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Letter: Writer says Dr Omar Jah Must Resign Or Be Removed by The UTG

Fatu Camara
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Dear editor,

Reading the recent submission of the writer who reported on the shameful behavior of Dr Omar Jah towards the finance director at the University of the Gambia, I saw it necessary to do my own independent investigation, and my findings corroborated, and were even more detailed than the writer’s submission. I learnt that during that fateful day, Jah’s shameless and brutal behavior was in the presence of the Ag Vice Chancellor, Dr Ousman Nyang, Momodou Taro, Jenung Manneh, Fracis Sarr and others I can’t remember.

 

 

I, as a concerned student of UTG, therefore call upon Jah to honorably resign, and failing to do that, the University must remove him. I call upon all students of the institution to not relent until Jah is removed from post. Universities are role models in societies in which they operate. Such institutions should not therefore be occupied by people who are brutish, greedy and hypocritical in nature.

 

 

Sources revealed that this Jah of all people is even collecting hefty allowance ( almost 400 euros) from the WASCAL project when in effect he has no portfolio in that project. The same goes for the socalled Internal Auditor who has no qualification whatsoever. I learnt that her qualification is high school certificate at best. If these are the kind of people handling the affairs of this higher institution like a university, then woe be thy UTG. No wonder UTG is in shambles.

 

 

These and their ilk should be booted out so that sanity can prevail at UTG.

 

Another concerned UTG student

APRC regime littered Gambia with ruined reputations and shattered dreams

Fatu Camara
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As Gambians, many of us like to close our eyes and walk throughout our pains but proliferation of character assassination conspiracy fueled by APRC regime, by systematically spreading absurdities or creating scandals out of thin air, has reach a new low which only few can bear. It is common knowledge that the few Gambians whom have survive such vicious character attacks Yaya Jammeh and his regime are often left scarred for life —and, in some cases, died of heartache from embarrassment. People whom have dealt with Yaya Jammeh at close range, have all alluded to him constantly putting a cloud of dust around people’s mind about their fellow countrymen. He makes such a straight face by parsing his words carefully and sounding like he is telling the truth when in fact he peddling a conspiracy.

 

 

Yaya Jammeh is loyal to nothing about Gambia but his own ambition of enriching himself and staying on power by any means necessary. He takes charge of assuring his enjoyment of power for over 22 years by successfully resorting to character assassinations, tormenting the most brilliant minds, discrediting many Gambian journalists with integrity by turns, ferociously tarnishing the reputation of people by kneading them as he pleases and finally confusing the unsuspecting Gambians with easily digestible vulgar buzz phrases before people can painstaking tell their stories. Gambians now are well connected on social media to fact check every statement from Yaya Jammeh and his regime. Why Gambians are still discussing about elections dilemma, whether going along with the dictator whiles balancing their compassion and grievances for unfairly jailed UDP executives, unhinged Yaya Jammeh continues to endanger everyone with his recklessness at all affronts.

 

 

Perhaps the most blatant examples besides the killings, torture and humiliation of Gambians by —tearing down their hopes of democracy, their dreams of freedom, ripping apart marriages and families, the regime uses verbal attacks with wild accusations, rumors and innuendo against their rivals—all in hopes of maintaining power through fear mongering by virtually any means necessary. The regime sometimes uses the realm of character assassination knowing full well that, most Gambians are paranoid or thin-skinned to handle such embarrassments. Character assassination reared its ugly head high up after being kissed, embraced by Yaya Jammeh and some bloodthirsty Gambians who love taking potshots in grand scale. Along the way, ordinary Gambians citizens are not even speared by Yaya Jammeh who now dishes avalanches of verbal assaults, or releasing confidential letters and misinformation through speeches or his mouth piece- Daily Observer newspaper and State GRTS TV services.

 

 

When UDP executives began to push for release of Solo sandeng dead body, the highly suppressive regime and Nigerian mercenary judges tried to play down the scale this request by slinging mud at the character and reputations of those noble Gambians with absurdities. The regime unwarranted moves are to distract Gambians from Yaya Jammeh’s record of falsehoods against innocent Gambians and whose quest of ruling Gambia revolves around targeting opponents with anger-filled messages, flirts with bad elements of the world, ridicules and slanders those who disagree with him. The same constitution which lay great stress on protecting the citizens is being ignored by Yaya Jammeh whom is relentless, give no ground to Gambians in terms of their will, and seize every opportunity to terrorize us, not hesitating to use character assassination, provocations and similar methods.

 

 

By Habib ( A Concerned Gambian)

Ex Petroleum Minister Sira Wally Ndow Njie Rushed To Hospital

Fatu Camara
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The Fatu Network has received credible information that Sira Wally Ndow-Njie, Gambia’s ex-Petroleum Minister who also served as deputy Tourism and Culture was today, August 2, 2016 rushed to The Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital in Banjul after she fell at Mile 2 central prison.

 

Shortly after she was seen by a doctor, sources say Sira was discharged immediately from the hospital and headed back to Mile 2 after directives were given that she should not be admitted no matter what her condition is.

 

Sira who was sacked on Monday, June 20, was arrested shortly after her removal from office and was first detained at the notorious NIA headquarters in Banjul, she was picked up by the NIA from a funeral service she was attending.

 

Her arrest and that of nine others came after The Office of The President announced that it has discovered ‘one of the most serious economic crimes in Government during the past 22 years of the second republic’.

 

Many of those arrested and detained were granted bail but the court has refused Sira Wally and two others bail. All three are currently remanded at The Mile 2 central prison.

 

Mrs Ndow-Njie was first appointed to serve in President Jammeh’s Cabinet on 25 December 2009 as minister of Energy and removed from office on 10 June 2010. She was again appointed to serve as Minister of Petroleum in February 2015 until April 18, 2016 when she was relieved of her appointment and redeployed to the Tourism and Culture ministry as deputy minister, a position she last held.

Gambia’s deputy UN diplomat rubbishes UDP’s actions, says int’l community’s hypocrisy must stop

Fatu Camara
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By Alhagie Jobe

Samsudeen Sarr, Gambia’s deputy ambassador to the United Nations has rubbished the Gambia’s opposition UDP party executive for ‘claiming that they were never aware of the April 14 planned demonstration’ and party leader Ousainou Darboe who he said should have adopted a different course of action to address the crisis and not to take the desperate action which impulsively led them to resort to the April 16 demonstration.

 

He said the demonstration was not only about a peaceful demonstration to simply produce Solo Sandeng dead or alive but about the same concept of stopping the December general elections and changing the APRC government through mass uprising. “The challenge remains in that even with the APRC government taking the necessary measures by sending the perpetrators where they rightly belong -JAIL- the incitement from the USA continues with another plan for a third “REVOLT” they are now saying will happen before the December elections. Bring it on losers! Babilli Mansa is there waiting!” he said.

 

On 20 July, the Banjul High Court sentenced 19 members of the United Democratic Party (UDP) each to three years in jail for unlawful assembly, rioting, incitement to violence, “riotously interfering with vehicles,” holding a procession without a permit, disobeying an order to disperse from an unlawful procession and conspiracy. On 21 July, the Mansakonko High Court also convicted another 11 opposition UDP members for the same offences. All those convicted were arrested either on 14 April during a protest for electoral reforms or on 16 April during a demonstration held after the arrest and alleged death in State custody of UDP top member Solo Sandeng two days earlier.

 

In a lengthy message posted on his Facebook page, titled ‘The hypocrisy in the international community must stop-period’, Mr Sarr hit hard at the international community accusing them of inciting the abortive coup in Turkey on July 15th, 2016 comparing it to the foreign-sponsored-and-incited armed attack in the Islamic Republic of The Gambia on December 30, 2014 and the “mass political uprising” on April14 & 16, 2016. He questioned what he called ‘the rationale behind the hypocrisy of the international community in their uneven reactions to what had happened in The Gambia against what is now happening in Turkey’ adding that the abortive coup in Turkey was certainly more severe than that of the crisis in The Gambia, nevertheless, in both countries the governments were able to trace the origin of their troubles to certain dissidents of their nationals living in the USA.

 

Earlier in May, Sarr endorsed the killing of peaceful opposition UDP protesters in The Gambia saying they are back by western powers to destabilize the country. He also rubbished the statement by Adama Dieng, UN Secretary General’s Special advisor on Prevention of Genocide who described Jammeh’s threats to the Mandinka ethnic group as ‘inflammatory rhetoric’. Mr Dieng was particularly appalled by Jammeh’s vitriolic rhetoric saying history has shown that hate speech that constitutes incitement to violence can be both a warning sign and a powerful trigger for atrocity crimes as seen in Rwanda.

