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“I Was Disappointed And Surprised Over President Barrow’s Statements in Turkey” Lawyer Salieu Taal

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“I Was Disappointed And Surprised Over President Barrow’s Statements in Turkey” Lawyer Salieu Taal

By Omar Wally

Lawyer Salieu Taal, one of the founders of#Gambia Has Decided, a civil society organization, has reacted to remarks made by President Adama Barrow in Turkey.

President Barrow made the remarks during a meeting with Gambians in Turkey where he said that it is very common now to find a whole space filled with ideas and criticisms.

He asked the whereabouts of some of those who are very vocal now adding that many of them were nowhere to be found when Jammeh refused to step down.

Reacting to President’s comments, Taal said he was surprised and disappointed listening to President Barrow speaking along those lines.

‘Even if a person or a group spoke lately, it is never too late to speak for what is right.’

As our leader and at this juncture in our nation’s democracy, the focus of the discussion should be on what we learned from the past, said Taal.

Taal: ‘We have to unlearn how we lived under Jammeh and learn how to live under a democracy. Gambia Has Decided played a pivotal role as a form of public defiance against Jammeh while he was in power.’

Taal said Gambians spoke very loud and that through the initiatives billboards were erected while Jammeh was in power; thousands of T-Shirts were printed and distributed mostly at their cost.

‘Because someone has been an activist for twenty years does not give them more rights and entitlements than the next person who started activism six months ago. Obama became President of US on the struggles of Martin Luther Kings, Malcolm X and many others. Rev Jackson has been in the struggle  longer but Obama was the one who enjoyed the fruits of the fight put up by African-Americans.’

When you fight for your country you fight for yourself, you don’t fight in expectation of any entitlement or benefits said Taal.

Taal added that what it takes to tackle dictatorship is different from what it takes to build a democracy. The Civil Society can only make Barrow a better president; it is in his interest to continue to engage the civil society.

‘Civil Society is not fighting with the president; civil society and the president have the same fight which is to develop the Gambia.’

THE NEED FOR A NEW GAMBIAN IN THE NEW GAMBIA

Fatu Camara
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THE NEED FOR A NEW GAMBIAN IN THE NEW GAMBIA

We – as a people – must seek and find ways of reawakening the zeal to read in our youth. It is often said that the youth are the leaders of tomorrow; but, they need not wait for tomorrow. I say that the youth are the leaders of today! That should be the aim. The youth must take centre stage in the running of the nation.

The truth is that we need to create a ‘new Gambian’ in the New Gambia. The Gambian of yester years has woefully failed us. For, fifty-two years after independence, we have failed to create the Gambia we want. We have failed to create a national identity of which our young ones are proud. The Gambian of old has not been able to rise above self-love, above the benefit of the individual and embrace that of the society. He has not taken the chances that the new dawn has ushered into the world, or seized the freedom that is being offered by the proliferation of information.

The Internet and other technological advancements have made it easier to seek knowledge (developmental eduacation) and wisdom and create a platform for self-actualization. We need to create a New Gambian who knows his heritage, who knows his yesterday and knows his worth; a New Gambian who will not only think of his food for the day, but will work on planning for tomorrow and the decades ahead. We need a New Gambian who knows that failing to plan is planning to fail.

This ‘New Gambian’ will know that we cannot depend on foreign aid and handouts. We cannot depend on importation of basic commodities like food. He will know that for us to move towards our progress, we need innovation and creativeness and entrepreneurship. He will know that we need to invest in an education which will produce job creators and not job seekers. Thus, he will solve the unemployment problem and find ways of enabling us to feed ourselves.

We need to create a Gambian who is politically, morally, socially and spiritually aware. This New Gambian, though will not be irreligious, will not be a fanatic either. He will not see tribes and ethnic differences as divisions which can be harbingers of wars and genocides, ethnic cleansings and bigotry, but he will see them as a boon which can be exploited and used to develop our country in such a way that our future generations can be proud of; so that, in the future, they can stand tall among the comity of nations and raise their voices.

We need to create a New Gambian who is consciously aware of his duties and responsibilities to protect and defend human rights. He will be, as the common parlance goes, ‘his brother’s keeper.’ If we do this we will have a society which is developed, advanced, aware and just. After all these, we will have lasting peace and stability.

In this struggle, we need all hands on deck, so to speak. We need an inclusive outlook which embraces all and sundry. Every individual must be a defender of human rights and an advocate for the rule of law. We must seek genuine and sincere engagement with government and elected officials. We need to appreciate genuine efforts of our government when there ia any, but also hold them to account whenever and wherever they fail or falter.

Additionally, we need to inculcate a love of country which goes beyond personal desire or party afliation. We must make the nation a nation that we will be proud of; and our children will bask in the rays of progress and equality.

With Love

Tha Scribbler Bah

GPU welcomes Ecowas Court ruling on Gambia anti-free speech laws

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GPU welcomes Ecowas Court ruling on Gambia anti-free speech laws

Banjul, February 15: The Gambia Press Union (GPU) welcomes the ruling made by the Abuja-based Ecowas Court of Justice on Wednesday February 14, on the legality of the laws of sedition, criminal defamation, false publication on the internet and false publication and broadcasting.

In 2015, the Federation of African Journalists (FAJ) along with four Gambian exiled journalists, namely Fatou Camara, Lamin Fatty, Alagie Jobe and Fatou Jaw Manneh, filed a suit against the Gambia government at the sub-regional court.

The complainants, in their prayers, sought an order from the court to condemn the Gambia’s criminalisation of speech through sedition, false news and defamation laws.

Following three years of deliberations, the Ecowas Community Court, in its ruling, ordered the Gambia government to repeal or amend the said laws.

The court held that the enforcement of these anti-free speech laws is a violation of freedom of expression and press freedom and are not in line with regional and international standards of freedom of expression.

“This ruling by the Ecowas Court is timely. It comes at a time we are working closely with the government and other media stakeholders with a view to reforming the media laws,” said GPU President, Bai Emil Touray.

“Moreover, these laws are also a subject of deliberation at the Supreme Court of The Gambia where we are expecting a judgment in the coming months. So, it is an important step in our drive to contribute to creating an enabling environment for press freedom as well as help the current administration to fulfill the promise it made to the electorate in the run up to the Presidential Elections held in December 2016.

He added: “The impact of the ruling goes beyond The Gambia. The decision will be a reference for countries across the Ecowas sub-region and hopefully, this will influence legal decision making on freedom of expression in other parts of the world.”

