By Omar Wally

President Adama Barrow should respect the constitution and appoint a Vice President, it is time for the country to have a full time Vice President says Mama Kandeh.

“Do they want to tell us that there is no qualified Gambian who is capable of being Vice President or is it that the position is reserved to suit the interest of an individual.”

The GDC leader made these remarks Tuesday, at a Press Briefing in Baobab Hotel, were he talked about issues such as, President Barrow’s swearing-in ceremony in Senegal by a private lawyer, which he frowned at, GDC’s denial of permits to hold rallies among other things.

Kandeh reminded the coalition government that 57 percent of Gambians didn’t vote for them adding that government should take lead by respecting the rule of law.

Kandeh said the Police have the right to denied Gambia Democratic Congress permit but it should be based on genuine  reasons.

“The problem I have, is calling GDC party militants and members to go to the police station to be screened before they can issue them permit, our militants and members are not criminals.”

He call on Barrow’s government to create a level playing field for all the political parties. He noted that calling for level playing field was the reason why the entire UDP executive were put in prison.

GDC leader disclosed that when they were returning from Basse on Monday, ECOMIG forces stopped their Trucks and asked them to offload the firewood and charcoal it was carrying. Is that the mission of the ECOMIC forces in The Gambia Kandeh asked.

By Alieu Ceesay

The minister of Youth and Sports, Henry Gomez has dissolved the National Youth Council Board of Governors.

No reason has been advanced by the Ministry for this decision, which has not been widely welcomed by the youth.

The Ministry said the decision is consistent with the National Youth Council Act 2000. Mustapha Kah, a youth expressed disappointment that the board of the National Youth Council has been dissolved without explanation by the Ministry of Youth and Sports. “This is a gross violation of the will of the youth.”

“It was the youth who voted them in and only the youth can change them. Political interference in our affairs must stop. It will not be condoned and I urge all young people to resist and stand up against this decision”, he added.

Bakary Badgie reacted:

“The Hon. Minister of Youth and Sports MUST be told that he does not have power under any law to dissolve the National Youth Council. Albeit it happened before unchallenged, he and those who advised him should know that democracy and rule of law is what this government is premised on unlike the former.”

According to him, with the exception of Chairperson and the Female Rep, the rest of official Council members are elected by young people in each region and thus reserve the power to remove them OR by a Presidential pronouncement for dissolution, which must be based on very good reasons such as proven failure to execute its mandate.

“The truth is, the Gambia’s young people and those interested in youth matters have been waiting patiently to hear from Minister Gomez on what his plan is moving forward. But for 6 months, nothing is heard from him on his Ministry’s plan – not a proper visit to youth structures neither a press conference like other Ministers did upon assuming their offices.

The least expected from him is this letter and I stand in solidarity with young people to call on him to rescind this decision and get to work for the development of our youth and sports.”

The Secretary General, Head of Civil Service and Minister of Presidential Affairs, Dawda Fadera is expected to appear before the commission of inquiry set up to look into the financial activities of the former President Yahya Jammeh and his close associates at the Djembe Beach Hotel, Kololi.

This revelation was made by the Lead Counsel of the Commission, Lawyer Amie Bensouda who was putting supplementary questions to the Permanent Secretary of the Personal Management Office, PMO.

Fadera who was the former Permanent Secretary at the Personal Management Office until his appointment as Secretary General by the new government under President Barrow was reportedly served with summon to appear before the commission to provide information to various questions some of which his successor has failed to provide to the commission.

It was not disclosed when Mr. Fadera would appear before the commission but he is expected to appear anytime to answer to pertinent matters of concern to the commission.

Lead Counsel Amie Bensouda told Mr. Pateh Jah, Permanent Secretary of the Personal Management Office, PMO to watch his attitude because he was summoned to help the commission with information.

Pateh Jah was summoned to the commission to explained the scholarships awarded to students by the Office of the former, President Yahya Jammeh.

He disclosed to the commission the policies they have in respect to awarding scholarships. He spoke about the centralized scholarship board. He also spoke about the committee approved by the Cabinet that includes the PMO and the Ministries of Higher and Basic Secondary Education.