 

Below is the full statement as posted;

 

THE HYPOCRISY IN THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY MUST STOP-PERIOD

In the last article I wrote a couple of weeks ago on the special anniversary of the great 22nd July revolution I briefly discussed in my closing remarks the unfortunate similarities of the foreign-incited-abortive coup in Turkey on July 15-16, 2016, to that of the foreign-sponsored-and-incited armed attack in the Islamic Republic of The Gambia on December 30, 2014 and the “mass political uprising” on April14&16, 2016. Whereas my aim was to question the rationale behind the hypocrisy of the international community in their uneven reactions to what had happened in the Gambia against what is now happening in Turkey, I will before elaborating on the subject admit that the abortive coup in Turkey on July 15-16, 2016 where 246 people were killed and 2000 more injured before government forces crushed the mutiny was certainly more severe than that of the crisis in the Gambia; nevertheless, in both countries the governments were able to trace the origin of their troubles to certain dissidents of their nationals living in the USA.

 
Let me juxtapose the two scenarios for readers see my concerns.
Although the 77-year-old Turkish dissident and cleric Fethullah Gulen has candidly denied any involvement in the coup and has also condemned it as unacceptable, the Turkish government in their massive purge of the offenders is still requesting the US government to extradite him for being the ring or spiritual leader behind the rebellion.

 
The Obama administration on the other hand has assured President Erdogan that if any evidence of the cleric’s involvement or his role in inciting the coup could be proven, the USA will definitively cooperate on their extradition request.

 
However, other than a short remark made by the US State Department spokesman Mr. John Kirby raising negligible concerns about the closure of few media houses in Turkey, measures taken by the Erdogan government to restore law and order in the country and to ensure that such unruliness never happens again seem blessed and condoned by the US government.

 
By the way, Mr. John Kirby, US State Department Spokesman is the same tough spokesman recently condemning the Gambia government for taking the necessary measures against the foreign-sponsored-and foreign-incited “mass political uprising” initiated by the United Democratic Party (UDP) youth wing led by Solo Sandeng on April 14, 2016. I will later get into those details.

 
Conversely, so far, the unmistakable position of all western nations including the USA in supporting the comprehensive and swift crackdown of the culprits by the Turkish government is being justified on the contention that President Erdogan’s government was democratically elected by the Turkish people. Even where it is now confirmed that over thirty thousand government officials-civil servants, judges, teachers, military and police personnel-in Turkey have been arrested, detained, dismissed or discharged from their jobs while many more are on the run.

 
The last time I checked, over 1,700 military personnel were dishonorably discharged including 40% of the admirals and generals in the armed forces. Ten thousand members of the security forces have been dismissed with 5000 more under detention. Assets of over 3000 detained judges and prosecutors have been sized as part of the investigation. Sixteen television channels, three news agencies, 45 newspapers, 15 magazines and 29 publishers have been closed with the crackdown still going on.

 
Comparing and contrasting the Turkish problem with what has been recently going on in the Gambia where the government was also democratically elected by the people and the way the Gambian situation is being handled by western countries including the USA, we see a very troubling hypocrisy and bullying tendency aimed at a small African nation that perhaps is considered having limited or no importance to their national interest.

 
I will therefore be blunt and say that if these western countries didn’t have any national interest in the political and military stability of Turkey or was viewed as another small African nation whose disintegration could be trivialized and contained by sending UN peacekeepers to police the “savages”, these western countries would have been pushing for all kinds of sanctions and condemnation of Turkey for taking the ongoing measure in the wake of the failed coup.

 
Naturalized Gambian Americans are not only campaigning day in day out to destabilize the peaceful Gambia from the comfort of their apartments or houses in the USA but in 2014 had the demonic nerve to purchase 10million dalasi worth of assault weapons and combat gears and contracted mercenaries to go and overthrow the Gambia government by force. All the weapons and equipment were purchased and smuggled into the Gambia from the USA, while the mercenaries-also hired from here-sneaked into the Gambia a month before their doomed operation.

 
It is all recorded that the intention of the organizers was to overthrow the Gambia government by force and replace it with a government formed in the USA that had no regards to the Gambians they were supposed to rule. To however state that the Sophisticated-American -intelligence service was unaware of the convoluted conspiracy, the purchase and shipment of the weapons to the Gambia is tantamount to insulting our intelligence.

 
Looking back on the forestalled disaster the attack could have resulted into, the Gambians are thankful to god and the two counteracting dynamics that helped abort the coup. The first being of course the formidable and impregnable security and defense mechanism in the country consolidated by the genius of His Excellency Sheikh Professor Dr. Alhagie Yahya A. J. J. Jammeh, Babilli Mansa, president of the republic and commender-in-chief of the armed and security forces. While the second having to do with the low level of IQ of the hired mercenaries whose amateurism in the business apparently led them into a deathtrap.  Indeed, the organizers were soon after arrested, charged and convicted by the US courts, albeit with a leniency that instead of the punishment deterring such incidents from occurring again, effectively ratchetted up their confidence to look for other possible means of destabilizing the Gambia.
Where, may I ask, in the case of the Gambia, was the principle in US foreign policy of dealing with dissidents living in the USA, who have been proven culpable in destabilizing a foreign elected government like the one being referenced in the July 15-16 Turkish coup?

 
It’s not a secret to the world now that these Gambian dissidents with string of internet radio stations, online newspapers, blogs and social media outlets primarily operating from the USA have been for close to a decade relentlessly threatening the national security of the Gambian nation and its government with words accompanied by actions to forcefully change the regime. As a matter of fact, few weeks before their doomed armed attack on December 30, 2014 some of these dissidents took to the airwaves and boasted about their certainty of the Gambia government not surviving the new-year celebration of 2015.
Upon the failure of that operation, they shamelessly shifted their guilt of misleading and misguiding their mercenaries to their unnecessary and premature deaths and blamed the Gambian security forces for betraying the attackers and killing them with unacceptable brutality.

 
They had assured the naive amateurs that the members of the Gambia Armed Forces were fed up with the APRC government and would join them upon arrival to carry out the coup to the finish.
Very little sympathy came from the international community over the fact that the elected government of the Gambia had to do what was necessary to protect its people and to ensure that such lawlessness will never be replicated.

 
However, soon after that failure the same organizers of the December 30, 2014 started another movement of overtly raising funds with the intent of not another armed attack but this time to sponsor a “mass political uprising” that they had believed will force the APRC government to relinquish power to one of the opposition parties in the country.

 
At first, the message was to raise enough funds that will pay for the air tickets of some of them to go to the Gambia and lead the kind of demonstration that must render the nation ungovernable and ultimately chase the leadership out of power in “the same way it had happened in Burkina Faso”. Although people had in fact argued, based on previous experiences, that the funds raised were eventually going to be shared by the dissidents who are always in serious need of cash to meet their daily expenses. Indeed, the most vocal ones are jobless, while those holding jobs, barely make enough to live comfortably.

 
Besides, it is also quite obvious that those inciting change of the regime in the Gambia from the comfort of their safe sanctuaries abroad do not necessarily believe in going down to the Gambia to participate in any kind of uprising whatsoever. They want the gullible fools to do it for them with the hope that they will later be given the responsibility of ruling the country for them.

 
There is no iota of doubt that the US or western governments don’t give a darn about the presence and negative activities of these Gambian dissidents in their countries who are hell-bent on destabilizing the peace and tranquility of the Gambia government. Which I believe is the key reason why they failed to monitor or if they did, never cared much about the activities of some of the organizers of the 2014 failed armed attack who by late 2015 had reached the crescendo of their incitement for the April 14 uprising. They in fact announced to the public that thousands of dollars had been raised for the rebellion.
Their slogan and the concept behind it was to mobilize “a fed up nation” that will ensure that the national elections scheduled in December 2016 will not take place; and that the government must be changed through mass civil disobedience and social chaos.

 
So just like in their delusion before the 2014 attack when they thought they had assured members of the Gambia Armed Forces to expect their saviors to come and “liberate” them soon from the “tyrannical APRC government”, by mid-February 2016, they were again transmitting messages of assurance to the Gambian civilians at home to brace up for the “rebellion” to prevent the December 2016 presidential elections from taking place that will also force His Excellency President Yahya A. J. J. Jammeh to abdicate power.

 
Gambian opposition party leaders speaking from home and abroad have in numerous occasions been cajoled on the internet radio stations in the USA to organize “mass demonstrations” for change instead of relying on the forthcoming general elections which the politicians had always rejected as an option. It was however not a surprise that they wouldn’t go anywhere near the Gambia but in March sent $6000.00 to the United Democratic Party (UDP) youth movement for the logistics and mobilization of low-IQ troublemakers from different parts of the country to come to Serrekunda and trigger the violent disturbances on April 14, 2016.