Meanwhile, the GPU wishes to express thanks and appreciation to its parent body, the Federation of African Journalists, for accepting to take the lead in this case. The Union also wishes to commend and congratulate the four Gambian journalists who took up the challenge despite repercussions to them and their families.

Moreover, the Union wishes to thank the UK-based Media Legal Defence Initiative (MLDI) for the initiative and the commitment and dedication devoted to not only this case, but also towards the Gambia media. The GPU is proud to have been associated with the case and has worked closely with FAJ and MLDI on the matter.

Furthermore, the Union wishes to express appreciation to the Gambia government for its cooperation. We urge the government to not relent in our collective efforts to creating an enabling environment for media freedom and development by implementing in full and without undue delay the decision of the court. The Union wishes to also remind the Government of the commitment it has made towards fulfilling the previous Ecowas Court decisions in favour of journalists Deyda Hydara, Chief Ebrima Manneh and Musa Saidykhan.

Signed

Saikou Jammeh, SG, GPU

Pristine Consulting Says It Has A Valid Contract With Government

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Pristine Consulting Says It Has A Valid Contract With Government

In response to the press statement issued by the Attorney General and Honorable Minister of Justice on Wednesday February 14th, 2018, we have the following statement to make .

“Pristine Consulting has a valid contract for the production of ID Cards and eBirth Certificates. In November 2017, we received a request for proposal signed by the Minister of Finance stating :

” due to non-compliance with our procurement laws of the purported contracts relating to the production of national documents, we (the new government of The Gambia) have arrived at the conclusion to initiate a new tender process to award the contract to the most responsive bidder”.

Pristine complied with the request for proposal and duly submitted its bid. It is instructive to learn through the Minster’s Statement that Semlex, the other bidder in the process, declined to comply with the request and instead of being disqualified, were in fact rewarded with a re-instatement of their contract, which had been terminated in 2016.

As far as we are concerned, our contract is still valid as it has not been terminated by the Government of The Gambia and Pristine is prepared to continue to deliver services in accordance with its contractual obligations”.

To learn more about our work on biometrics, please visit www.gambis.gm

Brief Reaction to The speech of President Barrow: President Barrow’s inflatable Speech and its Paradoxical summary

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Brief Reaction to The speech of President Barrow: President Barrow’s inflatable Speech and its Paradoxical summary

By Lamin Keita

The Paradigm of Everybody runs away, People you play with abandon you, People you dine and wine with abandon you, People who tell you day-in and day-out that they support your philosophical and ideological political values all-ignore you and consider you a loser, political neophyte and a hater of one’s country.

People of all fate run away, Brothers, sisters, uncles, fathers, mothers, and half-brothers were all exploited to the core, only to satisfy the whims and caprices of the authoritarian leader.

Even the most holier-than-thou-sanctimonious religious figures were scared to death, corrupted, and goes against the core values of what their religion dictates.

Many, including the civil society, political parties, and security services, all shut their doors against the people looking to bring today’s solace we are all enjoying.

Intellectuals abandoned their theories and learning such theories also became a mere farce and a tautological undertone. Political science and law became mere mantra of dramaturgical platform where you see kleptomaniac and egoistic nature of man displaying all characteristics of Machiavellianism.

Our country became a place of personality trait where individuals were more focused on their own interests, they will manipulate, deceive, and exploit others to achieve their goals. WHOLE OR PART?

Rhetorically, who stays without running away?

The stark reality is, many who had the opportunity to talk or write to a newspaper in order to defy and denounce the dictatorship, shun away from their civic duties as either enshrined in the universal declaration of human rights or our national constitution.

If the defenders of our country were all cow-towed, succumbed to fear and state coercive apparatus, then we must hail the defenders who remain with high esteem. However, Mr. President, to consider political precedents, such political truth telling must not be used as carrot and stick against people who were quiet or dine and wine with Jammeh.

It is time for national healing from the hazards of the twenty-two years of authoritarian durability and alienation, which Gambians will never forget. It is time to move on, and lay legacies of parameters that will make such authoritarianism impossible and would never ever prevail in our country.

For the records, Jammeh used such narratives against PPP’s failures only to silence and manipulate majority of The Gambians. Telling majority of The Gambians to zip it because PPP’S 30 years of rule was a mishap and none of us talk about it or confronted Jawara. Ironically, Jammeh’s rule became a political macabre in the history of our motherland, and above all, antithetical to all the yard sticks you can think of measuring democratic values. Personally, those who are talking must be listened to and you have the option to ‘separate the wheat from the chaff.’

As an instrument for political prowess and expediency, it is important and fundamental as head of a state you inspire your citizens with words of inspiration, encouragement, valor and determination instead of words of despair for an unknown future in this era of our new democracy.

I believe that the difference between a democratic and autocratic government is that the democratic government listen to its citizens (more inclusive, receptive, and accommodating) more, and also simultaneously subjected to frequent constructive or not constructive criticisms.

Visiting some political theories relating to democracy, that often gloomily paint democracy in the realm as never a matter of contestation, but competitiveness that comes with the rule of the GAME-legitimacy, which you already possess and that enable you today to the rule The Gambia. In brief, the legitimacy to rule must also come with the legitimacy of the procedural definition of Democracy that include tolerance to public opinion, but not to heap barriers against the oppositions or critiques.

Therefore, good or bad-mouthed talks will make your government responsive, robust in areas where you need to acclimatize. In this critical juncture in the historical chronicles of our country, whoever respond to the above itemized needs of our citizens will be my hero.

I undoubtedly agreed that there were lapses before as succinctly stated in your truth telling speech, but is time to put these courageous deeds into actions and lay a solid foundation and legacy for democratization- for us and the future generations to come.

For these reasons, we need value change, tolerance and increase secularization, and these characteristics need inspirational leadership qualities, which our country lacks for twenty-two consecutive years. I also believe leadership is a learning curve, where you learn every day, but only narratives without implementation through inclusion or participation will result to abysmal failures.

Relatively, a veritable example is from Mandela who could have plunged the entire nation of South Africa into chaos, but back tracked and decided to reconcile South Africans, specifically for national interest, and I strongly believe with optimism you can do this.

When Things Were Tough, President Barrow Ran To Senegal

Fatu Camara
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When Things Were Tough, President Barrow Ran To Senegal

President Barrow’s statement in Turkey is very disappointing, corrosive and imprecise. This is not what is expected from a president who claims, that there is democracy in the New Gambia. His speech was an embodiment of divisiveness and very misleading.

