Omar Jallow, alias OJ, the Peoples’ Progressive Party (PPP) Leader, recently said the people of Banjul have manifested that they are the one who decide their own destiny in terms of electing their representatives into public office.

He said this was manifested when Gambians did a convention to elect Adama Barrow as Gambian President through a Coalition Government, ending the Yahya Jammeh’s APRC Government on 18 January 2017.

Mr Jammeh now lives in exile in Equatorial Guinea, after refusing to accept Presidential election results – a week after conceding defeat.

He said the strategy for the Coalition was to elect a President, National Assembly and Local Government representatives, to review unfriendly laws, formulate laws and policies, and approve projects for development programmes for the citizenry.

He said initial plans were to contest as Independent Candidates under the Coalition Government to support Adama Barrow in Parliament, because according to him, no project can be implemented by Government without Parliamentary approval. “Parliament is more important than the Presidency because they can remove the president,” he added.

Mr Jallow noted that following the Coalition break away ahead of the parliamentary elections, individual parties contested against each other, instead of contesting as Independent Candidates under the Coalition- as agreed, as they did in the case of Adama Barrow. While some attempted to form Tactical Alliance, Banjulians came up with a convention to elect Parliamentary Representatives.

James Gomez, Fisheries Minister, a PPP member, explained that Team Tahawal Banjul was the name given to the committee that took applicant candidates through Primaries, leading to selection of three candidates for Banjul Central and South, a male and female drawn from the PPP and for North from PDOIS party.

All the candidates selected by Team Tahawal Banjul won the 6 April 2017 Parliamentary Elections.

OJ, who is also the Agriculture Minister, said Team Tahawal Banjul looked at those they believe would serve Banjul’s interest, adding: “What we see is Banjul, not party or individual interest. Those elected want peace for Banjul, and love Banjul.”

Jallow said Banjul is backward because they give their good things to outsiders, but expressed hope and confidence with the renewed spirit.

Source: Point Newspaper

By Lamin Sanyang

Honourable Sidia Jatta, National Assembly Member for Wuli West has commended several members for supporting national interests at the National Assembly in Banjul.

“The National Assembly is expressing the New Gambia,” Hon. Sidia Jatta said.

Hon. Jatta who was speaking at the national assembly committee selection said he has seen what was not seen in the past 15 years that he served in the National Assembly. He commended the freedom in which most members are expressing themselves. He called on them to continue expressing themselves freely.

“We are representing the Gambia in this National Assembly. I’m happy honourable members have recognised these fundamental facts,” he asserted.

Jatta went further to call on the attention of the honourable assembly to the slogan ‘Leave Party Tag Out’. He said this was a slogan which he invented in 1997. He reiterated the call to work the interest of the nation.

“We are in the right direction,” he pointed out.

The veteran politician has also highlighted the importance of including the opposition members to the ECOWAS Parliament, saying it is stated in the ECOWAS Protocols. He said numbers are not very significant in this case as Nigeria has dense population of millions yet it has equal representation with the Gambia in the PanAfrican Parliament likewise China in the United Nations.

“There are two opposition parties here that is APRC and GDC,” he said.

The Member for Foni Kansala, Honorable Musa Amul Nyassi has also call on the members to take their time to critically analyzed issues and avoid calling names. He urged the members whose names have appeared seven or eight times on different committees to do justice to themselves after knowing they cannot be efficient in all these committees. He suggested the inclusion of other members who were not reflected in those committees.

Nyassi called on the new parliamentarians particularly the young members to give chance to experience members so as to tap from their expertise and vast experiences.

“You will be surprise to know I have a mentor in this national assembly who has groomed me in youth work even though we belong to different political parties. I have been in constant contact with him for guidance and counseling all these years,” Hon. Musa Amul Nyassi said.

He added: “We must serve national interest first.”

Honourable Alhagie S. Darboe, Member for Brikama North has made recommendations to include Halifa Sallah in the Standing Order Committee of the National Assembly, saying he would be effective in the said committee. He said all parties cannot be equally represented in all the committees. He added that consideration should be given to the ratio of parties in the national assembly.