 
The 30-gathered cowards had to wait until the president was out of the country on an official trip before striking, hoping that in his absence the damage desired will be maximized for success. The desperadoes exhibited no regards to the fact that the majority of the Gambians who voted President Jammeh into power and love him dearly as their leader wouldn’t have let them get away with the disruption of the peace, tranquility and security enjoyed in the whole country. Which in essence was a recipe for the destruction of public and private properties and, in a protracted conflict, could have caused the death of many innocent people in the country.

 
Thank god the competent security forces under the command and control of His Excellency Sheikh Professor Doctor Alhagie Yahya A. J. J. Jammeh, Babilli Mansa stepped in on time and stopped the potential anarchy. I have said this before and will reiterate it that it was nothing about a peaceful demonstration for electoral reform but everything about changing the APRC regime by force that failed miserably. “Alhamdulilah”!

 
Unfortunately, according to reports, Solo Sandeng the UDP youth leader who was misled and deceived like the 2014 attackers lost his life for taking the risk. The blame for all deaths and imprisonments in these persistent crusades incited from abroad rests squarely on the shoulders of the organizers and their surrogates and not in any way the fault of the Gambia government protecting its people and society. We have had enough of the hypocrisy, double standard and bullying.

 
Another absurdity is the claim that the UDP executive was never aware of the April 14 planned demonstration. Trust me folks, they were throughout all into it together but used the Solo Sandeng group as the Trojan horse. It was a shock to the executive to see the April 14 “mass political uprising” fail to achieve its objective.

 
One would think that a man of Ousainou Darbo’s caliber would have adopted a different course of action to address the crisis they were misled and deceived into starting in the first place; but I guess desperate situations often lead to desperate actions which impulsively led the UDP executive to resort to the April 16 demonstration. Again, I don’t think it was about a peaceful demonstration to simply produce Solo Sandeng dead or alive but about the same concept of stopping the December general elections and changing the APRC government through mass uprising.

 
The challenge remains in that even with the APRC government taking the necessary measures by sending the perpetrators where they rightly belong-JAIL- the incitement from the USA continues with another plan for a third “REVOLT” they are now saying will happen before the December elections. Bring it on losers! Babilli Mansa is there waiting!

 
The US and western governments don’t seem to care about the trouble these folks are causing in the Gambia but instead seem to be encouraging them; what they should however bear in mind is that the Gambian people are in total support of their government to deal with any brigands paid to cause trouble in the country. It will be apparitional to think that out of the 1.8 million Gambians enjoying their human and civil rights in the country, less than 50 people will hold them at ransom for “exercising their human rights”. The evidence of all the incitement from the west is there for everybody to see. So if you can’t or don’t want to stop it, please have the decency or conscience to stay away from the government’s business when they try to secure their country.

 
Long live the Islamic Republic of The Gambia!
Long live the Gambian people!
Long live His Excellency Sheikh Professor Doctor Alhagie Yahya A. J. J. Jammeh, Babilli Mansa!

Samsudeen Sarr
New York City

 

 

Letter: Writer says UTG’s Dr. Jah physically assaulted finance director Kojo

Fatu Camara
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Dear editor, I hope you are well and sound?

 

 

Recent events at the University of the Gambia have motivated me to put pen on paper. Dr Omar Jah is at it again.

 

What is the drama this time around?

 

 

Dr Jah is angry that the University Council had taken the bull by the horn to dethrone him of the finance portfolio of the University, which was illegally given to him by his cousin, fake professor Mahammadou Kah. It has ever been my contention that DVC Admin and Finance was never part of the legal instruments of the University, but then Kah being what he was, singlehandedly favored his relative with the position to allow him to illegally exploit the institution, which he actually did to the maximum. Upon removal of Kah from office, Council decided to rectify this serious administrative lapse by reassigning the finance function to the Director of Finance as indicated by law. This has make Jah, the occupant, very bitter. As a result he is now on collusion with UTG senior staff. The aborted petitioning of the Director of Finance is a case to cite. Jah, through his bootlicker, Morro Krubally engineered the whole show. Thank God the Council has the will and foresight to dismiss the petition. This bitterness has transformed Jah into a real devil.

 

 

Coming back to the issue at hand, Dr Jah last Firday, 29 July 2016 verbally and physically assaulted and abused the Finance Director of UTG, one Mr Kojo during a meeting the UTG Management held. Narratives have it that Kojo was making a point on one of the agenda items and this didn’t go down well with this moron called a Dr. In a moment of madness and ulterior motive, Jah jumped out of his seat to move towards where Kojo was seated, shouting on top of his voice, Jah began to move towards Kojo threatened him, saying “ I will kill you, I will kill you.

 

 

 

Jah was eventually put under control by other members including the Vice Chancellor and almost all the senior members of Admin staff.

 

 

It is high time for the people that matters to realize that Jah, since the removal of Kah as Vice chancellor, is on a serious mission of destroying UTG. Jah at the moment is very bitter. He has created a faction which is now anti-administration. This is a man who has forgotten that during his time as Deputy Vice under Kah he was always favoring his kids and kin at the expense of hardworking UTG staff. He and his wife were deciding the fate of UTG staff as far as renewal of contracts were concerned. As a result, lot of hardworking members of staff were dismissed just because they had different opinions with the then administration.

 

 

This latest madness of Jah is indicative of the man’s true color. It goes to show that the man is power hungry, unnecessary angry, and greedy, and as long as he is not in control of the finances of UTG, he will always be a saboteur to the institution.

 

 

The current VC Khalil should be very mindful of sneaky Jah. If Jah can go to any length to openly oppose the DVC Academy portfolio of Dr Ousman Nyang, his administrative mentor at UTG, then he is capable of undermining the VC.

 

 

Khalil, don’t say that you have not been warned!

 

I rest my case.

A concerned senior UTG student

 

 

 

The Barbarity Of Gambia’s Security Forces On The Spotlight Again As Sukai Dahaba Narrates Her Ordeals While In Detention

Fatu Camara
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The barbarity of Gambia’s security forces is once again on the spotlight following a chilling interview the Fate Network had with Ms Sukai Dahaba who was one of the most recognizable faces of the rare protests to have rocked The Gambia in the best parts of April and May this year.

 

 

Dubbed “the face of the Calabash Revolution,” Ms Dahaba was a regular and familiar figure who was not only organizing women protesters but was also leading the defiant protests by concerned Gambians following the death in custody of Ebrima Solo Sandeng, the youth leader of the biggest opposition UDP party as well as well as the continuous detention and sham trials of UDP leader Lawyer Ousainou Darboe and his co accused.

 

 

However as a usual trademark of Gambia’s security forces, Sukai was started being trailed, numerous photos and still videos of her taken by the intelligence and on May 9, 2016, she was arrested together with a handful of hard-core female protest goers who have been contentiously protesting at the High Court in the capital Banjul to show solidarity with opposition leader Lawyer Ousainou Darboe and those he was charged with.

 

 

In an hour long chilling interview on the popular Today Show Program on The Fatu Network, Sukai explained how she was intercepted by battle ready members of the paramilitary police on their way home from the court.

 

 

She said all she remembered was that live ammunition was first discharged in the air then the paramilitary started dousing the crowd with heavy teargas. As the people fled helter-skelter, the security descended on them beating them with batons, sticks and truncheons.

 

 

She said she was singularly spotted among the crowd by two security officers one of whom was in plainclothes, who naturally was trailing her. “From where I was arrested which was almost a kilometer away from the police station, the officers started beating me on every part of my body while forcing me to run. When we reached the doubled-lane highway, traffic was literally stopped for me to cross while I was being beaten in the full glare of motorists.”

 

 

The worse according to Sukai was yet to come. “When we arrived at the headquarters of the Police Intervention Unit (PIU)…Gambia’s de facto paramilitary police, two men where in-waiting for me who also took from my earlier torturers. One of them gave me a nasty slap and then I fell down into unconsciousness. This was in the evening of 9, May.

 

 

“However I only gained consciousness the following day when I saw myself on a hospital bed. At the edge of my bed was a female security officer whom I asked why I was in the hospital. She only said I was lucky to be alive.”

 

 

Ms Dahaba said it was later in the evening when she was returned to her police cell that she really discovered the magnitude of maltreatment that the female protesters went through.

 

 

She said she found in a cramped small cell more than 11 women all of whom were brutally maltreated and some severely tortured including the mother of a one month old baby whose husband was also among the opposition supporters arrested with Lawyer Ousainou Darboe.

 

 

She said her interrogators kept asking her that they have been trailing her and what she was doing at the protests and since she was always behaving like a man, she would be given a maltreatment befitting a man.

 

 

Ms Dahaba narrated how on the second day of their detention at the Para Military headquarters in Kanifing where they were all put in a room and tear gas was willfully exploded at them in the room. She said they were only rushed out of the cramped cell when the security realized that many were suffocated.