When things were tough during the impasse, President Barrow and his show-man Mai Fatty ran to Senegal. They were hiding in Senegal leaving Gambians in a state of limbo and uncertainty.

Gambians had already voted for Barrow and he should have make sure, he stood by the people during those trying moments for the nation, but he chose to exercise a cowardice action by self-exiling himself until calm and normalcy was restored and the eventual departure of Yahya Jammeh.

If it was not for the efforts and solidarity of the civil society organizations, Human Rights activists and groups, TANGO, the GPU, Gambia Bar Association, ECOWAS, AU, and Gambians in the Diaspora, etc,Jammeh would have forcefully stayed and it would have only mean One thing, either back to the polls or the bullet.

The president should be grateful to the civil society organizations because they have been fighting against dictatorship and tyranny since 1994. President Barrow must know, that a democratic state cannot be stable unless it is effective and legitimate, with the respect and support of its citizens.

The civil society is a vital partner in the quest for a positive relationship between a democratic state and its citizens. The president’s speech can be describe as an attempt to silence the CSOs (civil society organizations). We are seeing a similar playbook of pattern that Yaya Jammeh in his early days into office was playing to suppress dissent. Gambians voted for change to effect democracy, and that is why we have the freedom and liberty to express divergent views more than ever before.

Apparently, it seems that the president is aiming to veto public criticisms but this is just the beginning, it is not even the begining of the end but perhaps the end of the beginning. In the new Gambia our leaders must learn to accept constructive criticisms and freedom of expression.

Gambians of all and sundry, participated in the bringing about change by voting against Jammeh. So Barrow should seek to be politically correct to unite and reconcile our country rather than speaking in a way that will fan division.

I’ll conclude by saying bravo to the Gambian voters, our gallant CSOs, human rights activists and politicians for effecting change.

MC Cham Jnr National Youth Mobiliser GDC.

“Pristine Consulting Has No Existing Contracts With Government” Justice Minister

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“Pristine Consulting Has No Existing Contracts With Government” Justice Minister

Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, February 14, the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubacar Tambadou has said that Pristine Consulting’s contract with The Gambia Government for the printing of biometric ID cards had expired in 2014.

He added that based on recommendations by a ministerial task force set up to look into the issue, the government made a decision to recognize and restore the existing June 2016 Contract with Semlex which he said was purportedly terminated by the previous government.

He explained that the principal reason why it took almost a year to reach this decision was because a Gambian-owned Company, Pristine Consulting was also involved in this activity but their contract had expired since 2014.

The Justice Minister posited that the government gave Pristine Consulting a fair opportunity to compete with Semlex and invited both companies to submit bids for the production of Biometric ID Cards.

He added that a ministerial task force was established which included him and the Ministers of Finance and Information respectively.

Justice Minister Tambadou said the task force arrived at two options, to either award the contract to Pristine Consulting and then face international arbitration proceedings with all attendants legal and financial cost or to recognize and restore Semlex’s June 2016 contract without any legal and financial costs.

He concluded that the ministerial task force recommended the second option to cabinet, which is to honor Semlex’s 2016 contract.

The Fatu Network will contact Pristine Consulting for their reaction to this story.

“Dr Ceesay’s Rights Were Not Violated” Justice Minister Tambadou

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“Dr Ceesay’s Rights Were Not Violated” Justice Minister Tambadou

The Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubacarr Tambadou has said that the questioning of Dr Ismaila Ceesay by the police did not violate his rights.

Minister Tambadou who was speaking to journalists at a press briefing held at the Victims Centre for Human Rights Violations said there are positive things to take from the incident including the fact that the civil society was galvanized.

“We want to make clear that Dr Ceesay’s rights were not in any way violated,” Justice Minister Abubacarr Tambadou said.

“The police have a duty to investigate if they have reasons to believe that a crime was committed,” he added.

Tambadou said it was his understanding that Dr Ceesay who was invited to the police responded to the invitation by driving in his own car to the police station, adding that when he was requested to go home, he refused to leave the station.

The Justice Minister said in the quest for a new Gambia where respect for fundamental human rights is sacrosanct, people must understand that the state also has responsibilities to maintain law and order.

“It is not the role of the civil society to determine what constitutes a crime or a violation of a right to freedom of expression,” Minister Tambadou asserted.

The Justice Minister highlighted the responsibilities of courts, saying that is how democratic systems all over the world function.

“I say this because some of the statements made in connection to Dr Ceesay’s matter are unjustified,” he said.

When asked whether the questioning of Dr Ceesay would not derail freedom of expression or deter others from speaking their minds, Justice Minister Tambadou agreed to some extent but added that it would be a challenge for them.

 

Reacting to the Minister Tambadou’s comments, Dr. Ismaila Ceesay said this.

“I am appalled to learn that the Minister of Justice Baa Tambedou, a man I have huge respect for, has attempted to mislead Gambians by claiming that I was just called by the police for questioning and that my ‘rights were not violated’. This is a clear distortion of the facts”.

Dr. Ceesay went further to explained what he said happened at the police station on that day.

“This is how the event unfolded: I was called for questioning at Police HQ in Banjul. Upon arrival, I was interrogated for 3 hours and then detained in a cell for 5 hours. I was then charged for Inciting violence.

He added  “If I was only called for questioning and then asked to go home, as Minister Tambedou purports, why was I charged and offered self bail as was claimed by the police in their press statement on the day I was released? It is disingenuous for the Minister to distort the facts of the events”.

“I think the Minister and the police should be honest to the Gambian people and endeavor to tell the truth”. He concluded

ECOWAS Court delivers landmark decision in one of our strategic cases challenging the laws used to silence and intimidate journalists in the Gambia

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ECOWAS Court delivers landmark decision in one of our strategic cases challenging the laws used to silence and intimidate journalists in the Gambia

On 14 February 2018, the Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) delivered a landmark judgment in which it found that the rights of four Gambian journalists had been violated by the actions of the Gambian authorities, and through the enforcement of laws criminalising speech. The judgment also recognised that the criminal laws on libel, sedition and false news disproportionately interfere with the rights of Gambian journalists and directed that the Gambia “immediately repeal or amend” these laws in line with its obligations under international law.

“This is a significant judgment, not only for the Gambia but also for the West African region as a whole.” Said Jonathan McCully, our Senior Legal Officer, who was present at the hearing, “the ECOWAS Court expressed in the strongest terms the crucial role that the media play in society, and unequivocally condemned the enforcement of criminal laws against journalists for carrying out this role.”

