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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

NAWEC and SENELEC Deal.

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

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

Source: The Point Newspaper

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

For the Gambia, Our Homeland!

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

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

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

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

The Fatu Network will keep you updated.

By MakalliMatta Consulting

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

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

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

“My courage was my mom,” she says.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Contact Aminatou: [email protected]

––

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

Happy Women’s Month!  

Supreme Pontiff,

In my previous letter to you I raised my concern over the death of african migrants on the shores of Europe without any genuine sense of concern or empathy by Europe and her allies. I do not want to take credit for your trip to the United Nations on the same subject barely two weeks after my open letter to you was published on global article directoryezinearticles.com; but I do believe that our intentions must have merged at some otherworldly realm.

But before delving into the subject of my letter, which is not dissimilar to that of my previous epistle to you, I owe you some appreciation and commendation on the occasion of the recent ordination of the First Gambian Catholic Bishop since the beginning of my brethen’s relationship with the Holy See. The new Bishop happens to be a brother who was much my senior at Saint Peter’s Technical High School and I have held him in high regard both before and after his ascendancy on the high rungs of the clergy. I hail you Papa for your High Office’s confidence in our people, that we can also handle our own communications with the Divine Being.

Thou Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church, my concern this time relates to the impending mass deportation of my fellow African brothers and sisters from the footsteps of your own cathedral and beyond; all coming from the doorsteps of your flock and their relatives in blood and flesh (if not in spirit). Truly the deportations are coming from nowhere but your neighbourhood, the supposed heirs of the mantle of the Prince of Love and Compassion, Jesus Christ ( May Allah increase His Grace on him).

Why is it that Europe (and by extension, its erstwhile vassal, America) is ready to send back the poor and downtrodden into the very crucibles of poverty and privation that they ran from? Why is it that the West who baited us with the holy sacrament into colonial domination would disobey the commandments of the Lord “to be your brothers keeper” and toss our already tempest-tossed souls back into the traps of conflict and poverty?

The West often argues that their own economic conditions are less than favourable so they cannot accommodate these migrants but yet there pets have better habitations and medical care than those they are trying to jettison back home. Is it not the same West that shaped our industries and trading systems into the poverty traps that they have evolved into through colonial domination and the neo-colonial multinational outfits that they created? Are these biased global systems still not holding our continent and her people sway?

Oh Kind Servant of the Servants of God, let me clarify, lest I become misunderstood, that I have no bones to pick with your ministry. Indeed I am grateful to have had a first-world education in a third world setting at the Catholic institution called St. Peter’s High School. I have seen and relished the good work of your agents in my neighbourhood and I am truly grateful for all the services rendered. But I do know that you have a voice and a huge responsibility, not only to your flock but to humanity in general and my hopes in you rose to another high when I saw you wash the feet of migrants and embrace the downtrodden.

So I appeal to you to make another trip to America, and this time not to New York but to Washington DC; visit the mad man called The Donald, who lives in the so called White House built by the blood and sweat of the ancestors of the very people he is deporting en masse after years of hard work, payment of taxes and good behaviour.

Please do not appeal to his sense of piety for The Donald is not made of flesh and bone but rather of steel and mortar. The only language this pervert can understand is the language of winning and losing at the polls. Please tell him to soften his steel heart towards immigrants or you and your other brothers shall tell his conservative base to fear The Lord and vote him out.

As for your flock back home in Brussels, I urge you to prophesy to them like the bold one, Amos, did in times gone. Speak to them, Oh Primate of Italy, , about the wrath of The Mighty Lord if they don’t change their ways towards the poor travelers. For all the gold and precious stones Europe looted from Africa, advise them to observe the injunction of being kind to the poor and vulnerable; if their hardened hearts would not yield to soft words, then address them thus, as did Amos, in the Old Testament:

“Therefore because you trample on the poor and take from them levies of grain, you have built houses of hewn stone, but you shall not live in them; you have planted pleasant vineyards, but you shall not drink their wine.” (Amos, 5:11).

Remind Europe, thou Bishop of Rome, that their duties to the Good Lord transcend ritual prayers in churches and pilgrimages to the Vatican; for the words of Hosea ring true to date:

“For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice

The knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings” ( Hosea, 6:6)

Supreme Pontiff, I am glad to have your holy attention once again, and I count on your good heart and gracious nature to speak for my brothers and sisters under the Euro-American swords of Damocles.