The honorable member for Niamina West made an observation that the members of GDC were not fairly treated. He said they were not included in most of the committees. He also complained that some members appeared seven or eight times.

Meanwhile, the members for Banjul North, Banjul South, Latrikunda Sabiji, Busumbala and Nominated members among others made several interventions. The session was adjourned to Monday, April 24, 2017.

Doudou Kassa Jatta, a prominent Bakau politician who alleged he was arrested 27 times by the Jammeh regime has demanded justice from the new government for alleged inhuman acts meted out to him by former President Jammeh regime.

Kassa who recently made a U-turn back to UDP after cross-carpeting to the GDC during the presidential election, also took time to demand compensation from the new government.
“I will like the government to compensate me for all the inhuman treatments I endured under Yahya Jammeh. If not I will sue them and demand justice,” he said.

Mr. Jatta said he faced arrest on 27 occasions and was jailed at least 26 times for a month or so in many cases. “It was only on one occasion that I was released on the same day. On all other occasions, I was jailed for at least weeks or months”.

He said his ultimate goal is for Jammeh—who ruled for more than two decades—and his accomplices to be tried and punished for the atrocities they are alleged to have committed.
“I suffered a lot during that period, and while in exile my mother died in my absence. With all these things that he has done, Jammeh should not go free,” Kassa Jatta told The Standard.

Kassa further said his wife went to the extent of threatening to divorce him if he doesn’t abandon politics.
“Jammeh is gone but I am still not happy because my heart is broken that he was not arrested before he left the country. If you ask me the best thing I would love to see today I will tell ‘Jammeh coming-back to the country to face justice’.”

He said Jammeh made a lot of Gambians suffer and that he shouldn’t have gone scot-free. “Justice first before any reconciliation,” he concluded.

Source: Standard Newspaper

A six-man delegation comprising of Executives of the Gambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry
and their Senegalese and Malian counterparts on Wednesday 19th April 2017 paid a courtesy-call to
His Excellency Adama Barrow, President of the Republic of the Gambia, at the seat of government in
Fajara.

In an interview with GRTS, president of the GCCI – Muhammed Jagana remarked that they were at
the Presidency to pay a courtesy-call to His Excellency, President Barrow. Mr. Jagana further
informed GRTS that, GCCI invited Mr. Serigne Mboob and Ahmadou Giggeh, President of the
Kaolack and the Malian Chamber of Commerce, respectively as special guests. The aim is to help
boost business relations amongst ECOWAS member countries.

Reacting to the visit, the visiting businessmen said they were impressed by President Barrow’s
humility and quest to work on strategies that will integrate the economy of the three countries; and
the West African sub-region as a whole.

The visit was part of GCCI’s golden jubilee celebrations which also includes an international
trade-fare being hosted at the Independent Stadium.
​
​

Amie Bojang-Sissoho
Director of Press and Public Relations

By Lamin Njie

 
Interior Minister Mai Ahmad Fatty said on Wednesday the government will ramp up efforts to stamp
out the menace of illicit drugs in the country – as he presided over the torching of about 2 tons of
marijuana worth 8 million dalasis.

 
The Gambia government through the Drug Law Enforcement Agency under the Ministry of the Interior
burnt 1 ton 940 kilograms 500 grams of cannabis sativa at an incineration exercise held at Cape Point,
Bakau.

 
And Minister Fatty in his address at the ceremony said: “The Gambia under the new dispensation
cannot and will not be a safe haven for drug traffickers and abusers.”

 
Adding: “The crusade against drugs is an ongoing effort that shall remain relentless. The future of this
country will not be mortgaged by drug dealers, drug peddlers and their patrons – and today we have
demonstrated again our collective commitment to protect our future.”

 
Fatty described the ceremony as a milestone in the fight against the concerning issue of drugs while
urging everyone to cooperate to check the menace.

 
He said: “Again, the Drug Law Enforcement Agency has demonstrated to all Gambians and indeed the
international community that the crusade against drugs is an ongoing effort that shall remain
relentless – and that they shall not be daunted by challenges.”