Jah said the scholarship committee was managed by Cabinet.

“I don’t know the selection criteria of student qualified for scholarships at the Office of the President,” Pateh Jah said.

He added: “I cannot answer questions with regard to the way scholarships were awarded to beneficiaries at the Office of the President because I was an outsider”.

Jah mentioned 18 students that benefitted from scholarship from the Office of the former President, saying that 3 students were admitted in the Gambia while the rest went overseas. He said he extracted the list from the files at the Personal Management Office. He told the commission to get the full records from the Office of the President.

Lawyer Olimatou Danso asked him to provide the government’s training policies to the commission.

The extracted list of students sponsored by the former president were admitted and marked as exhibits.

Meanwhile, Mr. Jah who told the commission that he served 16 years in the civil service was asked to provide training policy, general order and financial instructions in his next appearance before the commission.

By Omar Wally

Mama Kandeh, leader of The Gambia Democratic Congress, Sunday donated 220 bags of rice to flood victims of Kuntaur village and D30,000 cash to students of the said village whose books were destroyed by the rains.

The donation is part of many goodwill gestures Kandeh has been extending to Gambians.

MC Cham JNr, GDC, National Youth Mobilizer said Kandeh is never tired of helping the poor and needy Gambians.

“Kandeh’s interest is to improve the livelihood of ordinary Gambians, he has been manifesting that in his everyday life.”

Cham said since the inception of Gambia Democratic Congress, one year ago, it has been extending helping hand to many Gambians.

” Kandeh is a great and ambitious leader and Gambians are now experiencing the different trend and style of politics.”

GDC National Youth Mobiliser, noted that Kandeh is proving support to all adding that politics is not just mere talk but it is about the development of the nation.

The Managing Directors of Access Bank, Guaranty Trust Bank and Trust Bank Gambia Limited have given testimonies to the commission of inquiry set up to look into the financial activities of the former President Yahya Jammeh and his close associates at the Djembe Beach Hotel, Kololi.

The three managing directors were summoned to the commission with regard to the Gambia National Petroleum Corporation GNPC Dalasi and Dollar Accounts at the said banks respectively.

Several bank statements, financial transactions and other relating documents were submitted to the commission of inquiry presided over by Lawyer Surahata Janneh.

Davit Aluko, Managing Director of Access Bank has confirmed two Dalasi and Dollar Accounts belonging to the Gambia National Petroleum Corporation GNPC.

Mr. Aluko was assisted at the commission by two senior staff of the bank.

He told the commission that the signatories to the Dalasi Accounts were Mr. Momodou Badjie, former Managing Director of GNPC, Mr. Fafa Sanyang, former Commissioner of Petroleum and Mr. Ebrima O Camara, former Permanent Secretary Office of the President.

The signatories to the Dollar Accounts were Yahya Jammeh, former President of the Gambia and Mr. Momodou Sabally, former Secretary General, Head of Civil Service and Minister for Presidential Affairs.

Mr. Aluko disclosed six transactions on the said accounts that involved hundreds of thousand dollars withdrawn or transferred to individual beneficiaries signed by the former President Yahya Jammeh and former Secretary Generals who worked with them particularly Dr. Kalilu Bayo.

Statements of dollar accounts, financial transactions and withdrawals were admitted and marked as exhibits.

The next witness to testify before the commission was Mr. Doyin Adegbulugbe, Managing Director of Skye Bank Gambia.

He was required to present statements of the dollar accounts.

“What was the first transaction of the former president after the change of signatories,” Lead Counsel Amie Bensouda asked.

The Skye Bank Managing Director revealed the withdrawal of $2 Million Dollars signed by the former president Yahya Jammeh and Mr. Momodou Sabally, former Secretary General in August 2013. He further revealed the withdrawal of $650,000.00, $450,000 and $150,000 dollars respectively. He also mentioned the transfers of $260,000, $250,000, and $200,000 among several hundreds of thousand dollars authorized by the former President Yahya Jammeh and Mr. Momodou Sabally.