With due obeisance, I submit.

M. Sabally

Former Presidential Affairs Minister and Founder, Sabally Leadership Academy (SLA)

By MakalliMatta Consulting

Wedad’s — a Gambian brand mainstay 

When discussing Gambian businesses that have built successful brands and stood the test of time, the name, Wedad’s immediately comes to mind. Now tugged into the heart of the Senegambia district, this store established in our capital city, Banjul 32 years ago had humble beginnings. This business has survived government regime changes, recessions, and many other hardships. Through all of the trying times, Wedad’s has remained a staple in The Gambia, synonymous with quality, affordability, and good customer service.

Growing up in a tight-knit community in Banjul, Wedad Sojka Bensouda’s childhood consisted of spending lots of time outdoors, attending St. Joseph’s School, and also going to Quranic studies with her friends and family. Discipline and love was what she most remembers about her childhood. She was surrounded by an environment where everyone was encouraged to excel at whatever they were doing. Although she grew up watching her parents run a well-known business in Banjul, Wedad did not immediately decide that she wanted to be an entrepreneur. As a child she wanted to be a nurse, and at some point even a scientist.

Wedad has always had a passion for fashion and in her early years, she would design her own clothes. But it was upon completing her education in The U.S and spending time in England working for various companies, that she decided to return to The Gambia and start a fashion business. Her objective was to create a space where Gambians could shop for affordable quality products in line with western standards, in proportion to their incomes. It was out of this desire that Wedad’s Footwear, Accessories & Clothing was born.

“There were times suppliers and wholesalers did not want to deal with me because they thought my prices were a joke. But little did they know that I was actually fighting to provide people in Gambia with the same quality products as people in western countries, at a reasonable cost” she said.

Dealing with suppliers is a constant struggle, but despite all of the challenges, Wedad underscores the importance of remaining uncompromising when negotiating, in order to consistently offer the affordable and quality products her business has become known for.

Along with the challenges of dealing with suppliers, Wedad faced many battles as a young female entrepreneur in a male-dominated society.

“They did not trust my intelligence or capabilities as a woman” she pointed out.

She told us that she had to work twice as hard to be taken seriously, but after proving that she was skilled and capable, she began to earn people’s respect and proved her doubters wrong.

As our objective of this Women’s History Month series is to motivate more Gambian women to venture into mainstream business, we wantedto know her secret to establishing a business that has operated for three decades and weathered many storms.

Wedad attributes the longevity and success of her business to her consistence in delivering quality and affordable products her clients can count on, and going to great lengths to satisfy her customers. She mentions that her clients are an integral part of her business’ success and showing them that they are valued goes a long way.

For her, it is important for her to interact with her clients; in the shop, Wedad’s work area is in close proximity to the customers, so she can greet them and engage in conversation as they are doing their shopping. When speaking about customer care and clients, she says: “they [clients] have traveled with me on this journey for 32 years from Banjul to here [Senegambia]. They have been with me through different trends. They have been with me through recessions.”

It is clear that  Wedad’s Footwear, Accessories & Clothing has very loyal clients, which is a testament to the trust that has been built over the past three decades.

The longevity of Wedad’s can also be attributed to their ability to evolve over time and  adapt to trends, always remaining in fashion and relevant. Wedad carefully studies trends and comes up with creative ways to incorporate them into the store, while staying true to her core mission of never compromising quality to provide affordable products.

Another recurring theme in our conversation with Wedad, was the importance of having the love and support of people close to you as you go through the ups and downs of life. “The people dear to me keep me afloat” she says, talking about how she overcame negativity and difficulties along her journey.

“Having a core group of people to serve as a safety net is important when times get rough. I don’t take myself too seriously, you have to laugh at yourself even during the worst of times” she concludes.

We wanted to know which women inspired this formidable and classy lady. She told us that her mother served as her main source of inspiration; along with the entrepreneurial spirit, her mother instilled in her from an early age that no dream is too big and that she could achieve anything she wanted to.

Along with her mom, Wedad draws inspiration everyday from women she encounters in her life: “watching women carry children on their backs, selling vegetables at the market to make sure their families are well fed and clothed, there is something truly inspiring about the strength of women.”

She also emphasizes the importance for  women to share and learn from each other’s stories, even if they are not in the same fields or industries.