 
And he continued: “Combating drugs is one of the most difficult jobs one can embark upon in modern
times. While the number of drug users and traffickers is on the increase, the methods of concealment
are also getting more and more sophisticated.

 
“I want to put on notice those drug dealers and peddlers either local or international that we are on
your tail. We are going to utilise the best intelligence, increase the capacity of our intelligence
gathering mechanisms at the level of the police supported by comprehensive policy directives
together with the DLEAG, SIS, Armed Forces and associate institutions to make sure – over a period of
time – drugs will no longer constitute a menace to The Gambia.”

 
Earlier, the director-general of the Drug Law Enforcement Agency said the fight against drugs was
complex and challenging.

 
He said the war against drugs was worth fighting and the destruction exercise was a key activity on the
agenda of the Drug Law Enforcement Agency.

The Gambia may change from the marble to ballot papers in the coming local government election, according to the chairman of the Independent Electoral Commission in an interview with a popular online Gambian news site, The Torch.

Njai further said the political change in Gambia has triggered mass participation in politics, which makes it quite inconvenient to continue with the marbles.
“We cannot afford to continue with this ballot system. With the change of system in governance, Gambians are now participating in politics in numbers and that means in every election, we will have to make lots of drums and paint them with different colours. This is huge logistical nightmare,” he said.

“That is why we are working towards a paper ballot system. These drums are not just expensive to make but you have to paint them with party colours and where you have independent candidates, you have to give each a colour,” Njai told The Torch.
He continued to say when you have thousands of ballot drums, transporting them to different locations will be very difficult.

“We are working on ensuring that this is done before the local government election because marble is practical and easy when you have few political participants…”
Due to high level of illiteracy The Gambia introduced a unique voting system in the early 1960’s to address that but Njai said the country is now prepared for ballot papers.
“There are countries using the ballot papers that have lower literacy level than us,” he argued.

Source: Standard Newspaper

Justice Amina Saho-Ceesay of the High Court in Banjul recently dismissed the motion moved by Lawyer Yassin Senghore, Counsel for the Gambia Bar Association (GBA), for an interlocutory injunction to restrain the four judges from continuing to sit pending the determination of the suit filed before the court.

Justice Amina-Saho Ceesay’s decision came after lawyer Ida D. Drammeh, lawyer for the Judicial Service Commission (JSC), replied to the bar association’s application for the court to restrain the four judges.

Justice A. S. Ceesay, who refused the application for interlocutory injunction, ruled that the case be given an accelerated hearing.

Lawyer Senghore, who also applied that the case be heard during the vacation by the presiding judge, had the application turned down by the judge.

In refusing the application for interlocutory injunction to restrain the four judges from sitting, the court was of the view that granting the injunction may amount to granting a prayer in the substantive suit filed by the Gambia Bar Association (GBA).

It would be recalled that the Gambia Bar Association filed an action against the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, and the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) challenging the re-appointment of Justice Edward E. Ogar, Justice Martias O. Agboola, Justice Simeon A. Abi and Justice Martins U. Okoi.

The bar association was claiming among other things that the appointment of the judges was not in line with the 1997 constitution of the Republic of The Gambia and was therefore seeking the court’s jurisdiction to quash the appointment.

Senior Lawyer Ida D. Drammeh, counsel for the Judicial Service Commision (JSC), filed a preliminary objection to the suit filed by the bar association.

The preliminary objection filed by Ida D. Drammeh seeks among things that the suit filed by the Gambia Bar Association be dismissed, noting that the suit was incompetent before the court.

The matter was adjourned until 27 April 2017, for ruling on the preliminary objection filed by the Judicial Service Commission.

Source: Point Newspaper

By Lamin Sanyang

Honourable Halifa Sallah, National Assembly Member for Serrekunda has called on parliamentarians to properly scrutinize the committee selection of the National Assembly.

Sallah’s intervention came shortly after the Deputy Speaker Hon. Momodou LK Sanneh moved the report of the Committee of Selection on the composition of the Committees and International Delegations of the National Assembly 2017–2022.

“Madam Speaker, I have not seen the Standing Order Committee,” Halifa Sallah said.