The names of former Secretary Generals Lamin Nyabally and Dr. Kalilu Bayo were mentioned a few times as signatories. Sana Jarju, former chief of protocol was mentioned as the person who collected the monies.

Dozens of financial transactions in respect to the GNPC Dollar Accounts were submitted and marked as exhibits.

Meanwhile, Mr. Ebrima Sallah, Managing Director of Trust Bank Limited appeared earlier before the commission submitting statements of accounts including 2 US dollar and 3 Dalasi Accounts.

by Alieu Ceesay

The Gambia Football Team will leave for Ghana tonight where they will participate in the West Africa Football Union (WAFU) Cup of Nations.

The Gambia will play the opening game against the host Ghana on the 9 September, next Saturday. Team Coach Omar Sise has said that the boys are in good shape and high spirit.

“Our objective in the first place is to put up a team ready to challenge the hosts Ghana. That is what I based my selection on.” Sise, who guided The Gambia to final against host Senegal in the 2015 edition, is very confident that his team can go far in the tournament.

“Our next objective is to go very far in the tournament and be able to win the trophy. It’s difficult but I am with the belief that the boys can deliver to our expectations and make the country proud”.

By Alieu Ceesay

Farmers in Jarra, Lower River Region are positively impressed with this year’s cropping season and hopes are high that harvests would be good.

In an interview with The Fatu Network, farmers in the area are enthusiastically overwhelmed with the progress of their crops, particularly maize, millet and groundnut.

“This year promises to be a season with a difference compared to the previous years when the performance of my crops were below par. I’m expecting a bumper harvest this time around as my crops are doing extremely well,” Abdoulie Jobe, a farmer said.

Ebrima Dem was happy with the status quo when he told The Fatu that: “The rain pattern is very impressive and we’re hopeful that there would be a record high in this year’s productivity.”

However, despite the pre-harvest hopes, the farmers are concern for a good post-harvest trading season.

By Yunus S Saliu

Like other sectors, the tourism industry which has been one of the steady sector contributing to the Gambia GDP has recorded a drop of 26% in the last 2016/2017 tourism winter season.

According to the analysis, the arrival from January to May 2017 was 65,639 compared to 78,522 in 2016 of the same period.

This signifies a drop of 12,883 (-16%). In brief, the arrivals from UK, Sweden, Finland and Norway recorded large drops of 26%, 15%, 22% and 29% respectively. But, on the other hand, there is said to be an increase in other markets such as Germany, Belgium, Holland and Spain as they got increased by 7%, 63%, 4% and 5% respectively.

However, comparing to what was projected in 2017 – 88,626, total arrivals in 2017 recorded a drop of 26% and in terms of monthly arrivals, all the months with the exception of May declined in 2017 compared to the same period in 2016. More so, there was a significant drop for all the months in 2017 compared to the projected arrivals.

By Omar Wally

The Imam of Kanifing Estate Mosque, has said that truth is what is keeping the world, adding that a world without truthful people will be a disaster. “Therefore, truth should be told in our homes, mosques and at the National Assembly because without truth the nation will not move forward.”

Imam Saikou Janneh, made these remarks on Friday at Kanifing Estate Mosque, during his Eid summon.

He call on parents to discipline their children ,so that they can be good and responsible people in future. People often say the world has changed, but the world hasn’t change it is the people who changed said Imam Janneh.

“I was once told, Imams should stay away from politics, because politics is not meant for good people.” Janneh added:

The justification that the person gave was, if responsible people stay away from politics, the bad ones will take charge. ” I therefore agree that responsible people should take part in politics.”

Jeddah, Sunday, 4 September 2017

Gambian President, His Excellency, Adama Barrow was amongst the over two million Muslims from around the world who converged on the Holy land of Makkah to perform one of the five pillars of Islam this year.  He performed the last rites of the Hajj today at Makkah.   Earlier, in the morning, along with his delegation, he performed the last of the three Jamraat at Mina before leaving for the last Tawafu around the Kaaba in Makkah.