 

 

But even in that serious condition, she was again tortured with the mother of a one month old baby and the rest of the women while the men who were arrested with them, were escorted to Janjanbureh Prison, some 250km east of the capital Banjul.

 

 

She said they were threatened with rape by officers who walked up to them holding on to their pants telling them they will find out what they will do to them at 9pm.

 

 

The Old women she said were in tears especially after a female officer Maimuna Tamba told them that she will put them in diapers because she was tired of escorting them to the restroom. She said they were also denied sanitary towels while in detention.

 

 

“The security officers were cursing our mothers all along and accusing us of those bent on destabilizing the country,” she said.

 

 

Sukai said a few days after they were bailed, plain cloth officers went to her housing asking her to sign a document telling her that they will kill Lawyer Ousainou Darboe. They threatened that if she refused they will inject her with blood infected with HIV/Aids. She had to later jump bail and escaped with her two children. Sukai disclosed that once there is a good number to take to the streets, she will go back home and lead them again.

Shortage of medical Supplies at EFSTH Nephrology Unit, Kidney Patients Sent Home

Fatu Camara
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By Alhagie Jobe

 

There is a serious shortage of medical supplies at the Nephrology Unit of the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital (EFSTH) formerly Royal Victoria Teaching Hospital (RVTH) in Banjul, the Fatu Network has confirmed.

 

According to reliable medical sources, on Thursday, July 28, 2016, all patients with Kidney disease were sent home by the doctor who was in charge as there was no supplies for Dialysis treatment for the kidney patients.

 

Dialysis is a treatment that does some of the things done by healthy kidneys. It is needed when the person’s own kidney can no longer take care of his or her body’s needs. Kidney Dialysis is a life-support treatment that uses a special machine to filter harmful wastes, salt, and excess fluid from ones blood. This restores the blood to a normal, healthy balance. Dialysis replaces many of the kidney’s important functions. If the kidneys fail, one will need Dialysis or a kidney transplant to take over their job and keeps the body in balance by removing waste, salt and extra water to prevent them from building up in the body; keeping a safe level of certain chemicals in the blood, such as potassium, sodium and bicarbonate and helping to control blood pressure.

 

“Each patient requires Dialysis three times a week. Every day, two groups- 13 patients in the morning and 13 patients in the afternoon, making it a total of total of 26 people per day and 52 people per week. This is life threatening. A contracted supplier from Senegal on Saturday brought in medical supplies for the Dialysis treatment for the Kidney patients. It costs D1, 600. 00 and every patient needs D1, 600.00 three times per week making a total of D4, 200.00 per patient which will cost each patient D 16,800.00 monthly” he explained.

 

According to our source, the Gambia government should immediately intervene and rescue the hospital as so many lives are at risk. “This is the only process available in a malfunctioning of kidney in the human body” the source concluded.

The Lawyer Ousainou Darboe You Do Not Know

Fatu Camara
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By Sheriff Kora

 

Any Gambian mindful of the political developments in the country is aware of how a few half-baked, unsophisticated politicians with less regard for good governance and the rights of man have systematically threatened the idea of freedom once cherished and familiar to us all. Despite the regime of fear and intimidation that exists in our country, patriotic Gambians worthy of the name emerged to fight bravely against suppression of the idea of freedom revered by every genuine citizen.

 

Recently, we have followed and received with rage the verdict of the sham trial involving Lawyer Darboe and other brave sons and daughters of The Gambia who stood for that cardinal idea – freedom. Every genuine Gambian with a conscience will agree that the events leading to the trial of Lawyer Ousainou Darboe and his co-defendants go strongly against our Gambian values and national constitution. As citizens, what they deserved during the trial was due process of the law and not the constant frenzy, intimidation, and disrespect that marked their trial. As a nation, we have heard the slander, accusations, and insults levied against Ousainou Darboe and his Mandinka tribesmen. He was demonized and called every name in the dictionary.

 

Lawyer Darboe is human and I will argue he is by no measure a saint among sinners. However, knowing this noble son of the land, I like many Gambians can attest to the fact that tribalism is not one of his sins. Tribalism by Lawyer Darboe will mean disowning his stepmothers. Tribalism will mean disowning his two wives who are not Mandinka. By extension tribalism by him will also mean disowning his children and some of his siblings. It is important to be reminded that Lawyer Darboe is a Mandinka by no choice of his; he is born into the Mandinka tribe of which he is proud. Ask him his identity, and he’ll be quick to tell you that before everything else, he is a Muslim and a patriotic Gambian. Ask him again, and he will tell you he is a lawyer with an unreserved love and loyalty to country and family. This is the true measure of the man I know.

As I read the statement Judge Eunice Dada denied Lawyer Darboe from reading at the final hearing, like many Gambians, I was reduced to tears. I cried not only because I was sad, I cried because I was proud that Lawyer Darboe and those defendants were steadfast and stood to their convictions. I cried because I knew in the face of many choices, they chose to be politically accurate rather than be historically inaccurate. I cried because I was ashamed to see the government of my country use the forces of injustice to jail a noble lawyer in the very courts where justice once resided. I cried because of that cold jail cell. I cried because I am assured that when he walks out of jail with those noble men and women, history shall absolve them.

 

Many tributes followed the publication of that eloquent written statement of Lawyer Darboe. Despite the powerful and emotion evoking words that touched the hearts and minds of many, I felt more needed to be said about this man who until recently says very little about his personal journey and accomplishments in the social, political and economic development of our country. As Metternich once said, “the men who make history have no time to write it.” Most importantly, to fully rationalize the behavior of Lawyer Ousainou Darboe respectfully, one has to try to understand the events or life experiences that influenced it. The aim in this article should be seen merely as an attempt to illustrate the influence of men and historical events of more than seven decades that will indirectly led to the bold actions that will forever leave a dent in the annals of Gambian history.

 

The Trial of Chief Cherno Baldeh

 

In the 1950’s, there was a landmark court case in the then McCarthy Island Division of The Gambia. This case involved Cherno Baldeh the deposed chief of Fulladu and the Colonial Administration. The case against the chief was based on allegations of the abuse of power, corruption, and tax misappropriation. Akin to the recent trials presided over by Justice Eunice Dada; the trial of Cherno Baldeh had all the hallmarks of the corrupt and distortionary nature of the colonial system. According to some reports, Cherno’s troubles resulted from ambition, charisma, sibling rivalry, and his uncompromising stance towards protecting the rights of his constituents. This would garner the attention of the colonial administrators who were determined to neutralize him. During this trial, a Gambian Lawyer in the name of Pierre (P.S.) Njie will emerge to selflessly defend Cherno Baldeh against the brute force of the British colonial administration. Forced testimonies and damaging revelations made during this trial will go to severely divide the people of Fulladu, soiling the reputation of a once charismatic and highly respected chief in the process. Cherno Baldeh never regained his chieftaincy in Fulladu. According to narration, he died in 1957 on the same date as the Barra ferry disaster, which claimed the lives of over fifty people.

 

P.S Njie and Numukunda Darboe

 

During the course of the Cherno Baldeh trial, P.S Njie stayed in the small but emerging town of Bansang where he forged strong bonds with prominent members of the town. Amongst these men was Numukunda Darboe, a man of repute, an erudite Islamic scholar who never went through the formal education process, but through his will, passion, and persistence learned to read and write English in adulthood under the tutelage of his great friend, the late Foday Sidibeh. The diligence of Numukunda was the genesis of Lawyer Darboe’s path to scholarship and the belief that with persistence everything is attainable under the sun. As a result of Numukunda’s value for western education and the strong bond between him and P.S Njie, a young Ousainou Darboe was entrusted to the foster care of the Banjul Lawyer under whose guardianship he completed his education in Banjul.

 

The fight of P.S Njie against the subservient propaganda, selfish political and economic interest of the colonial system will continue long after the Fulladu saga. As universal adult suffrage was extended to the provinces in 1959, P.S. Njie needed a candidate to represent the United Party in Fulladu constituency. He felt there was no one better to call than his fearless and loyal friend Numukunda Darboe. Being a humble man with less interest for political power, Numukunda felt he was not cut for politics. His interest was only in being an entrepreneur and serving the people of Bansang as secretary to the local area council treasury. It will take a lot of cajoling and backdoor pedaling to get Numukunda’s approval. Numukunda’s move was risky and highly controversial especially at a period when partisan politics in Bansang and the country was decided largely along tribal lines. It did not matter to Numukunda P.S Njie was not a Mandinka. It did not matter Pierre Njie was not from the provinces; what mattered to Numukunda the most was standing steadfast to his convictions and fighting for the freedom from the clutches of colonialism.