The outspoken politician has referred the honourable assembly to Standing Order 75 of the National Assembly. He said it is the key of parliamentary democracy without which the National Assembly would not be able to function. He also indicated that the committee should be selected in such a way that every party will be reflected in it.

“I want to make a motion to adjourn the discussion on this particular session for members to fully scrutinize the selection to find out whether it is line with the Standing Orders, ” he pointed out.

The motion was seconded by Honourable Ousman Sillah of Banjul North Constituency.

The Honourable Speaker Mariam Jack Denton before adjourning the session admitted that the documents were only circulated few hours back which she said does not allow enough space and time for the members to go through it. Subsequently, she then adjourned the session to Thursday, April 20, 2017.

Hon. Ndey Yassin Secka is the first female visually challenged National Assembly Member.

She is among the five members nominated by President Adama Barrow at a ceremony held on Tuesday at the National Assembly building in Banjul.

Hon. Ndey Yassin Secka, who has been working as a broadcaster at the Gambia Radio for many years, is among the few women National Assembly representatives to be nominated by the President.

Former nominated Member Hon. Abdoulie Saine, who was also visually challenged, told the media recently that he did appeal to President Adama Barrow to include disabled persons in the parliament since disability doesn’t mean inability.

Former Hon. Saine, who was also a nominated member at the National Assembly under Jammeh’s regime, was also the first male visually challenged parliamentarian at the time.

This means that President Adama Barrow has responded to the call of the former nominated member by bringing another visually challenged person at the National Assembly this time a female.

Source: Point Newspaper

The Christian community on Monday, 17 April, honoured Hon. Halifa Sallah as the ‘Gentleman of the Day’ at their annual ‘kite flying’ event held at the old Radio Syd grounds in the outskirts of Banjul.

The event, which is organised to mark Easter Monday, was graced by the Roman Catholic Bishop of the Gambia, Ellison and the elders of the Christian community. Among the guests were Mr. D.A. Jawo, Minister of Information, Imam Tafsir Gaye, Honorables Ousman Sillah, Muhammed Ndow and Fatoumata Njie of Banjul North, Central and South, respectively.

On recieving the certificate honouring Hon. Halifa Sallah, Hon. Ousman Sillah expressed appreciation for the honour bestowed on the Serekunda National Assembly Member. He said the gathering which was graced by people from different denominations is indicative of “the Gambia we know”. He said this is a demonstration of the culture that has been nurtured by the inhabitants of Banjul in which they grew up and that is togetherness and sharing that they have always enjoyed.

“This is a demonstration of the One Gambia, One People and One Nation that we must all cherish, promote and defend,” said Hon. Sillah.

The Banjul North NAM thanked the Christian community for inviting him to the gathering and expressed his solidarity with them in the common quest for a Gambia that embraces all Gambians irrespective of the ethnolinguistic origin, religion and gender that one belongs to.

Source: Foroya Newspaper

Essa Jallow the Press Secretary of the Gambia Democratic Congress GDC said he has left politics because the overriding reason he joined the field has largely been addressed.

“I have always had a time limit for my involvement in politics and that has gone and I will now concentrate on my profession, media and TV production,” he wrote from his base in the UK.

Mr Jallow further said: “I am done with politics full time. I will only come back if a desperate situation happens but I believe we’ve given our back to what happened in the past”, he said referring to Jammeh’s rule.

Mr Jallow made it clear that he has no misunderstanding with or misgivings about the GDC or any member of the party. ”In fact since I made my intention known to the party, I never mentioned it anywhere. Someone must have leaked it to the press,”he said.

Source: Standard Newspaper

Despite widespread assumptions that as the godfather of President Barrow he is the de factor leader of the country, Ousainou Darboe, leader of the United Democratic Party has told the BBC that he has never dictated anything to President Barrow.

Barrow resigned from the UDP to contest on a coalition ticket in the presidential election last December.
However many analysts and ordinary Gambians have said his closeness and fatherly respect for Darboe, the founding leader of the party, suggests he Darboe is influencing the presidency.
But speaking to the BBC Focus On Africa broadcast live from Banjul yesterday, Darboe denied ever dictating to the President.