President Barrow congratulated  Gambian pilgrims for performing all their Hajj rites.  He delivered the message through the Gambian Amirul Hajj, Alhajie Ousman Jah who visited him at Mina.  President Barrow apologized on behalf of the committee for any shortcomings and urged Gambians to forgive each other, especially during this festive period of Eid.  The President commended King Salman of Saudi and his government for the security and facilities provided to his delegation and prayed for all to return home peacefully.

The Gambian Amirul Hajj, Alhajie Ousman Jah earlier during his visit briefed the President on the situation of the pilgrims, the processes, the new conditions and policies the Saudi set for the Hajj this year.  Mr Jah said despite the new conditions, The Gambia succeeded to have 1424 Gambians issued Hajj visas.  He also informed the President about some of the challenges they had regarding their stay in Mina and the efforts to avert such in the future.

Aside from performing the Hajj rituals at  Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifa, President Barrow made a courtesy call on the Sudanese President, Omar El Bashir  at his Arafat tent.  Some Kuwati officials who were also on Hajj also called on the Gambian President at the Royal  hotel in Mina.

On Saturday, President Barrow honored a Royal invitation from King Salman of Saudi Arabia for a Royal lunch at the Mina palace.   During the lunch, they discussed the importance of unity among the Muslim Ummah, and the role of Saudi Arabia as the headquarter of Islam.  President Barrow told the King that despite the size of The Gambia, it has over 90 percent Muslims and he would like to build on the relationship between the two countries.  The Gambian leader also met the Crown Prince of Saudi, Muhammad Bin Salman.

Among the Presidential delegation were his two wives, First Lady Fatou Bah and Lady Sarjo Mballow, Chief Justice, Hassan B Jallow, Foreign Affairs Minister, Honourable Ousianou Darbo, Interior Minister, Honourable Mai Ahmad Fatty and Tourism Minister, Honourable Hamat Bah. The Gambian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, His Excellency, Omar G Sallah and his staff were also among the Saudi delegation with the President.

President Barrow returns to Banjul on Wednesday, 6 September 2017.

By Omar Wally

The driver involved in an accident that destroyed Mandinaba mosque minaret may lose an eye, said an eye witness. Amadou Jallow, a journalist and resident of Mandinaba, said the truck was coming from Senegal and upon arrival at Mandinaba, the breaks failed and the steering wheel got locked.

“That driver lost control, knocked the mosque and the minaret fell on the truck which was carrying cattle.

According to Jallow, the villagers slaughtered four cattle but the remaining thirteen died on the spot.

“Thank God the women who sell at the road side were not present and the worshipers also left the mosque.” Jallow:

The driver and three others who were in the truck all sustained injuries, but the driver sustained more severe injuries, he may lose an eye due to the gravity of the accident The villagers Jallow added are soliciting support to rebuild the mosque.”

By Madi Jobarteh

The population of The Gambia is approximately two million with a land size of 11 thousand square kilometers. The country is a largely flat terrain with limited adverse weather conditions that cannot severely affect GSM and Internet connectivity. Based on the geography of the country, it is therefore expected that GSM and Internet communications would be greatly accessible and strong and of the highest quality. However, users of mobile phones and Internet services experience incredibly poor network even within the Greater Banjul Area. For all the networks, contrary to their advertisements, there are vast areas of the country in which connectivity is almost non-existent. Furthermore, GSM termination costs within a network and across networks remains largely expensive. Why?

Why is mobile telephony and Internet service terribly poor in this country despite the many government projects and huge investment that has been made in this sector so far? Even when GSM and Internet companies generate huge revenue from customers yet the quality of service remains erratic, poor and unavailable to majority of Gambians who continue to pay a lot for these services? Why are these companies not making adequate investment to upgrade their systems? It is high time Gambians demand from both the Government and GSM and Internet service providers to explain and address this unbearable and unfair situation in order to ensure affordable, high quality connectivity and accessible services to all. Or we sue them!