At MakalliMatta Consulting, a company founded by a woman and with a mostly female staff, we are more inspired in sharing Wedad’s story. Not only do we learn from hearing other people’s stories but it may resonate with you even if you do not have the same background.

Wedad’s sisters and friends describe her as someone who will be there for you at the drop of a hat; this loyalty and commitment resonates in her business, which has stood the test of time, remaining a staple in The Gambian fashion scene since 1986.

She leaves us with these wise words: “Building a lasting and successful brand is not easy, but never lose hope in yourself and remain persistent.”

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

By Alieu Ceesay

Plans are afoot to have Gambians in the diaspora vote in their native country’s political elections, the Chairman of The Gambia’s Independent Electoral Commission said in an interview with The Fatu Network.

“They [Gambian in the diaspora] were supposed to be voting but because the former regime felt that probably 90% will not vote for him [Former President Jammeh], so it was not implemented. But it is in our plans now to have them vote,”

Alieu Momar Njai, the head of the electoral body of the tiny West Africa Nation told this medium that Gambians in the diaspora are active players in their country’s domestic politics, but do not have the opportunity to vote away from home.

Gambia has thousands of its citizens living in the diaspora. They have been and continue to demand to be given equal rights as citizens to vote during elections.

However, Njai could not give a timeline as to when that will come into effect, but certainly not in this upcoming Local Government Elections.

The altercation between the Speaker of the National Assembly Mariam Denton and the Member for Serre Kunda Halifa Sallah is utterly unfortunate, uncalled for and a direct threat to our democracy for which the Speaker must be held to account. The reports that the unfortunate matter arose out of the discussion on the proposed loan agreement between the Gambia and China raises more questions as to the intentions and the conduct of both the Speaker and the Minister of Finance Amadou Sanneh. From all indications it is clear that Halifa Sallah was merely fulfilling his legal and political obligation as guaranteed by the Constitution as a Member of the National Assembly.

Part III of the Constitution, i.e. from Sections 100 to 102 speaks about the legislative and political powers of the National Assembly which includes scrutinizing the Executive and the bills and motions it brings to the parliament. In fact Subsection 2 of Section 101 states that,

“No Bill, other than a Bill referred to in subsection (5), shall be introduced into the National Assembly unless it is accompanied by an explanatory memorandum setting out in detail the policy and principles of the Bill, the defects which it is intended to remedy and the necessity for its introduction.”

Furthermore Section 155 speaks about how loans and loan agreements are to be contracted by the Gambia Government. Subsection 4(a) of this provision states that an Act of the National Assembly authorising the raising of a loan shall provide,

“That the terms and conditions of a loan shall be laid before the National Assembly and that the loan agreement shall not come into operation until they have been approved by the National Assembly.”

Hence according to these constitutional provisions, Halifa Sallah had indeed done the right thing to demand the details of this loan agreement brought forward by the Executive. In that case what is expected of the Speaker is to create the enabling environment by allowing members to exhaustively discuss all issues and concerns surrounding the loan before a decision is taken. This would require that the Speaker also ensure that the Minister of Finance provide all the necessary details of the agreement for the appreciation of the members.

It is therefore extremely concerning that the Speaker failed to do that but to seek to prevent a member of the National Assembly to raise the necessary issues, concerns and questions about this agreement. While the Constitution under Section 110 stipulates that a member can be removed from the parliament for contempt of the National Assembly, yet the remarks of Halifa on this loan agreement did not constitute any misconduct or contempt. Hence it is indeed heavy handed for the Speaker to demand the removal of Halifa when he sought to fulfil his constitutional duties on this loan agreement.

It is important that the Speaker is reminded that her role and position in the governance and development of the Gambia is very significant as set out in the Constitution. In multiple provisions of the Constitution the role and position of the Speaker can be identified as a leader, enabler, facilitator, decision maker and guide. For that matter the Speaker should be a person who should exercise the utmost patience and tolerance and to inspire and encourage debate in parliament given that the National Assembly is the foundation of our democracy.

We must also bear in mind that a loan is not a matter that must be rushed and imposed on the country. This is because the loans we contract today are going to be paid by citizens of today and tomorrow and those yet unborn. Hence any loan that goes to the parliament must be subjected the most severe scrutiny and debate. The Speaker must therefore serve as a facilitator and not an obstruction to that debate.