 

Numukunda contested his first elections in 1960, which he lost to Kebba Leigh and the PPP. He accepted defeat with grace and humility. Despite the endless taunting, discrimination, and intimidation launched against prominent opponents of the PPP in the country, Numukunda Darboe never buckled. In fact, Ousainou Darboe will see the first case of his father’s bravery that sunny morning when loaded his shotgun and laid in wait for the PPP caravans that rolled through Bansang, Among reports of all the arsons, plundering, and physical abuses PPP militants meted out on perceived opponents across the country, it is safe to say that Bansang was one town that was spared the nuisance – go figure. Sanjally Bojang who Lawyer Darboe once defended in a court case will fondly remind Ousainou Darboe about the valor and upright character of his father Numukunda Darboe.

 

Numukunda will recover from the electoral defeat of 1960 to launch his campaign with more vigor. He travelled the length and breadth of Fulladu on his bicycle, knocking on doors and selling the agenda of the United Party to anyone willing to listen. He would eventually win the hearts and minds of the people of Fulladu and the subsequent parliamentary elections against Alieu Marong of Georgetown, and Kebba Jawara of Bansang. The fact that Numukunda Darboe would defy the Mandinkas to side with the other tribes and become the only Mandinka opposition member in the house of representatives earned him a great deal of respect and envy among the urban elites of Banjul and his constituents.

 

Numukunda Darboe was a maverick that upheld the belief parliamentary politics should not be played along tribal lines. He fought endlessly against injustice in Fulladu and the systemic discrimination against the Fulas, Wollofs, and other marginalized groups in the country. His fearlessness and disdain for the corrupt colonial officers and tribal politics earned him the hatred of some colonial administrators who viewed him as a thorn. This mischaracterization earned him a spot in the controversial book of Berkley Rice – Enter The Gambia. In face of crippling adversity, Numukunda Darboe answered the national calling to enter politics. As a politician, he did not seek glory or wealth, but from his selfless acts and candor, emerged as a legend among the people of Fulladu. He was a man that held his head up high and remained loyal to P.S. Njie and the cause of the United Party. He fought all his life for the idea of freedom and promoting the welfare of his constituents.

 

April 16th, 2016 and Beyond

 

It is therefore by no surprise or accident of fate that Lawyer Darboe showed bravery, calmness and strong leadership qualities throughout the trial. His emotional intelligence, sense of tolerance, strength, and resilience where honed at an early age when he had to learn to adapt the numerous challenges faced by many provincial kids transplanted into the streets of a tribally insensitive and politically charged urban setting. The urban-rural bias Lawyer Darboe experienced in Banjul did not lead him to hatred or seeking vengeance; rather it thought him to respect and embrace all Gambians regardless of tribe, ethnicity, religion or origin. His reverence for human rights and the constitution both as a lawyer and a private citizen has firm roots in the moral teachings and influences of his biological father Numukunda Darboe and P.S Njie who imparted in him the value of defending the rights of man.

 

Ousainou Darboe sprung to action with hopes that it will encourage young Gambians to take action when necessary. He sacrificed his liberty with the belief that his actions with those of his co-defendants will instill confidence in all of us to engage in robust debate, so as to better understand our problems. His sacrifice is done in the spirit that even whilst he is gone, will be inspired to conceive new solutions and open new spaces towards liberating our country from the perilous path upon which it is headed. This is the life of the man I know. The man that is illegally incarcerated in an orchestrated court by a female judge who betrayed the impartiality and integrity of the symbolic Lady Justice that hangs in her court.

 

May God bless The Gambia and may God bless all Gambians.

 

UN Human Rights Office concerned over harsh prison sentences for Gambia’s opposition members

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By Alhagie Jobe

 

The United Nations human rights office Friday expressed concern over the three-year prison sentences handed down last week to 30 members of the Gambia’s main opposition United Democratic Party (UDP), including its leader Ousainou Darboe, following their participation in peaceful protests in mid-April.

 

In a statement issued today, July 29, 2016 at the regular bi-weekly news briefing in Geneva, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights urged the authorities to investigate all allegations of excessive use of force in the context of the April demonstrations, as well as allegations that some of those arrested were tortured and denied access to medical care.

 

“We also remain deeply concerned that there has yet to be an impartial, independent and thorough investigation into allegations of excessive use of force in the context of the demonstrations, and into the arrest and death in State custody of the former secretary of the party,” said Rupert Colville, spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said at the regular bi-weekly news briefing in Geneva.

 

On 20 July, the Banjul High Court convicted 19 members of the United Democratic Party (UDP) for unlawful assembly, rioting, incitement to violence, “riotously interfering with vehicles,” holding a procession without a permit, disobeying an order to disperse from an unlawful procession and conspiracy. On 21 July, the Mansakonko High Court convicted another 11 UDP members for the same offences. All those convicted were arrested either on 14 April during a protest for electoral reforms or on 16 April during a demonstration held after the arrest and alleged death in State custody of UDP top member Solo Sandeng two days earlier.

 

Spokesman Colville added: “We have serious concerns about reported violations of the right to a fair trial. Defense lawyers have said that access to their clients was repeatedly hampered, that the arrests were politically motivated and that due process guarantees were not respected”.

 

According to Mr. Colville, on 8 June, defense lawyers walked out of the courtroom and decided not to take part in further proceedings as the court rejected their applications, including one requesting the Supreme Court to decide on the constitutionality of the proceedings and the trial continued with the accused unrepresented in court.

 

Sanna Jarju Reappointed Chief Of Protocol At The Office Of The President

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Sources close to the Personnel Management Office (PMO) have informed The Fatu Network that former chief of protocol, Sanna Jarju has been reappointed effective July 27, 2016. Sanna is said to be outside of The Country when his reappointment came. What is not clear is why he is appointed in absentia.

 

Sanna who worked at The Office of The President for over ten years, served as chief of protocol from 2012 to February 2016, he is said to have left the country since January for some medical purposes and his whereabouts is still not very clear to many. Our sources have gathered that since his departure, both The President and The First Lady have been trying to have him back since they could not get along with the current staff at the protocol office.

 

Observers say that it will not be a good idea for Mr. Jarju to return and work with the dictator who is known for brutality against his own people. Recently, the former secretary general, Sulayman Samba was arrested and detained at The National Intelligence Headquarters for failure to attend celebrations marking dictator Jammeh’s 22 years in power after he was removed as Secretary General. Currently, the former petroleum Minister, Sira Wally Ndow Njie and the former Secretary to Cabinet at The Office of The President, Nuha Touray are all held at the NIA headquarters for over three weeks and denied bail by the high court on the directives of dictator Jammeh.

 

 

 

 

Former WHO Regional Director for Africa Dr Ebrahim Malick Samba dies at age 84

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By Alhagie Jobe

 

Dr Ebrahim Malick Samba, former Regional Director, World Health Organization (WHO) Africa Regional Office (1995-2005) died Thursday, July 28th, 2016 at the age of 84. Dr Samba died at the Edward Francise Small Teaching Hospital on Wednesday night. Funeral prayers were held Thursday at the King Fahad Mosque in Banjul before been laid to rest at the Jeshwang Cemetery.

 

Born on December 27th 1932 in Banjul, Dr. Samba, a Gambian public health specialist served ten years as WHO Regional Director for Africa and went on retirement. He was replaced by Angolan Dr Luis Gomes Sambo.

 

 

Until his demise, Dr Samba was the Chairman of the Banjul Muslim Elders Committee. He was also the chairman of the Board of Governors of the Gambia Muslim Association (GMA) under which desire the Gambia Muslim Senior Secondary School was founded. He was made the Honorary life Chairman of the Board of Governors of the school.

 

 

Dr Samba was trained in Ghana, Ireland, Scotland, Germany and United States – University of Munich & Saarbrucken, Germany, 1954-1959, State Exam in Law & Diploma European Studies; University of Paris l, 1959-1960, Dr Public International Law; McGill University, 1960-1961, Master of Laws; University of California at Berkeley, United States of America, 1961-1962, Research Fellow in Law.

 

 

As a clinician and a public health practitioner, he gained international recognition for the innovations he initiated in public health programmes and interventions. In 1980, Dr Samba became the Director of the Onchocerciasis Control Programme (OCP) in West Africa, a position he hheld until 1994. Under his guidance, the OCP became the showpiece of the World Health Organisation, its donors and other beneficiary countries.

 

 

In 1995, Dr Sambia was elected the Regional Director of the World Health Organisation Africa Regional Office (AFRO), and made responsible for developing a policy framework to combat disease throughout the continent. He was re-elected in September 1999 and served in the post until 2005 when he retired.

 

 

 

 

 

 

GDC’s Tina Faal Arrested And Charged With Obtaining Money By False Pretense

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By Alhagie Jobe

 

Ms. Tina Faal, a former nominated member of the National Assembly has been arrested and charged before the Banjul Magistrate Court with three counts of conspiracy, obtaining goods by false pretense and theft.