We worked with a team of international and Nigerian lawyers to file the case in December 2015 on behalf of four exiled Gambian journalists who had been arrested and detained by the Gambian authorities because of their journalistic work, and who later fled the country out of fear of further persecution. Two of the journalists were also subject to torture whilst in the custody of the National Intelligence Agency following their arrests. The case was also brought in the name of the Federation of African Journalists, which acted as a representative of all Gambian journalists whose rights have been, and continue to be, violated by the maintenance of criminal laws on libel, sedition and false news.

In its judgment, the ECOWAS Court held that the arrest and detention of the four Gambian journalists amounted to violations of their rights to freedom of expression, liberty and freedom of movement. The ECOWAS Court also recounted in detail the torture that was inflicted on two of the journalists, which included beatings, detention in poor conditions, and the infliction of electric shock. It relied on the testimony of the journalists, as well as independent medical evidence provided with the assistance of the International Rehabilitation Council for Torture Victims, to conclude that there had been a violation of the prohibition on torture.

The ECOWAS Court also considered the “root” cause of the claims brought before it, namely the Gambian criminal laws on libel, sedition and false news. It quoted extensively from jurisprudence of the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, and the United Nations Human Rights Committee, in reaching the conclusion that these laws were “obvious” and “gross” violations of the right to freedom of expression. The Court indicated that it was particularly important that laws applicable to speech be “narrowly drawn” because of the “chilling effect” that can be caused by vagueness or imprecision.

“At the time this case was filed, the Gambian media were operating in a climate of fear with journalists being arrested, detained, tortured, and even murdered for simply carrying out their work.” Said Jonathan McCully, “this judgment is an important means to achieving redress for journalists whose rights had been violated under the previous regime of Yahya Jammeh, and for securing a favourable environment for journalists in the Gambia. We hope that the Gambia will implement this decision without delay.”

“This judgment provides an impressive overview of international norms on freedom of expression and the media,” observed Gabriel Baglo, General Secretary of Federation of African Journalists, who was also in attendance, “as reform is already underway in the Gambia, we hope that the decision of the ECOWAS Court will be fully taken into consideration by those responsible for reform of the media law.”

Noah Ajare, the lawyer representing the Applicants, said “this is a landmark judgment that will benefit journalists and freelancers across the continent, who have seen journalists systematically tortured and dehumanised over the years in the Gambia. I commend the boldness of the justices of the ECOWAS Court in delivering this extraordinary and epoch-making judgment.”

The Applicants were also represented by London-based barristers Can Yeginsu and Anthony Jones. For additional information, or to arrange an interview with a representative from MLDI, the Nigerian lawyer acting for the applicants, Noah Ajare, or a contact person from the Federation of African Journalists please contact Jonathan McCully on +44 7557 917 184 or send an email to [email protected].

Amicus briefs were also filed on behalf of REDRESS, the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression, and a coalition of eight free speech organisations.

Source: MLDI

ECOWAS court rules Gambia violated rights of journalists

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ECOWAS court rules Gambia violated rights of journalists

 

By CPJ

February 14, 2018 3:14 PM ET

New York, February 14, 2018–The Committee to Protect Journalists called on the Gambian government to act on a judgment passed today by the Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to immediately repeal its laws on criminal libel, sedition, and false news.

ECOWAS found that Gambia’s laws criminalizing speech and its treatment of four journalists during their arrest violated their rights, a statement by the Media Legal Defence Initiative said. The journalists– Fatou Camara, Fataou Jaw Manneh, Alhagie Jobe, and Lamin Fatty–live in exile for fear of further persecution, the statement said.

“We are delighted with today’s judgment and see it as helping to close the door on the harassment of the press under Gambia’s then President Yahya Jammeh,” said CPJ Africa Program Coordinator Angela Quintal. “Gambia’s government, under President Adama Barrow, must ensure there are no delays in acting on the ECOWAS judgment so that the media can operate freely without fear of reprisal.”

CPJ and partner organizations filed an amici curiae brief to ECOWAS as part of the case.

Former General Saul Badgie’s Wife Detained

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Former General Saul Badgie’s Wife Detained
The wife of former general, Saul Badjie is currently detained at the Brusubi Police station security sources say.
Aisha jallow who was picked up at 10am Monday morning is detained under the criminal investigations unit.
She is said to have been caught smuggling material from his house to another house.

Sources say the arrest was affected by the task force that operates under the purview of the ministry of justice.

We Need A Unifying and Inclusive Leader and NOT A DIVISIVE PRESIDENT!

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We Need A Unifying and Inclusive Leader and NOT A DIVISIVE PRESIDENT!

President Adama Barrow must realize that as a public officer he will be and he must be held to account for his decisions, policies, actions and manner of leadership. No amount of misconceived, misguided, false, divisive and ungrateful statements can prevent Gambians and the civil society in particular from holding him to account. If he cannot live up to that scrutiny then let him step down as a public officer.

The utterly misleading statements Barrow uttered in Turkey must be condemned by all and asked to retract them.

Pres. Barrow must understand that Gambians have been standing up against dictatorship well before UDP was born. Many were killed well before Solo Sandeng of blessed memory was killed. Many fought in silence because to fight dictatorship comes in various forms. Many were not members of political parties but did nothing less than any party!

The Gambia Press Union was standing up well before anyone!!!

When Yaya Jammeh refused to accept the results it was The Gambia Bar Association that first openly condemned him to be followed by a barrage of CSOs. When Barrow was elected several CSOs paid him a courtesy call to solidarize with him. It was The Gambia Has Decided movement that took the matter to another level.

If Barrow now asks what folks did in the past and on that basis question people why they are speaking up now, is it because he wants to silence people? If people said they don’t want another Yaya Jammeh is that not a genuine call especially if we see him follow some of the same Yaya Jammeh steps and tactics?

What is even more scary was when Barrow chided the intellectuals as cowards and useless. Is this not the same infantile and dishonest attitude of Yaya Jammeh to stifle knowledge and intellectualism?

Let Barrow stop playing to the gallery and politicizing our government and pushing the presidency to the down low. His comments are a direct threat to freedom of expression and association and therefore utterly unbecoming of a president that comes immediately after a dictator.

Gambians will speak up today and tomorrow regardless of whether they spoke up yesterday. And indeed Gambians have been speaking since yesterday and Barrow cannot now rewrite that history!

When Deyda Hydara was speaking up yesterday where was Adama Barrow? Which political party protested at the murder of Deyda Hydara or the burning down of the Independent Newspaper or Radio 1fm? When Dr Isatou Touray was speaking up yesterday where was Adama Barrow? When ActionAid was threatened with closure and the country director deported where was Adama Barrow?