Asked on the basic bread and butter concern of Gambians ever since the new government took power, example the power crisis, Mr Darboe said Gambians must be a little patient because the present government does not take impulsive or abrasive actions without proper checking.
“And we will not allow dubious companies to bring heavy fuel here at the expense of the country,” Darboe said.

Also speaking in the same programme, the Minister of Justice Ba Tambadou revealed that the type of Truth and Reconciliation Committee being prepared by the government will be tasked to take a comprehensive look at the issues of human rights abuses over the past 22 years.

“Justice is a hot topic in the Gambia now given the scale and gravity of the alleged cases of rights abuses. That’s why the type of TRC we are setting up will include compensations for victims based on their need and circumstances. This could involve not just monetary compensations but the provision of scholarships for those who lost their parents as victims of the past regime for example,” he said.

Source: Standard Newspaper

Deputy Chief of Defense Staff, (DCDS), Major General, Yankuba Drammeh, today introduced the
Syndicate of Class 30 from Ghana Armed Forces Command and Staff College to His Excellency,
President Adama Barrow at his office.

 
Deputy CDS Drammeh said the students are working on their Research project in the Gambia as part
of a Programme on theme “Emerging Case Studies in Africa”. The students will specifically look at
the case of The Gambia. He noted that it is part of the higher learning system in the military to
prepare them handle command.

 
On his part, deputy command and team leader, Brigadier General Boimah Augustine Komla,
informed the Gambian leader that the students are working on their master’s programme, and he
expects the research to shed light on security challenges and lessons to be drawn from the Gambian
case study.

Gambian Head of State also the Commander –in-Chief of the Armed Forces and Minister of Defense,
Adama Barrow expressed delight in receiving the group as “the military family” and emphasized the
importance of togetherness. President Barrow pointed out that a government cannot be run without
security. He observed that the Military has gone a long way to produce high ranking officials, thus
instilling professionalism in their work.

He recalled that the Gambia benefited from such
professionalism during the impasse. He further asserted that the ECOWAS intervention in the
Gambia was because it was perceived as an African problem that needed an African solution.
President Barrow encouraged the students to work with professionalism as this will bring Africa
closer.

 
On behalf of his colleagues, Major Daniel Otobara thanked President Barrow and expressed pride in
meeting him. He said the visit will leave a lasting memory in them and programme will further
enhance the bilateral and multilateral relations amongst African.

 
The visiting students are from Namibia, Zambia, Tanzania, Rwanda, Togo, Ghana and The Gambia.
They comprised of 22 personnel amongst them 16 staff students and 6 instructors. Amongst the
students were 2 females from Ghana and Namibia.
​

Amie Bojang-Sissoho
Director of Press and Public Relations

By Lamin Sanyang

Justice Kumba Sillah Camara of the Banjul High Court Tuesday afternoon, April 18, granted bail to Mr. Lamin Lang Sanyang, the ninth accused person standing trial with the former NIA Director General and seven others allegedly involved in the murder of Solo Sandeng, a political activist who was tortured to death.

Barrister Dayoh M. S Dago, lawyer of the ninth accused person in his submissions said the application was filed on the 11th April. He said the affidavits before the court was signed by one Mr. Darboe, cousin to the accused. He urged the court to grant the bail application pending on the outcome of the case.

The State Prosecutor, M. B Abubakr did not object to the bail application made by the accused lawyer.

The court in granting the bail application quoted sections 19 (1) and 24 of the 1997 Constitution and section 99 Criminal Code Procedure.

“The offenses are bailable provided that he will not jump bail,” Justice Kumba Sillah Camara said.

The ninth accused who was a medic at the National Intelligence Agency NIA at the time of Solo Sandeng’s death was accused of signing his death certificate. He was given a bail bond of D500, 000.00 with two Gambian sureties with landed properties worth of the said amount within the Greater Banjul Area. The sureties were to submit all documents including their valued properties to the office of the Registrar of High Court.

Meanwhile, the accused was ordered to surrender all his documents including passport, ID Card and other traveling documents to the Registrar of the Banjul High Court. The case was adjourned to April 24, 2017.