 

Represented by Lawyer Combeh Gaye, Faal has been granted bail in the sum of D500, 000 with two Gambian sureties with each a title deed in the Greater Banjul Area.

 

Ms. Tina Faal, who used to be one of Dictator Jammeh’s closest surrogates, was in 2007, among the 5 members of parliament nominated by President Jammeh.

 

An ex- wife of Gambia’s former Justice Minister Edward Gomez, Faal recently announced her opposition to the APRC regime, she recently embraced and joined the newly formed Gambia Democratic Congress party in The Gambia. She has been seen in the forefront of the party’s recent countrywide tour.

 

She is one of the first party senior members to be arrested since the launching of the party.

 

The case is adjourned to Monday, 1st August, 2016 for continuation.

UK Based Gambians condemn Lawyer Ousainou Darboe’s conviction

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By: Baba Jobe

 

It was Friday afternoon when I emerged from the Charing Cross tube station. I had just disembarked from a Northern Line sparsely filled train heading to Edgeware. I had travelled from the northwest of England to attend a protest organised by Gambian human rights activists to highlight the grave political events in The Gambia. It was nearly 01:00 pm when I started wondering the ever busy streets of one of London tourist attraction centres, Trafalgar Square. It didn’t take me long before I spotted a group of men and women of all tribes of The Gambia surrounding a compatriot giving a speech on The Gambian dire political situation.

 

 

The group had gathered there as part of efforts to end injustice and the political mayhem perpetrated by the dictatorial regime of Yahya Jammeh. The focal theme of the protest centered around the state murder of Ebrima Solo Sandeng and the controversial convictions of Lawyer Ousainou Darbo and 18 others of the the United Democratic Party.They were jailed last week after going through a politically motivated trial directed and dictated by Africa’s most ruthless dictator, Yahya Jammeh, using an unscrupulous judge from Nigeria.

 

 

Darboe and Co. were arrested on April 16 on Kairaba Avenue, during a peaceful demonstration calling for the release, dead or alive of party members who were arrested on April 14 in Westfield for demanding justice and electoral reforms.
The April 14 protest was led by UDP’s Solo Sandeng who died during torture under state custody and the others were also detained incommunicado for weeks before been produced before the courts, for they were equally tortured and suffering pains and under critical condition.
 
Sandeng’s dead prompted another demonstration on April 16th led by the party’s leader Ousainou Darboe and top executive members. They were arrested and detained in Mile II central prison and were systematically denied bail, after being charged on various offences relating to protesting without permit and disobeying orders from security personnel to disperse.

 

 

Their trial which took several months was criticised for the judge’s failure to promote an atmosphere that could guarantee free and fair proceedings, and had resulted in the defense team walking out of court and ceased their representation for the defendants. This came after the first presiding judge offered to step aside from the case, citing sensitiveness of the case. He urged the concerned parties to solve the situation through the inter party committee.

 

 

Ousainou Darboe, a seasoned lawyer himself did not bother to defend himself or others as he believed, from the judge’s style of presiding the trial, that his ‘conviction is predetermined’ and hence to defend himself is to assist the court to convict him. This is why the conviction, although annoying, it has not come as a surprise to anyone familiar with the biased nature of the country’s Judiciary. Gambians and non Gambians alike has since express dismay and condemnation to what is obviously a travesty of justice.

 

 

Gambians in the United Kingdom have reacted to the conviction by holding a protest in the streets of London to express their distaste in dictator Jammeh’s barbaric quest to silence the United Democratic Party. The protest was attended by a large crowd including some familiar faces in the struggle to restore democracy and the rule of law in The Gambia. At the beginning of the event, attendees were taking through the illegality of the conviction and were given words of encouragement needed to be steadfast on the course of fighting for collective freedom of the Gambian people.

 

 

While the focal point was on the failure to deliver justice for the victims, Gambians have in their minds the threat of disunity in the country. This is as a result of Jammeh’s tribal discriminatory remarks against the Mandinka tribe. These rhetorics are part of his ‘divide and rule’ strategy aimed at disintegrating for what has been a coherent and intertwined society for his selfish gain. As such protesters were reminded about the divisive and dangerous nature of the tribal politics the Banjul monster is playing and were advised to continue to nurture the peaceful co-existence The Gambia and her people is known for.

 

 

Later in the day protesters had procession towards the Nigerian High Commission located at the Nigeria House in London, where we stood and chanted our words of discontent on the role of the Nigerian judges in aiding the dictatorship in the Gambia to oppress dissidents. At that, we ask the Nigerian government through the High Commissioner to stop sending what we believe are judges who do not have regards for the ethics governing the legal profession, and are ready to jeopardise the judicial independence for personal gains. We highlighted our expectations of Nigeria as a member of ECOWAS to be a role model in promoting justice in the sub-region and help in eliminating systematic injustice in the Gambia.

 

 

The demonstration was not only important but was also necessary. The bloody murder of Ebrima Solo Sandeng and the subsequent imprisonment of Lawyer Ousainou Darboe and his party supporters do not only highlight the barbaric nature of Jammeh’s dictatorship, but also shows it lack of regard for humanity, human rights and dignity. Killing of innocent citizens, which is Jammeh’s master plan in suppressing critics and political opponents to maintain a strong hold on power, is alien to what the true Gambian society is identified with- a society of peace and love where unity has been the driving force for a better living. This vital characteristic of the Gambian society is now put at risk by a villain who ironically refer to himself as ‘a dictator of development’.

 

 

Ebrima Solo Sandeng’s death adds to other numerous unresolved state-sponsored murders and disappearances, including the shooting death of Deyda Hydara by Jammeh’s hitmen from the Jungullar section of the army, the illegal execution of the nine death-row inmates in 2012, the disappearance of journalist Chief Ebrima Manneh, the murder of Daba Marenah and others.

 

 

The campaign to silence the UDP party came at a time when Gambians are desperate to find a solution to the country’s deteriorating economy that leave many ordinary households struggling for a decent and proper living. Instead of offering solution and restore hope, the increasingly paranoid dictator has resolved to the most unfortunately divisive and discriminatory remarks to cover his horrendous actions of oppressing the UDP members.

 

 

Political supporters are not only victims of Jammeh’s discriminatory rhetorics and uncalculated actions. The declaration of the country as an Islamic Republic is not just worrying but dangerous due to its potentials of descending the country into a civil conflict. It’s clear that the Gambia is a secular state as enshrined in the constitution. This part of the constitution guarantee impartiality and equal rights and nurture an atmosphere of liberalism to all citizens of all backgrounds. This is so important to our national values that only a lunatic like Jammeh,who is only after personal interest, will attempt to extinguish it.

 

 

The Gambia is at a crossroads, that Jammeh has gone too far and too fast in undermining the safety and security of the Gambian people. It’s obvious there is no Gambian who is immune to Jammeh’s menace. Every human being is entitled to certain basic rights and dignity that deserved to be respected. Being denied these basic elements as citizens is enough to abhor and stand up to the APRC brutal dictatorship.

 

 

This is why Lawyer Ousainou Darboe, decided to sacrifice his comfort zone to apply a brake on what’s a common Gambian notion of not being affected, and stood up for Solo Sandeng, not as UDP supporter but a Gambian who became a victim of tyranny. This is despite his full knowledge of the dangerous consequences. His selflessness, desire to fight for justice for all and sacrifice for humanity, define him as a man who loves his people and deserve no conviction from a mercenary judge hired by a ruthless dictator. Hence, this is why Gambians in the U.K held a political protest to express their repugnance to his conviction.

The Stomach-churning cruelty of Nigerian Mercenary Judges

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Nigerian mercenary judges just got rewarded for throwing much needed life line of extending Yahya Jammeh’s misrule with ten brand new executive cars and a brand new complex for their accommodation. Most people with an ounce of decency when confronted with their own record bias or their cruelty, will show remorse and regret. Hence, we expect decent human beings with empathy to privately react with a mixture of disgust and rage thereafter in life, and desire to see justice done. Not for the Nigerian mercenary judges who do not comprehend the heinousness of their crimes against the Gambian citizens daily and are proudly showing off to Yahya Jammeh how every precious dollar dished out to them are well spent.

 

 

They are out there, mocking frightened Gambians by displaying their gifts thereafter with facial and hand gestures in your face type of a thing whether we like it or not without any remorse, thereby manifesting their lack of appropriate judicial restraint. They are thumping their chest out with bravely, thus giving the middle finger to those who are still suffering from stomach-churning horrors, despair, loss of hope in our criminal justice system, as a result of trying to digest their flawed reasoning— to jail our elderly citizens and tortured women without mercy for 3 years with hard labor just for protesting injustice. In a similar vein, we should keep in mind that these heartless Nigerians judges colonizing our justice system in modern day slavery, have no empathy or compassion for fellow human being except the mighty dollar. We have Gambians whom much eloquent, educated and understand how to temper justice with mercy for our fellow citizens than these folks, whom are just around to make quick buck doing dirty jobs. They are actively involved in making up laws instead of interpreting existing laws and willing to make fool of themselves.