If Adama Barrow has forgotten the history we have not forgotten that history and he cannot change the narrative of that history today!

Yaya Jammeh committed numerous atrocities in this country yet we did not see UDP or Adama Barrow lead a protest as opposition parties do in other countries such as Senegal! It was clear that if Solo Sandeng had consulted the UDP he was not going to get a green light to protest. Hence Solo Sandeng’s protest was not a UDP protest but a citizens protest. UDP cannot own that protest!

UDP only reacted because Solo was their member otherwise the UDP leadership would not have marched to the police station as they never did so when 16 Gambian Children were massacred in 2000 or the summary execution of nine Mile 2 inmates in 2012 or the witch hunting and the subsequent brutalization of hundreds of elders in Foni in 2009 among many other atrocities.

Pres. Barrow must withdraw this very false, misleading, divisive, ungrateful and lowlife statement immediately!

What a scary and disappointing comment from someone we expected better!

For The Gambia Our Homeland

UDP holds rally At Brikama

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UDP holds rally At Brikama

The United Democratic Party UDP holds its first political rally at Brikama after the ban on political rallies was lifted by the Inspector General of Police.

The ban was imposed by the IGP shortly after the political clashes between APRC supporters and villagers of Busumbala.

Speaking at the mass rally at Brikama, Lawyer Ousainou Darboe, Secretary General of UDP commended his party members for coming out in doves to attend the rally.

Darboe who is the current Minister of Foreign Affairs told supporters that the party is ever united since inception from 1996 to date.

“This is the time for us to unite because the president is relying on you” Ousainou Darboe told supporters.

“You’re the ones who gave him 31 Parliamentarians in the National Assembly after you made him win against 3 contestants at the convention to lead the Coalition 2016” he added.

The UDP Secretary General said President Barrow cannot be comfortable on the seat of the presidency unless the UDP wins the upcoming local government elections massively. He spoke about the sacrifices made by the late Shyngle Nyassi, Sarjo Kunjang Sanneh and Colonel Sam Sillah among others.

“Be careful of tarnishing the images of good people especially Amadou Sanneh (Minister of Finance) who was the National Treasurer of UDP and was locked in prisons by the former regime,” he said.

Darboe refuted allegations that they are amassing wealth for themselves, saying they are helping President Barrow in his development goals.

“The people who are close to President Barrow should be careful because he has trust in them, but if they betray the trust bestowed on them, they could face the commission of inquiry in the next government,” he asserted.

He urged party supporters to be law abiding particularly National Assembly Members who he said are not following their heart desires but serving the national interest. Darboe said his party will not join any party in the next presidential election but will contest on their own.

Aji Yam Seck, Deputy Party Leader of the United Democratic Party UDP called on party supporters to unite.

“We should come together as UDP supporters to support our own candidates,” Aji Yam Seck said.

She told supporters that President Barrow has learned politics from party leader Ousainou Darboe.

“President Barrow has always attest to the fact that Ousainou Darboe is his father in politics,” she asserted.

“UDP is one party,” she added. She urged the people to select the best candidates for mayoral and chairmanship positions for the upcoming local government elections.

Meanwhile, Honourable Alhagie S Darboe announced that the primaries for the selection of mayoral and chairmanship candidates is moved to next Saturday.

Jammeh excluded from 36 ‘Most Wanted List’

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Jammeh excluded from 36 ‘Most Wanted List’

Referred by some people as Gambia’s “most wanted criminal”, ex-President Yahya Jammeh’s name has been absent from the list compiled by Gambia’s security and intelligence authorities.

This list came on the heels of the recent “security scandal” that hit The Gambia following the entry into the country of two top army generals loyal to Jammeh. The two were based in Equatorial Guinea with Yahya Jammeh since the dictator fled the country into exile last year.

The list is already distributed to various border posts, security installations, and entry points around the country in a bid to improve alertness of the system that exists. It comprises names of 17 military officials, some of whom fled the country after Jammeh left for Equatorial Guinea, while others even before he departed.

The other home-based suspects being investigated for alleged crimes are not made public so far, The Point can confirm.

Lt. Col. Solo Bojang, Gen. Umpa Mendy, Warrant Officer Class 1 Malick Manga, Warrant Officer Class 1 Nfansu Nyabally, Lt. Col. Sana Manjang, Maj. Modou Jarjue, Maj. Landing Tamba, Maj. Kawsu Camara, Staff Sgt. Saikouba Jarjue, Staff Sgt. Sulayman Sambou, Lt. Col. Nuha Badjie, Capt. Mustapha Sanneh, Capt. Michael Kora, Capt. Michael Jatta, Gen.  Ansumana Tamba, Gen. Bora Colley, and Lt. Gen Sulayman Badjie have their names and faces pasted on the page on the wall of several security installations in town.

However, what is still baffling is the matter of former President, whether or not he is “officially wanted” by the government of The Gambia, in connection with crimes allegedly committed by him or in his name.

“Jammeh’s name is not included and there is no arrest warrant issued for him,” a security source said. “Technically, even if he walks through the airport today, we do not have authority to effect an arrest on him,” the source added.

Fallout with Jammeh?

Chief of Defense Staff of the Gambia Armed Forces has said that the arrested generals, AnsumanaTamba and Umpa Mendy returned home after falling out with the former president in his exile base.

“Preliminary investigations revealed the two were dissatisfied with their living conditions and had strained relations with the former president in Equatorial Guinea,” Gen. Kinteh is reported to have said at a press conference held on Saturday.

The General Kinteh admitted “security lapse” at the National Security Council for their lack of intel on the return of the two generals from exile, hence an inquiry has been set up to look into this. The two generals deserted their duty posts hence showing their disloyalty to the state and stayed away for a year, Kinteh explained.

In Malabo

Meanwhile, family sources of Umpa Mendy have said the general has been complaining of life in exile since June 2017, seeking to return despite security implications of his entry into the country.

What is not still clear was what were the Jammeh loyalist military “deserters” not “satisfied” with even though media reports claim the dictator was living “a five-star lifestyle” in an isolated island from mainland Malabo.

Some sources also point to cutting off of Jammeh’s sources of offshore funding, when the U.S. Treasury frozen his assets and shell companies outside of The Gambia. “Jammeh had called his men in December and informed them that they were free to return if they choose to,” a top intelligence source also added.