We must also remind the Speaker that she is the third in command in the leadership of the Gambia. In Sections 64 and 65, the Constitution states that it is the Speaker, in the absence of the Vice President who should assume the position of the president when the president is temporarily incapacitated mentally or physically, or when the position of president is vacant due to death, resignation or impeachment in which case the Speaker will serve the rest of that tenure.

Given the above, it means the Speaker must therefore exercise the highest levels of leadership which includes demonstrating an attitude that exhibits dignity, tolerance, esteem, wisdom, maturity and conciliation. In that case, the Speaker must be a person who is not expected to lose her cool or become temperamental especially inside the National Assembly. No amount of provocation or misconduct by any member should warrant her to respond in like manner. As the representative of the people, the Speaker must at all times reflect the dignity of the Gambian Nation.

Having said that, it is also necessary to remind the Speaker that after all she is not an elected Member of the National Assembly such that even if she is the Speaker, she must be mindful in expelling an elected member out of the house. Halifa Sallah is a directly elected representative of the people while Mariam Denton is only a nominated member by the President without the consultation and consent of the people of the Gambia. Hence the Speaker must therefore exercise humility to realize that, even if the Standing Orders of the National Assembly gives her power to remove members for misconduct or contempt, yet elected members are the true representatives of the people. In this particular case, Halifa Sallah’s words and actions did not, in anyway, constitute misconduct or contempt or obstruction in the National Assembly.

For the Gambia Our Homeland.

The Minister of Local Government and Lands, Mr Lamin N Dibba has said that he would not fire any Chief or Village Head based on their political affiliation.

Minister Dibba made these remarks while tabling the Local Government Amendment Bill at the National Assembly.

“I will ensure nobody is fired based on your political affiliation,” Minister Dibba said.

“We cannot say anyone who worked in the past regime cannot work with us,” he added.

Dibba an executive member of the United Democratic Party UDP, explained that as a politician and state minister, he tries to draw a line between the two positions.

“Let us unify our country,” he said.

The Bill tabled by the Minister was on the election of Area Counccil Chairpersons through universal disenfranchise while Deputy Mayors and Chairpersons would be elected by elected Councillors.

Hon. Sidia Jatta of Wuli West, commended the move, saying he was happy that the Minister came to correct the stupidity made by some NAMs under the influence of former President Jammeh.

Meanwhile, several members commended the minister for the amendment.

By Sana Sarr

It has been reported that on Thursday, March 15, 2018, a heated exchange took place between National Assembly Member from Serekunda, Halifa Sallah, and the Speaker of the National Assembly, Mariam Jack Denton. According to reports, Finance Minister, Amadou Sanneh, brought a framework agreement asking parliament to approve a loan deal between the government of The Gambia and China. Reports have it that Mr. Sallah demanded to see the full details of the loan before they can vote on it rather than rely only on the framework. Finance Minister proceeded to argue on the urgency and importance of the loan but Mr. Sallah was refused to budge. A vote ensued and members voted 18:12 in favor of waiting to see the full details of the loan. Somehow, in the proceeding discussions, things escalated and the speaker, Mariam Jack Denton, got involved and ended up ordering security to remove Sallah from the parliament.

The Worry

My first worry is the dictatorial tendencies exhibited by the speaker of the house. This is the house of parliament, a platform for representatives to resolve the most important and controversial national matters THROUGH DIALOGUE! The fact that the speaker could not keep control of the verbal confrontations is bad, but it is astounding that she quickly flew on a power trip to ask security to remove an elected representative of the people! WHAT? Where does the speaker think she is, a 2015 Jammeh-led dictatorship? I hope Speaker Denton is reminded that she was NOMINATED by politicians whereas the members of parliament were ELECTED by the Gambian taxpayers. Her job is to maintain decorum and facilitate dialogue. She’s supposed to be the adult in the room, not be one of the children throwing a tantrum. I hope the speaker remembers to leave the partisanship and ego trips are for the members.

In December 2017, there were reports that Speaker Denton barred journalists from livecasting proceedings at the National Assembly. The National Assembly is the people’s parliament and citizens have a right to see how their representatives are doing the job they were sent to do. Any form of restriction by the speaker is a violation of the people’s rights to information and I see no justifiable reason for the speaker to be engaged in such.