 

 
They have made notable improvements in Gambia’s sorry record of kidnappings, cruelty on our women, confiscation of properties and imprisonments of innocent Gambian citizens without cause. They are trading Gambian lives with mighty dollar happily and laughing to the banks. From all indications, they are proud to make every attempt to show the lengths to which they will deliver injustice to the Gambians and are not even intelligent enough to uphold a well-reasoned decision. Worse yet, Emmanuel Fagbenle could not hide his joy and thus incriminated himself on mouth regime piece— the Daily Observer. “We thank him [the President] for giving us ten brand new executive cars for the new judges and a brand new complex for their accommodation”. Gambians have a proud tradition of doing good and showing respect to our elders but these people have a different tradition of showing what’s wrong with them. Their mental and emotional complexity is alien to us.

 

 

Needless to say, there are no words in any language to express the cruelty of these people but one must wonder why, these mercenaries are aroused by images of old men being trampled by security officers wearing high-heel military booths and women grisly torture, but took pleasure in ignoring all those evidence. With such people steering our justice system, it is extraordinarily difficult to have narrow exceptions of justice being served for the Gambian citizens. The demonstration of Nigerian mercenary judge’s cruelty in the cases such April 14th and April 15th are disturbing in terms of illustrating just how low human being can go to travel to end of the West Africa, just to deliver harsh justice to innocent Gambians. But such cases can also restore faith in the cause we are fighting to free our country.

 

 

Our inability, or lack of will to come together as one people, is enabling these callous abusers—whom are practically impossible to understand when they speak, to use Gambia as a cash cow to fatten their appetite of money and take pleasure in seeing Gambians suffer. We have all witnessed how they provide too-soft penalties for abhorrent crimes as formality for regime to extend it terror on citizens and invent laws on their benches, just to earn a conviction. Gambia may be the only country in African now that actually trust mercenary judges and we are paying the hefty price for it. The most generous explanation we heard from them is that, they are around to cash in and really don’t care. The well-meaning Gambians whom are struck blind of their piety to fellow Gambians by trying to be self-righteousness and still dining with these people are just appeasing their wickedness. They need to go back to their homeland and take the remedial ethics classes they missed.

 

 

Now it should be clear to all, when Yahya Jammeh hired Nigerian mercenary judges whom all espouse his barbaric philosophy, it was clear he has abandoned all pretense of being a president who wants justice for his citizens. Nigerian mercenary judges have no problem showing Gambians what really lies under that hopeful lining and are ready to make outlandish rulings to earn a conviction. They see Gambia as a chance to extend their CV’s or resume, power to command public respect, and feed their appetite of money hunger with mighty dollar. Many lawyers and even ordinary Gambians, have expressed questions about their judicial temperament and craftsmanship because they are bullies on the bench or otherwise demonstrated out of touch with reality.

 

 

By Habib ( A Concerned Gambian)

Dictator Jammeh rewards judiciary after harsh sentences against opposition UDP members

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By Alhagie Jobe

 

The Gambian president Yahya Jammeh has rewarded the Gambia’s judiciary in appreciation of the job his hired Nigerian machinery judges did for him especially in the recent sentencing of opposition United Democratic leader Ousainou Darboe, his party executives and other members.

 

He gave ten brand new executive cars to the new judges and a brand new complex for their accommodation, a moved appreciated by all his hired Nigerian machinery judges messing up with the Gambia’s judicial system under the instruction of Mr Jammeh.

 

Gambia’s chief justice Emmanuel Fagbenle confirmed the reward during an interview with the pro-government Daily Observer newspaper.

 

“We thank him [the President] for giving us ten brand new executive cars for the new judges and a brand new complex for their accommodation and also for giving us staff bus meant to reduce the problem of staff mass transit or movement. He has also given us additional personnel through the appointment of nine judges for the High Court and three judges for The Gambia Court of Appeal and he also gave us approval for new justices of the Supreme Court,” Fagbenle said.

http://observer.gm/cj-reaffirms-commitment-to-vibrant-legal-system/

 

Ousainou Darboe and 18 others were convicted and each sentenced to three years in prison by Nigerian judge Justice Eunice Dada Oshim on Wednesday, July 20th, after been found guilty of six offences ranging from unlawful assembly, for “riotously interfering with vehicles”, holding a procession without a permit and disobeying an order to disperse among others during the April 16th peaceful demonstration. They were all acquitted of one charge of incitement of violence. They were arrested on April 16 in Serrekunda, during a peaceful demonstration calling for the release of party members and produce Solo Sandeng dead or alive.

 

This verdict was followed by another conviction to three years imprisonment on Thursday, 21st July, of the group of April 14th peaceful protesters by a court in Mansakonko, Lower River Region. The April 14th protesters were arrested along with late Solo Sandeng who died in state custody after staging a peaceful demonstration at Westfield Junction demanding electoral reform.

 

The Constitution of the Republic of The Gambia, Chapter 4, Section 25, Sub Section 1(D) states that “Every person shall gave the right to freedom of assemble and demonstrate peaceably and without arms.”

 

Gambians head to the polls in December 2016 in which current president Yahya Jammeh is seeking for a fifth term.

 

Yahya Jammeh’s self-inflicted blows bores everyone to tears

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By any standards, APRC regime is collapsing under its own weight of blackmail, bickering, back-stabbing, destructive political infighting, self-inflicted blows, unprecedented betrayals, provocations, dishonestly among themselves, tribal discrimination, personal enrichment and their virtual experts in distracting fellow citizens with tales of sideshows of false charges. All of this means or clearly illustrates —this regime does not need an additional day or let alone five more years of hell for the Gambians to get its house in order. APRC and Its leader are great at throwing easily digestible buzz phrase or stigmas on opponents such as tribalist, slogan such as “four hundred years of nothing”, exploiting personal struggles of people, stirring feud for political crucifixion to help themselves emerged unscathed and burnished their political reputation among the unsuspecting masses. it’s hard to fathom all of their dirty strategies but now, all are recognizable as a divide and rule strategy to maintain power.

 

 

Having lost the economic prosperity arguments and security of the citizen’s arguments, every rare opportunity for the regime to turn for a better page, being transparent with citizens or providing proof of compliance, we get the usual bandwagon complaints of “those problems” are declared unfounded or party label excuses to distract Gambians. It’s so bad that the president bores everyone to tears. It may sound amusing to men in the “bubble” around him who shower him with false praises, but the reality Gambians have to deal with is no laughing matter. You cannot have a meaningful discussion about Gambia’s problems with the regime without getting sucked into this petty pissing contest of uncivil rhetoric by their army of Facebook bloggers, classless talking heads, and partisan strategists whom assume diplomatic positions. However, the political scene of Gambia has indeed changed with the rising awareness among citizens by the online media and social forums.

 

 

To make matters worse, Yahya Jammeh always reactions on everything on “hear say” without reflecting on consequences thereafter. He is pretty good at making sure some innocent citizens and feared political opponents such as UDP- whom he perceives as greatest threats to unseat him, inescapable of his terror in act of retaliation— because he must be loved by everyone. His profound abuse and unspeakable cruelty against Gambians so far is beyond human norms. This fear of his cruelty have penetrated our society such that mistrust and suspicion has contributed to nitpicking everything. Mr. X will come up with enlightened policies of moving us forward, then Mr. Y comes slams Mr. X base on unfounded suspicion or about his lineage, then Mrs. Z comes along to urge boycotting everything about Mr. “Y” for Mr. X merely complains. Behind the senses, Mrs. Z calls Mr. Y to soften her stance. When the feud appears to be reaching an end, then comes along Mr. “A” with speeches full of jargon no one understands — complaining of Mr. inadequacy because he still confuses “Their” with “There” or “He” with “She”. Unsurprisingly, the wolves among ourselves are getting things done thereby making off with all the chickens.

 

On a sad note, recent series of interviews given by former inmates to Gambian online radio’s as well as correspondence of human rights advocates- concerning conditions of colonial prison facilities still used by APRC regime. All accounts describe the extraordinary horrible conditions in terms of barbaric unnecessary treatment of prisoners at the hands of guards, overcrowding, foul place, insanitary toilet of the mile two and other prisons in the Gambia all share many similar characteristics. Prison leadership officials ensure political prisoners of all levels receive harshest horrific treatments adequately prevent political prisoners from getting standard or basic treatment in virtually every respect. Also, former inmates accounts, eyewitnesses including several prison guards, whom have reported attacks by savage gang of henchmen acting on directives from executive branch. These includes fierce beating of prisoners, poisoning, instigating provocations and killing of prisoners whom has incrementing evidence against regime.