Source: The Point Newspaper

The Gambia’s Voice Was Diminished ’-Foreign Minister Darboe

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The Gambia’s Voice Was Diminished ’-Foreign Minister Darboe

By Omar Wally

The actions of one man (Yahya Jammeh) to withdraw The Gambia from the Commonwealth had far reaching effects on The Gambia says Gambia’s Foreign Affairs Minister.

In October 2013, former President Yahya Jammeh took a unilateral decision to withdraw Gambia from the Commonwealth describing the collection of 54 countries as a neo-colonial institution.

Jammeh did not give reasons as to why he pulled Gambia out of the Commonwealth. After five years of being out, The Gambia Thursday, February 8 was re-admitted.

The commonwealth charter was handed over to Foreign Minister Darboe at a ceremony in Banjul. He said when Gambia was withdrawn, the country’s voice was diminished on permanent issues on global platforms such as climate change, economic development and south-south cooperation which are vital to the development of The Gambia.

‘Gambia’s flag has been hoisted and took its rightful place among that of distinguished flags of the commonwealth family.’

Darboe said The Gambian judiciary will ones again be able to recruit judges from other Commonwealth countries, enjoy immigration privileges in UK which were all suspended in November 2015.

Gambia will now actively participate in Commonwealth games and other sporting activities, Darboe noted.

The Education System Is a Woeful Failure

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The Education System Is a Woeful Failure

Musa Bah

Nusrat Senior Secondary School

The ongoing push and pull between a group of teachers and the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education has highlighted once again, the serious flaws in our education system. A press release from the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education has some grammatical errors which make it unworthy of coming from a ministry. A response from the group of teacher protestors who refer to themselves as Taskforce is even worse. One wonders how on earth our children will have a good education if the teachers and the ministry cannot even write an error-free letter!

The education system is so prescribed that it does not leave any room for origination. Students are expected to memorize theories and formulas to be reproduced in examinations. Thus when they reproduce what they learnt, they pass exams with good grades and are deemed to be educated. However, most of the times when these people go the real world, they can’t do anything beneficial. An education system that is so prescribed produces ministry officials who cannot write letters or press releases.

In the past few years, tens of thousands of students have completed senior school without the required number of credits to have admission in our university or any other for that matter. These people are then considered failures in society because they have spent twelve years of their lives in an education system and cannot qualify to go to university. Additionally, they have no skills or techniques so they can’t be employed.  This is why majority of skilled workers in the Gambia are foreigners. In a study I conducted with some of my students, we discovered that 59% of fishermen in the country are foreigners. Where are the Gambians? Something tells me that other areas of skilled labour have similar figures.

The unemployment rate among the youth is currently a staggering 70%. No wonder there is a huge problem of young people trying to reach the shores of Europe and dying in the Mediterranean seas. A large number of youth have taken to a life of crime because it is the easiest route to go. The second largest contributor our national income – tourism – is facing serious problems because the youth hassle the tourists to an extent that it is threatening to reduce the number of tourists who visit the Gambia.

There is child prostitution and the sex tourism is booming. The number of girls who complete grade 12 and cannot go to university is so high that some are forced to go into the sex trade. It is these people who – because they can speak English – who find it easier to befriend the Europeans in order to get something from them. This contributes to the rising crime rates and thus the violence against women and the murders keep happening.

Our education system needs to be relevant to our developmental aspirations. We must reorient our youth to enable them create jobs instead of seeking jobs. The system must recognize that not everyone is – can – be an academician. But equally, it must recognize that no one is stupid. Everyone is good at something or the other. We must seek to identify what the children are good at and push them in that direction. With this, they will learn a craft in which they are interested. By the time they complete senior school they will be able to do something on their own. Thus they will not depend on any employer; rather, they will be self-employed. This will have a positive impact on the unemployment rate, decrease the crime rate and generate enough income to revitalize our economy.

These are observations which can be used to begin to solve our problems. We need to rethink our education so as to impact on our development process. We need thinkers, researchers and a political will to pull us out of this quagmire. The leadership since independence has not been able to give us the life we need and deserve. Every section of Gambian society is affected one way or the other. We cannot blame the officials of the ministry or the teachers who wrote those embarrassing press releases, they simply wrote what they have been taught.

A complete change of direction is needed but it requires courage and political commitment. As we have the university, we have a bank from which we can withdraw, so to speak. Let the university be used to conduct research on all areas of development so that our policymakers can base decisions on scientific facts.

With these actions, we – as a nation – will solve many of our problems. We could produce enough food right here so that we don’t depend ever again on food importation. We will solve the problem of unemployment which has a direct link with the crime rate. This will also improve the health of our people and improve the standard of living.

Another benefit we will derive from overhauling the education system is having peace and stability in the long term. This is of extreme importance as security does not only have to do with soldiers and police and guns and whatnot, it has to do with economics as well. An employed youth who is receiving a good remuneration is less likely to join a gang of criminals or a rebel group. He would want to protect his way of life and that is the incentive for peace.

Peace is not the absence of violence but the presence of justice (economic justice inclusive).

President Barrow Youth Movement President Resigns

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President Barrow Youth Movement President Resigns

The President of The President Barrow Youth Movement for National Development, Ndey Fatima Jammeh has tendered her resignation to the movement Thursday afternoon.

In a letter addressed to executive members and advisers of the Movement, Ndey stated that she was chosen to lead the group on transparent basis, not on the promise that they will be loyal to each other.

“However spirits faded away because of few individual’s personal interest which is not what we wanted” She added.

Below is a copy of her resignation letter.

Executive members and advisors of PBYND,

RESIGNATION

I hereby tender my resignation as the President, President Barrow Youth for National Development.

To set records straight, I was chosen to lead this group on a transparent basis and on the promise that we will loyal to each other. However, spirit faded away because of few individual’s personal interest and that is not the agenda we wanted .

We as dynamic youths should work for the best interest of our dear motherland and put personal interest aside .

I wouldn’t be part of anything that will be a threat or to jeopardise the peace and democracy of my Country.

It was indeed a pleasure working with all of you .

You are all intelligent and independent with mighty heart and brain.

I want to Thank each and everyone that stand by us in good and bad times .

Thank you all
Yours Sincerely
Ndey Fatima Jammeh

In another development, Lamin K. Saidy, adviser to the movement has also tendered his resignation.

Dear Madam President Resignation I write to tender my resignation as an adviser to the President Barrow Youth for National Development.

When I accepted this responsibility few months ago in the spirit of providing my little support to youth empowerment initiatives never has a day gone by which I regretted my past decision.

However, over the past months the nation is divided in opinion about the formation of such a group attributing it to politics. To many, it has the potential of undermining democratic principles on which our newfound democracy is built on.