Telephony and Internet services are fundamental drivers of the progress of society and economy in all facets: from employment, health and education to leisure, security and business among others. Hence the need for quality services must be a top priority of any government and society.

From the look of things, it is clear that the only reason the Gambia faces such a poor telephony and Internet sector is the lack of strategy and leadership at the level of regulators and service providers. The law empowers PURA to ensure that service providers perform in the best interest of society and economy. The Ministry responsible for communication infrastructure and technology is expected to back and enforce the recommendations of PURA. GSM companies themselves are expected to abide by the best practices and high ethical business standards and operations. The question is, are all of these entities performing their functions as required by law and ethics? It appears this is not the case. Their failure is because the citizens are not taking them to task.

Gambians must understand that the Government, through MOICI and PURA has a duty by law to do their jobs perfectly. They do not give us charity, rather they are here to defend our fundamental human rights of access to quality products and services based on value for money. Hence MOICI and PURA must not allow any private entity to provide poor quality services to Gambians yet who are forced to pay for those poor services. It is clear in the law as to what PURA, backed by MOICI should do when a GSM or internet company fails in providing quality products and services. Therefore we expect nothing from MOIC and PURA but to enforce the law.

In early 2016, the regulatory authorities in Nigeria and Sierra Leone imposed a fine of more than seven million dollars on GSM operators for just providing poor quality services. Has PURA ever imposed such fines on GAMCEL, QCELL, Africell and Comium? Have these companies ever fulfilled such fines? Thus Gambians must ask the fundamental questions knowing that what we are dealing with here is about our lives, rights and destiny. So far the quality of services is unbearable, unfair, expensive and erratic. This is unacceptable.

In building the New Gambia, citizens must demand that the Government set high-level standards in both the public and private sectors in the delivery of goods and services. This is a fundamental human rights issue. We must not allow private GSM and Internet service providers to rip us off of our hard earned money! Unless we are able to set and enforce those standards in our institutions and processes for the delivery of goods and services, this country shall remain an impoverished and underdeveloped country. Let us refuse to buy empty excuses and false rationalizations that governments and companies like to always spread around in order to run away from their responsibilities.

The Gambia Government has all the legal powers, competences, capacities and resources to make sure citizens enjoy the highest standard of living in all aspects. Hence let us demand that the Government exercise those powers within the limits of the law to protect our rights in all respects. The current and continued poor quality of GSM and Internet services in the country is a direct violation of our rights to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness as captured and espoused in the letter and spirit of our Constitution under Chapter Four. Let us not allow the Gambia Government and private companies to perpetuate this injustice anymore!

If these poor and expensive services persist, citizens must, sooner than later resort to civil disobedience including going to court to sue the Government and these companies in order to force them to serve us adequately and protect our rights. Our GSM companies have lavishly spent millions of dalasi to satisfy Yaya Jammeh and his immoral and anti-Gambia celebrations when they should have invested in upgrading their systems for the benefit of their customers. They made those millions out of us, The Customers! Therefore they have no excuse and we must not accept any excuse from them.

Let us be vigilant and know our interests bearing in mind that everything is about our lives, rights and future, and not about the president or the government or companies who are only our servants.

God Bless The Gambia

by Omar Wally

An ambulance carrying a patient from BajaKunda health center in Wuli East to Basse major health center got stuck in the mud for hours before villagers could get it out.

The poor road network in that area gets worse yearly especially during the raining season, forcing many people to result to bicycles and motorcycles to get to the regional capital, Basse.

Couple of days ago, a passenger vehicle locally known as Geleh Geleh, which was carrying over forty passengers had an accident at Chamoi Mbunda culvert wounding scores of people.

Sarjo Jaiteh of Bantunding village development committee said when the ambulance got stuck while making referrals and it took them time before they could get the ambulance out. ” The ambulance usually carry women with complicated labor cases.”

Jaiteh said even the commercial vehicles that transport food stuff to their far out villages and the ones carrying passengers many at times face similar challenges.

After the incident three villages came together in a combined effort to fix certain parts of the road he said.