With almost every passing day, Gambians see more signs that makes one question just how different this new administration is to the one we got rid of. It’s far from encouraging to see that Finance Minister, Amadou Sanneh, had the audacity to bring a framework agreement and expect the National Assembly to sign off on it without reading the full details of a loan agreement. I am glad the parliament had Mr. Sallah to point it out, and 17 other MPs who refused to just rubber stamp another item on the Executive’s wishlist. Members of parliament are sent there to represent the general population and provide oversight on everything the executive does. The fact that the finance Minister representing the president even expected the National Assembly to sign off on the document without requesting to see the full details of the agreement  suggests that they have no regard for the members. It is also a worrisome sign that they may not have hated how Jammeh did things, they just envied him.

The Lessons

I hope the National Assembly members, through this incident, realize how vulnerable they all can be in relation to the executive. Today it is Halifa Sallah getting kicked out, tomorrow it could be any of them. While the members are elected directly by the voters, the speaker is nominated by the President. This means that they owe their loyalty to the president at whose will they serve. Therefore, a speaker can simply shut down, or kick out, any member of parliament that they feel, or are instructed, is not serving the best interest of the president or his friends. This undermines the whole system of checks and balances and members would be wise to begin working on getting rid of it! This whole idea of nominated members is archaic and needs to be revisited.

I pray that our National Assembly members are also reminded of their responsibility and their powers. Members are not there to rubber stamp everything the executive tables. Their loyalties should remain with the ordinary citizens who voted for them and they need to always act in the best interest of the nation. Every proposition from the executive needs to be carefully scrutinized and thoroughly debated before being voted on. No proposition is too urgent for the parliament to pass before doing their due diligence of scrutinizing. Parliament holds power and the President and ministers should have a lot more respect for them, but this will only happen if the members earn that respect by proving that they’re men and women of integrity, not puppets to be pushed around.

I wish to remind the executive and the parliament that Gambian voters are paying close attention and taking notes. Every action will have consequences come election time.

Honorable Halifa Sallah, the National Assembly Member for Serrekunda has clashed with Speaker Mariam Jack Denton who ordered him to leave the National Assembly.

“You are the one causing problems, get out,” Speaker Mariam Jack Denton told Halifa Sallah.

“No, you get out,” Halifa fired back. “Comport yourself because I respect you,” he added.

The Speaker then called for the security at the National Assembly to escort Honorable Sallah out of the Legislative Chambers. The police officer went to where Halifa was seated to ask him to leave but was waved by Sallah to go and sit down instead. The officer kept standing not knowing what to do.

At this juncture, the majority of the members stood up to show solidarity with the member for Serrekunda, saying if he leaves they would go along with him.

The Speaker said the session would not proceed without her order being respected but almost many of the members disagreed with her decision.

Halifa later withdrew his remarks for the sake of national interest and asked that the sittings proceed.

The tension was triggered by statements made by the Minister of Finance after his efforts to present the Framework Agreement between The Gambia and China on the provision of concessional loan was rejected by members of the assembly.

Honorable Sallah pointed out that the Minister should first present the Concessional Loan Agreement so that members would know what the loan agreement entails. He was seconded by the member for Upper Saloum.

The majority of the National Assembly Members also supported the observations made by the member for Serrekunda, Halifa Sallah.

Meanwhile, the session later resumed after members had internal discussions among themselves.

By Alieu Ceesay

The Chairman of the Independent Electoral Commission, Alieu Momar Njai has said that the upcoming Local Government Elections is going to be the last elections that Gambians will be voting using marbles.

In an interview, Njai said the Gambia will change to ballot papers in line with international practice.

According to him, it is much more cheaper to use the ballot papers than the marbles. Gambians will return to the Polls on April 12 and May 12 to elect their Councillors and Mayors for KM and Banjul.

Closed to 900, 000 registered voters will be voting at 1422 polling stations in 120 Wards across the country.

Aspiring candidates have been filing in their nominations at the different IEC Regional Offices. Njai, who speared the last Presidential and Parliamentary Elections assured a free and fair elections.

He urged Gambians to go out early to cast their votes. He advised the aspiring candidates to campaign within the spirit of unity and oneness.

“Elections come and go but Gambia remains. There are rules governing the campaign and all aspiring candidates have these rules.”

Vegetable sellers at The Brikama Fish Market are complaining about environmental pollution that is affecting their health and business.

According to the women, the pollution is caused by waste coming from the fish market to the drainage system which is blocked with piles of garbage bringing out a very bad odour. This they say is turning their customers away.

“We are paying daily duties to the Fish Market and the Area Council,” one of them said.