Personally, I have not seen anything suggesting the above assumptions for now. However, as someone working with civil society, my conduct will have a direct bearing with the credibility of my organisation thus the need for my resignation.

This decision is personal but closely linked to my professional undertaking.

I appreciate the opportunity given to me and wish you all best of luck. I will always be a call away when needed. You all have my undying respect…

Sincerely yours,

Lamin K.Saidy

A THREAT TO NATIONAL SECURITY: A CAUSE FOR CONCERN

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A THREAT TO NATIONAL SECURITY: A CAUSE FOR CONCERN

By Ousman Mbowe

Over the years, the world has found its head sinking in the shackles of anarchy, strife, and mass destruction of lives and properties due to the acts of very few people. Man has been endowed with the ability to reason and to make just judgement before acting. However, when people become indoctrinated, and are made to think in only one direction, without being given the chance to reason, it reverts man into an animalistic state wherein all his senses of right and wrong are overshadowed with only the instincts to execute what he is meant to believe.

Everyone today is aware of the disasters occurring in other countries throughout the world. Unfortunately, when we look at all the countries in chaos, majority are Muslim-dominant countries. Islam, which literally stands for peace, has been distorted by extremist-minded scholars who teach their followers that there is salvation in killing someone who adheres to a different belief from theirs. Innocent people have been turned into killing machines, not having the slightest regard for national security, the lives of women, children, and even men who have done nothing worth being killed for. This is all due to the false presentation of the true teachings of Islam by the Islamic scholars, who by the word of their mouth, and their acts, promote the killing of adherents to other faiths, promising salvation and paradise to the doers of those atrocities. This reminds me of one narration of the sayings of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (saw) who is quoted to have said:

“By the one in whose hand is my soul, a time will surely come to people in which the killer does not know why he has killed, and the one killed does not know why he was killed.” (Sahih Muslim, 2908).

This unfortunate situation is what the world finds itself entangled into. Innocent people worldwide are being killed mercilessly without committing any crime. The ones who commit such atrocities don’t themselves know what offence those innocent souls committed for which they were killed.

This is just a quick overview of what the world is going through; a situation which has torn down developed countries, brought both the rich and the poor to their helpless knees, turned comfortable people homeless, and destroyed the peace and comfort of every nation in which such was encouraged. This is exactly what Imam Abdullah Fatty is trying to do in the Gambia, and I call upon the authorities to take the right step now before our beloved and beautiful Gambia turns into ruins and ashes due to the words and actions of hate-preacher(s) like him.

On Friday 2nd February 2018, Imam Abdullah Fatty had a radio program at Star FM Radio station (96.6fm) between the hours of 9pm to 10 ….pm. He said a very serious statement which is a very powerful spark to national instability and the threat to National Security. He said in his own words “One day, I was sitting at night and young men came to me. They said to me that at this very moment, 300 young men are seated, ready. We came to you, only to ask you to command us to attack these people (the Ahmadis). I said Abadan! Don’t do it. The young men cried! I said to them that ‘if you attack them (the Ahmadis), the game will be spoiled because it will then be between you and the government, and I will not be able to bear it; the image of Muslims and Islam will be tarnished’.”

First of all, if youth of this country chose to approach Imam Abdullah Fatty to seek permission to attack the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at simply due to difference in beliefs or more so specifically due to the fact that Ahmadis applied to the government through a legal and democratic process for a television license, it only portrays that they have either been mentored by Imam Abdullah Fatty himself to develop such ideas and thoughts, or have seen him as a potential leader or accomplice to such plans and acts.

Secondly, Imam Abdullah Fatty being someone believed to be a scholar of Islam, I was hoping to at least hear him say to the youth that Islam doesn’t allow anyone to attack another due to difference in beliefs. Rather, he said to the youth that they shouldn’t attack the Ahmadis “otherwise it will be between them and the government, and he (Imam Abdullah Fatty) will not be able to bear it”; he did not tell the youth that their intention was wrong, nor did he tell them that it is against the laws of the land, and the laws of Islam. He only told them to stop, fearing to have problems with the government. Who knows what else he said to those youth after that! Not cautioning those youth in relation to the laws but being concerned about his personal image and status with the government, it clearly shows that he is encouraging such acts, and promoting them, but only waiting for the ripe time to act.  Here is a man, clearly being a wolf in sheep clothing, pretending to the government that he has regard for the government, whereas he is only playing a game of deception. This same Imam Abdullah Fatty is the one who, in 1997, said on a pulpit that “all Ahmadis should be taken to the 22nd July Square, and slaughtered like sheep”. How can such a man be trusted by the government to be innocent of inciting such violent thoughts and ideologies in the youth of our dear motherland today?

I would like to kindly ask the authorities responsible for intelligence and security—the SIS, NIA, Police—or whoever may be responsible, to place an investigation on Imam Abdullah Fatty. I strongly advice the government to take him in for interrogation for two main things:

  • Imam Abdullah Fatty should tell the intelligence and security unit who those boys are, whose attempt is directly tantamount to the distabilisation of the peace and stability of our dear and peaceful Gambia. If these boys are left unidentified and taken into custody, their next attempt may lead to mayhem. Religious uprising don’t have happy endings either for the people or the country. The world is there for us to see and learn!
  • Imam Fatty is cooking up stories, falsely claiming that boys came to him asking for permission to attack the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama’at. By doing this, he is spreading into the minds and hearts of people, particularly the youth, that such attempts and actions are possible, and that they only need the permission of someone like him to carry out such acts when the right time comes.

In either situation, Imam Abdullah Fatty should be called upon by the intelligence and security units for interrogation to either identify the boys who are intending to act as rebels to the law of the State, or to take Imam Abdullah Fatty himself into custody for inciting violence and discord in this country, a big course for concern to our beloved National Security which is cherished by all.

This is the birth of religious extremism, suicide bombings, instability and the destruction of the cohesion and brotherhood of any country, and of course The Gambia. If the government doesn’t take necessary action, I tell you that whatever this country in plunged into by Imam Abdullah Fatty and his kind, it will be too late to stop or reverse, and the blood of every citizen will be on your hands for not acting when you should.

From a humble and concerned citizen!

Kindly reflect on these words:

For the Gambia, our homeland, we strive and work and pray, that all may leave in unity, freedom and peace each day. Let justice guide our actions towards the common good. And join our diverse peoples to prove man’s brotherhood. We pledge our firm allegiance, our promise we renew; keep us, great God of nations, to The Gambia ever true!