 

 

With so grievances at hand, It’s simultaneously impossible for regime to heal Gambians memories of injustice wounds, which are still fresh in our minds. In fact, Yaya Jammeh does not see any worthwhile initiative to heal Gambians from his misrule, but he is more bitter and still working on enriching himself by any means necessary hoping for anything to hold him on power. it is very disheartening to see the hard work Gambians reduced to nothing or disgrace citizens on his own will. These developments with other blunders, shed light how Yaya Jammeh is not fit to lead Gambia and demonstrate vividly —the need for someone else with enlightened policies, more human decency and accountability to the Gambian people. We all stand in solidarity with Lawyer Darboe along with those jailed after the events of April 14th and 16th.
By habib ( A Concerned Gambian)

“Sentences Against Opposition Leader, Ousainou Darboe And His group Are Disproportionate And Not In Line With Internationally Acceptable Human Rights Standards.”

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By Alhagie Jobe

 

The British ambassador to The Gambia has described the sentences against the opposition United Democratic Party leader Ousainou Darboe and other party members as ‘disproportionate and not in line with internationally acceptable human rights standards’.

 

Colin Crorkin in a statement issued and posted on the UK government website said the British government is very concerned by the severity of the sentences.

 

The Ambassador said: “The British Government is concerned by the severity of the sentences in the case of the Gambian UDP (United Democratic Party) leader, Ousainou Darboe, and his supporters. These sentences are disproportionate and not in line with internationally acceptable human rights standards.”

 

Mr Darboe and 18 others were convicted by Nigerian judge Justice Eunice Dada Oshim on Wednesday, July 20th, after been found guilty of six offences ranging from unlawful assembly, for “riotously interfering with vehicles”, holding a procession without a permit and disobeying an order to disperse among others during the April 16th peaceful demonstration. They were all acquitted of one charge of incitement of violence.

 

Mr Darboe and Co. were arrested since April 16 in Serrekunda, during a peaceful demonstration calling for the release of party members and produce Solo Sandeng dead or alive.

 

This verdict was followed by another conviction to three years imprisonment on Thursday, 21st July, of the group of April 14th peaceful protesters by a court in Mansakonko, Lower River Region. The April 14th protesters were arrested along with late Solo Sandeng who died in state custody after staging a peaceful demonstration at Westfield Junction demanding electoral reform.

 

The Constitution of the Republic of The Gambia, Chapter 4, Section 25, Sub Section 1(D) states that “Every person shall gave the right to freedom of assemble and demonstrate peaceably and without arms.”

 

 

Former Petroleum Officials And Others granted Bail

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By Alhagie Jobe

 

Justice Ottaba has granted bail to the remanded Ministry of Petroleum Officials, board members and two civil servants from the office of the president. The ten accused persons are all charged with economic crimes.

 

They are each granted bail with the sum of 1.3 and 1.6 million dollars respectively  with two Gambian sureties each with valuable properties in the Greater Banjul Area or a deposit of one third of the amount.

 

The accused persons are Sira Wally Ndow Njie, former Petroleum Minister, Momodou O.S Badgie, former GNPC managing director, Muntaga Momodou Sallah, former permanent secretary at the ministry of petroleum, Fafa Sanyang, former permanent secretary at the ministry of petroleum, Seedy Kanyi, a member of The GNPC board of directors, Nuha Touray, civil servant, Louie Moses, civil servant, Momodou Taal, board member and Edrissa Mass Jobe, board member and Cherno Marena, former Solicitor General.

 

All ten were arrested and detained since last month after The Office of The President announced that it has discovered one of the most serious economic crimes in government during the past 22 years of the second republic. They where jointly charged with conspiracy to commit felony, neglect of official duties, and giving false information to public servant.

 

The defense team led by Ida Drammeh includes I. Richards, Loubna Farage, Hawa Sisay Sabally, Janet Sallah Njie, Badou Conteh, R.Y. Mendy, Lamin S Camara and Abdoulie Sissoho have since been working on the bail.

 

The case was first mentioned in court and Principal Magistrate Omar Cham ruled that the matter will be transferred to the High Court on grounds of jurisdiction. He later remanded all the accused persons at Mile II prison until today when they were all granted bail by Justice Ottaba of The Special Criminal Division.

 

 

Former Secretary General Arrested And Detained For Not Attending Dictator Jammeh’s July 22 Celebrations

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Credible sources have informed The Fatu Network that former Secretary General, head of the civil service and Presidential Affairs Minister, Sulayman Samba is currently detained at The National Intelligence Agency headquarters in Banjul since Friday. Mr. Samba is said to have been picked up by operatives of NIA after a no show at The July 22 anniversary celebrations, marking dictator Yahya Jammeh’s 22 years in power.

 

Mr. Samba, a seasoned civil servant was appointed to the Office of The President two weeks before his retirement from the civil service. He replaced Lamin Nyabally who was removed on November 23, 2015 at that time Mr. Samba was deputy secretary general.

 

Sources say Samba fell out with dictator Jammeh after he advised him against the recent arrests and detention of senior civil servants. Jammeh was said to have reacted angrily adding that Sulayman is soft hearted therefore he cannot run the position of a  secretary general. He was replaced on June 30, 2016 by the country’s former Ambassador to Qatar, Dodou Bamy Jagne.

 

It could be recalled that Abdoulie Saidykhan, a staff of GAMTEL went missing for over a week in 2014 after sources say he did not show up at The July 22nd anniversary celebrations. This is therefore the second time that Gambians are detained for not celebrating an illegal take over of government by dictator Yahya Jammeh.

 

 

PPP Condemns Harsh Sentences Meted Out To Opposition Leader Ousainou Darboe And CO

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PPP Press Statement, July 23, 2016

 

The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) statement on July 20 and 21 sentencing of innocent civilians.

Press Release!

 
What happened in the Gambia on July 20 and July 21, 2016 was a travesty of justice. Innocent civilians and opposition party leaders were wrongly accused and sentence to jail for standing up and exercising their God given constitutional right which is guaranteed in the country’s constitution and which the president Yahya Jammeh swore and promised to uphold.

 
The PPP has vehemently condemned in the strongest possible terms the ruling of Yaya Jammeh’s kangaroo court and demand for their immediate and unconditional release. The PPP stands with UDP in these very trying times in solidarity with all the families whose love ones are unjustly incarcerated and pray for their speedy release.

 
The use of brute force to pacify opponents and perceived enemies has been going on for far too long and we cannot give in or give up; we cannot afford to be silent; we cannot be neutral and driving on the reverse is certainly not an option. The arrest, detention and subsequent mock trial of innocent Gambians who were out to exercise their civil rights, was characterized by torture and humiliation meted out to a larger extent by rogue law enforcement officers. The PPP in collaboration with other opposition parties and all willing Gambians, will ensure that justice is served in all these cases no matter how long it takes; no amount of legislation would be enough to indemnify culprits for the barbaric, systematic and inhuman treatment inflicted on our fellow citizens. We also take the threat of ethnic cleansing very seriously and the PPP will NOT be on the sidelines while this brutal dictator unleashes his wrath upon our citizens. Henceforth, let us shift to a higher gear as we reclaim our country from the clutches of a tyrant.

 
To start with, the PPP is unequivocally making the following demands to the government of the Republic of The Gambia:

 
1. Overturn all convictions from kangaroo courts headed by international judges.
2. To immediately STOP all arbitrary detention and unconditionally release all Prisoners of conscience
3. To ensure a level playing field, unconditionally meet demands from the opposition parties and Civil Societies to reform the current electoral laws.

 
We also remind the Government of The Gambia, of its obligations arising from the 1984 Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT), to which Gambia is a state party. In addition, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, UN Special Rapporteur/Working Group on Arbitrary Detention found that, arbitrary detention and torture are used systematically in the criminal justice system of Gambia, hence reminding the Gambian government of its obligations under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). Under the ICCPR, Gambia must ensure that no individual is subjected to arbitrary detention (Article 9) and that everyone enjoys the right to freedom of expression (Article 19).

 
The UDP saga should be a wake-up call for the opposition parties once and for all to do what is required of us by majority of the Gambian people. We are presently witnessing a despot who is getting more and more paranoid and only a strong and well structured, effective opposition alliance/coalition can save the Gambia from the looming catastrophe. Now is the time then ever-before for us to seize this opportunity to save our country.

 
The PPP believes this is not the time for partisan politics and bickering. Our common purpose and love for our country should transcend any individual position or interest. We have operated in silos for far too long and it has not yielded the results all Gambians are yearning for. Our resolve to overcome our differences must be our guiding principle to forge a united front against oppression and brutality.

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