The desperate market women said both the council and the fish market management failed their responsibilities to collect the garbage to make the place environmentally friendly.

“We don’t have a choice because our livelihood depends on this place,” another one said.

The women further lamented about the unbearable attitude of some of the duty collectors threatening to remove anyone who does not pay.

Meanwhile, the Spokesperson of the Brikama Area Council could not be reached for comment.

State House, Banjul, 14 March 2018 – Diplomats from Japan, Mali, Rwanda and Angola presented their letters of credence to President Barrow at the State House, today.

Presenting their credentials, Excellencies, Shigero Omori of Japan, Binta  Kane–Cisse of Mali, Dr Mathias Harebamungu of Rwanda and Daniel Antonio Rosa  all expressed the desire of their governments to strengthen bilateral ties with The Gambia. They delivered messages of solidarity and brotherhood to President Barrow, while they congratulated him on his accession to the presidency.  The four ambassadors expressed their commitment to further strengthen ties with The Gambia beyond the diplomatic front to other areas of development.  These include youth empowerment, agriculture, trade, tourism, security, information technology, governance, fisheries and petroleum.

Receiving the letters of credence, President Barrow thanked the ambassadors and through them their respective Heads of State.  The President recalled the support provided to him during the political impasse in The Gambia.  He expressed his willingness to build on the cordial relations that exist between The Gambia and Japan, Mali, Rwanda and Angola respectively. President Barrow added that political will of African leaders could make African integration a reality.

In addition to the presentation of his credentials, the Japanese Ambassador Omori demonstrated the seriousness with which his government was prepared to support The Gambia with rice worth one hundred and ten million Dalasi (GMD110m), one and a half million Dollars ($1.5m) for youth empowerment through the International Labour Organisation -ILO in partnership with the International Organisation on Migration – IOM and a million Dollars for youth participation in agriculture.  Foreign Affairs Minister, Honourable Ousainou Darboe and Ambassador Shigeru Omori signed the cooperation agreement.

Fisheries Minister, Honourable James Gomez, Finance Minister, Amadou Sanneh, Secretary General Habib Drammeh and Permanent Secretary, Foreign Affairs, Ebrima Camara witnessed the presentations.

By Sana Sarr

Over the last week, the Gambian News Cycle has been dominated by recordings of former government officials with unflattering activity involving top officials at and around the national utility company, NAWEC. The first was an interview with John Jatta, a former civil engineer and Deputy Managing Director at NAWEC, and the second by Assan Faal, CEO of Gambia Investment Promotion Agency (GEIPA).

In his interview, Mr. Jatta explained among other things, how the company under the leadership of Managing Director Fatajo, signed an unrealistic, unwise, unprofitable and unproductive deal to source electricity from Senegal, against the advice of experts like himself. Mr. Jatta alleged that after NAWEC sent him to conduct a feasibility study on a competing proposal by a company in Dubai, his Managing Director told him that his report was not necessary because a decision had already been made, and went on to “comfort” him that he at least got a free holiday to Dubai. That’s just one of the many damning revelations in the interview but it pretty much summarizes the attitude of the leadership.

In a leaked audio recording, Mr. Assan Faal, Chief Executive Officer at the nation’s investment promotion agency is heard complaining about an ill-advised Twenty-five year deal signed by the Gambia government with a Turkish company called KINESIS. Again, against the advice of experts like himself. According to his analysis, NAWEC stands to lose $1.6 Million every month, and that’s just one of the problems with the deal.

While we acknowledge that both recordings are just one side of the stories, it is rather worrisome that nobody from NAWEC or the government of Adama Barrow has come out to refute any of the allegations. One is left to wonder WHY the government will remain silent with such damning allegations being levelled against them. Not the most convincing suggestion of innocence, is it? So, if these allegations are true, we still may not be entirely certain it’s 100% corruption, even though it’s hard to imagine anything else. However, we can agree that someone is at least guilty of gross mismanagement, negligence and/or incompetence! In our hopes of building a “New Gambia” on the path of progress, any and all of these should be a cause for alarm and immediate action. That brings me to the question of leadership. Will the real leaders please stand up?

With the allegations suggesting that the leadership of NAWEC are the guilty parties, we cannot possibly expect them to do nothing but try to bury this story beneath their old and dead generators. We also learned that the board of NAWEC  comprises individuals who own electrical and electricity companies in The Gambia, with conflicts of interest that anyone with an ounce of integrity would have avoided. Pigs will fly before they take action.