UTG Faculty & Staff Association Says Press Release On The Release Of Dr. Ceesay Is Full Of Misinformation

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UTG Faculty & Staff Association Says Press Release On The Release Of Dr. Ceesay Is Full Of Misinformation

2nd February, 2018

PRESS RELEASE

The University of the Gambia Faculty and Staff Association wishes to respond to the press release issued by the Gambia Police Force dated the 1st of February 2018. Following an appeal by the police to disperse the crowd that formed at the entrance of the Police headquarters in Banjul in the early hours of the February 1st, demanding Dr. Ceesay’s unconditional release with a public apology, senior police officers including the police PRO in attendance had given their word that charges have be withdrawn and that the police will apologize. However, the press release issued a few hours afterwards did not only contradict that promise but it was also full of misinformation.

The release claimed that “Dr. Ceesay was interviewed until 22:00 hours when he was granted self-bail which he declined to accept”. This is a clear misinformation. First of all, it doesn’t follow logic that someone who has merely been invited to be interviewed and not arrested and detained could be granted self-bail.  The fact is that Dr. Ismaila Ceesay was invited for questioning on the 31st of January, 2018 around 13:30pm, interrogated for three hours and later put behind bars for 5 hours with no explanation offered on his detention. Meanwhile, friends and family including his ailing mother demanded some explanation from both the officers at the Interpol and the Serious Crime Unit where they all denied knowledge of who ordered his detention or why in fact he was detained. It is one thing to be called for questioning and allowed to leave when that is done, and quite another to be put away in a cage as if you were a criminal or a dangerous animal and no one willing to explain why that was happening.

8 hours passed before Dr. Ceesay was finally summoned at the Serious Crime Unit for further questioning, and charged for incitement of violence under section 59 of the criminal code which states: “A person, who, without lawful excuse prints, publishes or to any assembly makes any statement indicating or implying that it would be incumbent or desirable-

  1. To do any act calculated to bring death or physical injury to a person or to any class or community of persons ; or
  2. To do any acts calculated to do any destruction or damage to any property,

Commits an offense for which he may be arrested by a police officer without warrant and is liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term of three years.”

In breaking this down, Dr. Ceesay has only granted an interview to only one journalist where he gave his expert opinion on the security situation in the country. He did not print the said interview, neither did he publish it himself nor given any statement in that effect to an assembly (note that an assembly constitutes more than two people). In addition to that, Dr. Ceesay’s genuine intentions were to draw government attention to security lapses that exist as a result of certain miscalculations which could pose a long term national security risk and not the contrary.

Instead of committing a crime, Dr. Ceesay has in fact been exercising his rights as granted by the constitution which guarantees that:

“(1) Every person shall have the right to-

(a) freedom of speech and expression, which shall include freedom of the press and other media; Association and movement

(b) freedom of thought, conscience and belief, which shall include academic freedom;…”

Therefore, the UTGFSA recognizes that the police has a duty to apply the law but strongly maintain that in this case, they have not acted in tandem with the rule of law, and that their actions were unprofessional and politically motivated to say the least.

The UTGFSA call on the IGP to do the right thing and apologize to Dr. Ceesay for infringing upon his rights.

We would like to close this statement with a quotation from a respectable historian and political scientist Prof. Abdoulaye Saine of the United States, “Dr. Ismaila Ceesy’s comments are a thoughtful and succinct assessment of the troubling security environment in the Gambia. Ceesay should be applauded, and tapped for a senior security advisory position, rather than arrested for raising a national security dilemma that is apparent.to most observers. Clearly, Ceesay is being singled out; as he is not the first to express these concerns- speak to any Gambian. The troubling practice under Barrow of retaining, and rehiring key Jammeh loyalists in top security posts, is routinely discussed among specialists, and laypersons alike, I am still at a loss, as to how two Jammeh loyalists from Equatorial Guinea could so easily breach security protocols at the national airport. It is a fact that the Gambia’s security apparatus have been sidelined by ECOMIG forces- a recipe for future instability.”

IPRO

UTGFSA

‘My arrest is a wakeup call for Gambians’

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‘My arrest is a wakeup call for Gambians’

A lecturer at the University of The Gambia, who was Wednesday evening questioned and detained by the police, has said that his experience is a wakeup call to all Gambians that the country could easily ‘sleepwalk’ back into another dictatorship.

Speaking to The Standard following his release yesterday, Political Science lecturer Dr Ismaila Ceesay said: “My experience was harrowing given the fact that we were not expecting to experience this, in the New Gambia. Nonetheless, it is a wake up call for every Gambian who cares about this country and for the human rights of every Gambian. There are no guarantees. We could easily sleepwalk back into another dictatorship if we are not vigilant.

“Now we should learn lessons from the past 22 years of dictatorship and ensure that we do not take a U-turn to dictatorship with these things happening. I think my resilience and my refusal to be intimidated and my refusal to be given bail although it was my constitutional right, choosing to stay there until they drop the charges is sending strong signal to the government that no more would Gambians allow to be intimidated or suppressed in this country,” he said.

The young academic said Gambians should “be very careful” with the new government’s rhetoric on the newfound freedom of speech and democracy. “Jammeh came here, he fooled us with accountability and transparency and this new government is fooling us again with human rights, rule of law, freedom of speech and new Gambia. That is not the issue; the issue is what they do in practice. I think we should be very vigilant as Gambians in every walk of life; be it journalist or any other person, because I was picked up and detained for giving an expert opinion about issues regarding authorities. Tomorrow it could be you. We don’t know whether it will snowball into a full-blown dictatorship. That is why I think we have to be vigilant,” he added.

Gambians, Dr Ceesay added, must ensure that his case is the last time that the government tries to intimidate and suppress people.

He said even the newfound democracy that the government is claiming ownership as an important achievement was fought for by Gambians.

“In fact, they are being deceptive because they don’t even know how to handle it; that is why their actions are counterproductive to what we fought for. So for me, the statement that they fought for the newfound democracy, is misleading and disingenuous. Let them come up with something else as an achievement,” he challenged.

On his invitation and detention, Dr Ceesay said
“The police said they were not happy with some of the pronunciations I made. They asked me whether I made those pronunciations, I said yes. But I think they were concerned that my intention was to incite violence and also to undermine the security of the state. But I told them that was not the intention as I was just expressing my opinion as an expert analyst in an objective manner but that was not the point of view they held,” he explained.

“They questioned me for three hours and then they detained me in a cell for another five hours after which they took me to the Serious Crime Unit, interviewed me and charged me with incitement to violence.”

Source: Standard Newspaper

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