to enhance the security of identity documents in order to facilitate commercial, legal, financial and governmental transactions around the nation,” Touray explained (see full interview this week).
As part of the ongoing investigations, a fact-finding team was dispatched to the airport last week. “Umpa Mendy and Ansumana Tamba and others came in as normal passengers, with the Gambia diplomatic passports,” our security source said.
Source:The Point Newspaper
Reports have it that there are now at least two movements associated with you; or, affiliated with your name. These are the President Barrow Youth Movement and the Adama Barrow Foundation for Inclusive Development (ABFID). This is totally unacceptable, Mr President.
For long, African politicians have used the naivety of their youth to perpetuate themselves in office. They use these types of movements to hide their lack of focus on development and the raging fire of poverty and want which is ravaging their people. Whenever such movements are formed, you can be sure that it is not – cannot be – genuine and without ulterior motive. No amount of whitewashing can make these movements democratic.
Mr President, since you came to power – rather, since you came to office (power sounds misleading), there have been a series of failures on your part. You have presided over some very shady practices which can affect the democratization process. For instances, the fact that fifty-seven vehicles were given to members of the National Assembly and the public still does not know whence these vehicles is a case in point.
That incident and these youth movements (and perhaps others) all have a potential to severely derail our democracy. This is because the three arms of government are supposed to hold each other accountable. The National Assembly may not be able to exercise its oversight functions if members see the president, head of the executive, as a benevolent father who is willing to do anything to get them comfortable vehicles to move about. Thus that move was wrong.
The movements on the other hand will disturb the level playing field and the equilibrium in the area of politics, business and others. They are a perfect example of political patronage. The interesting thing is that when this was brought to your attention by a journalist, you brushed it aside as if it were of no consequence.
You said and I quote, “They came to seek my support, I promised to empower them.” (Fatunetwork). This implies that you agree with the idea. What is the difference between such a movement and the Green Boys and Green Girls under the former government? It is the same. They are groups of people seeking wealth and fame by associating themselves with the president and/or his name.
The ongoing Janneh Commission you set up to look into the financial dealings of the former president and his close associates has revealed clearly that when people or companies have a relationship with the president, they can – and often do – take advantage of said relationship to have an edge over others in the country. If truly someone is interested in national development, they need not set up a movement of that sort. If they do, let them name it after something (or someone) else. Why name it after our president? The truth is that, there are almost always ulterior motives. Why weren’t there any Barrow Youth Movements two or three years ago? The answer is simple; you were an ordinary businessman then. If someone had named a movement after you then, or when you leave office, I won’t bat an eyelash over it.
Now though, thousands of Gambians and I have given you our votes. We have given you our coffers, our destiny, our future and that of our children. So we cannot – will not – remain quiet while people use your name to gain political, financial and other favors at our detriment. Disband these. Now!
Have a Good Day Mr President…
Tha Scribbler Bah
A Concerned Citizen
ECOWAS court rules Gambia violated rights of journalists
By CPJ
February 14, 2018 3:14 PM ET
ECOWAS found that Gambia’s laws criminalizing speech and its treatment of four journalists during their arrest violated their rights, a statement by the Media Legal Defence Initiative said. The journalists– Fatou Camara, Fataou Jaw Manneh, Alhagie Jobe, and Lamin Fatty–live in exile for fear of further persecution, the statement said.
“We are delighted with today’s judgment and see it as helping to close the door on the harassment of the press under Gambia’s then President Yahya Jammeh,” said CPJ Africa Program Coordinator Angela Quintal. “Gambia’s government, under President Adama Barrow, must ensure there are no delays in acting on the ECOWAS judgment so that the media can operate freely without fear of reprisal.”
CPJ and partner organizations filed an amici curiae brief to ECOWAS as part of the case.