With all due respect, I’ve seen and heard enough from President Barrow over the past year to accept that the man is simply incapable of understanding complex issues. Running a government is no child’s play and this man found himself in waters too deep. When Gambians voted in 2016, many, myself included, supported the coalition candidate regardless of who it was, just to get rid of the evil dictator. We would have voted for a pig with lipstick on if that was the only candidate contesting against Jammeh.

I would therefore like to call on those who gave us Adama Barrow. OJ Jallow, Halifa Sallah, Mai Ahmad Fatty, Isatou Touray, Fatoumatta Jallow Tambajang and Ousainou Darboe, you are the ones who presented yourselves as political leaders, formed a coalition and presented this “political animal” to Gambians to elect to the presidency. Some of us expected that you all would go into the national assembly to serve as legislators to guide and hold Barrow and his government accountable, and to set The Gambia on a path to prosperity. It’s rather unfortunate that almost all of you chose the prestige of becoming ministers over the less glamorous service in the legislative, but I guarantee you that it’s not too late. Gambians, as supporters of your various political parties, collectively placed their trust in you all and voted for the candidate you endorsed. You owe it to the nation and the people, to rise to the occasion, provide guidance and hold the Barrow government accountable. Folding your arms while Barrow fails, hoping it paves a clearer path for your personal run for the presidency in a few years may seem expedient, but I can assure you that it will not work. Gambians will remember your participation, or your silence, in whatever success or failure this government registers. It also happens to be the honorable thing to do, you “Honorables”.
*I did not forget to include Hamat Bah and Henry Gomez. I just don’t expect much from either man.

By selling their souls to the president for one of those 57 vehicles, our National Assembly members showed us not to trust them, but I’ll still give it a shot and call on them to try and regain some dignity. Gambians voted for you all to represent them and be their voices. It is within your powers, and responsibility, to call the executive and the NAWEC management and demand answers about what is going on over there. When will the electricity problems be fixed? How? What deals have been signed? Were there any public tenders? Who bid for them and how were winners selected? etc. The Gambian people trusted you, elected you and pay you to ask these questions.

Will the real leaders please stand up!

P.S. By no means am I suggesting that one or all of these individuals and/or entities are innocent of partaking in possible corruption, mismanagement or incompetence. I’d just like to accord them the benefit of the doubt and the opportunity to prove that they’re not. Turning a blind eye leaves a foul smell. Over to my “Honorables”…

Up until now, many Gambians argue about the origin of the name of the country. While some claim that the country got its name from the River Gambia (Kambi Bolongo), others hold the view that some tourist of sort asked native speakers about where they were and the natives, not being able to respond in English, said Kambiyaa (Mandinka for Kambi’s home). These are two versions held in the country, at least among the educated citizens.

Another point of argument is how the article The came to be part of the country’s name. There is no clear-cut consensus on this either. People hold different views when it comes to the article and why it introduces the country’s name. I personally have asked many a scholar on Gambian History but could get even two people who agree on the same view.

In fact, there are many people who hold that the Independence of the country should be celebrated on April 24^th rather than 18^th February. For the former, it was in 1970 that the Gambia gained Republican Status and thus it is the right date to celebrate. The latter on the other hand say that independence was gained in 1965. Whenever this topic is brought up, a heated debate ensues, and one observes that people have no certain knowledge of the matter.

In light of the above, I think it is quite important for the government to initiate a study, a research to come out with factual findings and write our own official version of Gambian history instead of depending solely on the History written be the colonialist. It does not augur well for a whole country not knowing – or at least not being certain – how the name of the country came about. It should be made so that everyone in the country knows these details about our country. This I think will go a long way in creating and nurturing patriotism. A lack of patriotism is hindering the progress of our nation and not being able to truly identify with the country is the – or is one of – the causes of this lack of patriotism.

Now that we have the University of the Gambia, the government should initiate a project to conduct a thorough research which will put this matter to rest once and for all. This should not be difficult considering that at the University we have the needed human resources and expertise to do it.

In many countries, there is an official record of the history of the country. They record the successes and failures of all governments so that the future generation can learn from it. This is one way to sustain developmet and make it participatory. Citizens will take ownership and we will be put on a high pedestal of progress.

Have a Good Day Mr President…

Tha Scribbler Bah

A concerned Citizen