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GAMBIAN DIASPORA: GAMBIA STILL LAND OF NO RETURN

Fatu Camara
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GAMBIAN DIASPORA: GAMBIA STILL LAND OF NO RETURN

BY ALHASSAN DARBOE: Sometimes, I have had to slap myself to make sure that I wasn’t dreaming after all. Jammeh “The dodger” as coined by the British foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has finally gone for good and so far away from Gambia in Equatorial Guinea. During Jammeh’s brutal era of dictatorship, Gambians have fled in droves to far flung ends of the world like Korea, Thailand, Dubai, Italy, Argentina, Qatar, Mauritania, Algeria, Morocco, Western Sahara, Ghana, Nigeria, Antigua, Guyana, Trinidad Tobago, Hong Kong, Singapore and even Mexico. The tragic part is, so many died in the Mediterranean trying to cross into Italy in flimsy boats. You may even be surprised to know that Gambians are notorious for being the biggest drug dealers in Hong Kong (Source).

From my research at the time of writing this article, until mostly the late 70s Gambians left mainly for the U.K. to study. Once they graduated, they returned home, obtained employment either in the civil service or the private sector, obtained a nice car and settled down to a blissful life. Majority of those who left in those days were children of the rich or PPP big wigs who had the money to sponsor them. Others were lucky enough to win scholarships to Sierra Leone and Nigeria like the current Gambian foreign minister Lawyer Ousainou Darboe. In either case, they went abroad on student visas and knew that a job was waiting for them at home once they graduated. So, while in the U.K. They lived the life of a student. “If they had a part-time job, it was only to supplement whatever stipend they received from their parents or sponsors. If they had a fiancé or fiancée before traveling, in most cases, the lovers were rest assured that the relationship would lead to fruition”.

But today’s semesters as they are mostly called in The Gambia are of a different breeds entirely. Since I left The Gambia about over half a decade ago I have met few Gambians who went to the U.K./US , obtained their degrees and returned home almost immediately. In my many years of being in the U.S., I have never met any Gambian who just came here to study and returned home. I have a well-educated cousin somewhere in another State who tells me every year that he is packing his bags and getting ready to go home soon but it has since been seven years and he is still in America. In a conversation about a month ago after Jammeh was defeated in the elections, I asked him if he still planned on going back home after many false starts in the past seven years. He wryly told me going back to Gambia is a process he has been working on for years. I don’t blame him for this at all. In fact, most of the people who now travel abroad do so to find work. If they study which most do, they settle down here and swear never to return to Gambia except on vacations or after retirement. Those who do not study also settle down and swear never to return to The Gambia except on vacation due to dictatorship at home under the stewardship of Yahya Jammeh. Now that Jammeh is gone, can Gambians abroad relocate back home?

The answers to the question apart from the economic situation at home have their foundation in the truism that it is easier to leave The Gambia than to return to re-settle there permanently, in spite of whatever difficulty and stress you endured before obtaining your visa. When you left The Gambia, probably some 10, 15, 20, or 30 years ago, you were by yourself. You had only one luggage; no wife and no children. You were in your mid- to late- 20s. If life was pretty bad for you, you were in your 30s. Your friends were around your age. You lived with your parents or other relatives. And if you were not that lucky, you rented your own place. Your friends also either lived with their parents, relatives, or rented their own places. Now pretty fast forward to 30 years later. Forget about the 10, 15, or 20 years listed above, for it would take you about 30 years to attain any semblance of meaningful living either in the U.K. / U.S. or anywhere in the West if you did not win the lottery and you were not a drug dealer or marry a super-rich spouse.

As you plan to return to The Gambia, the fact that it is easier to leave Gambia rather than return to it hits you so hard in the face. Do you have a place of your own to which you could return? If you do, does it meet the standard of living befitting of a semester who had lived overseas for 30 years? What would you do for a living in The Gambia? Get a job in the civil service and get paid a paltry 4,000 Dalasi a month? Get a job in a private corporation? Start your own business? Is your wife (if you are a man) Gambian? Is she a black foreigner? Is she a Caucasian? Is she Hispanic or Asian? Does she have the qualifications to work or do business in The Gambia? What about the children? If you spent 30 years abroad, your oldest child is probably 25 years old and out of college. Is the child returning with you to Gambia or staying back in the U.S? If you spent 30 years abroad having left Gambia when you were about 30 years old, what sort of thing could you do at the age of 60 to earn a good living in Gambia? How exactly do you re-enter the Gambian work force at the age of 60? And those friends that you left behind 30 years ago; where are they now? Surely, some have now graduated from Gambia University and gone abroad to do their masters and PhD’s and quickly return home to their respectable positions after graduation, some are now managing directors. Others are now very senior civil servants. Yet others are now university professors like my friend Professor Ensa Touray who never left the shores of the Gambia but got all his education at Gambia university (actually a Masters’ degree) and doing well as a history professor .And oh, since it is the era of politics, some are now legislators, special advisers, and ministers and senior magistrates and judges like my good friend from Nusrat High school Omar Jabang who graduated from Nusrat 6 years ago at the same time I did. You might even find a few who are governors and ministers! You must question where you stand in the new world you find yourself.

Successfully returning to the Gambia and re-integrating yourself into the society is contingent upon the fact that you had been visiting the country on a regular basis in the past 30 years. I go home at least once every year and loved it and because I have my cute and smart daughter there. I needed to spend some time with her at least once a year. Don’t question why I can’t just have her with me in US. Re-integrating yourself in The Gambia is can be tricky. I remember spending two months in the Gambia on one of my visits and certain family members and friends started questioning me when I shall return and rumor even had it that I might have been deported because I was riding a bicycle around town and using cheap public transport. I wondered is Gambia not my home? Can’t I just pack up and go back home without people questioning my sanity? How easy have your intermittent visits been if you are ever able to afford them? When, since you first traveled, did you begin to visit Gambia? Two, five, 10 years? It depends. It depends on when you “normalized” your status. It depends on when you obtained a resident permit, otherwise known as the green card. How did you obtain that green card? Well, that’s interesting!

Successfully returning to the Gambia and re-integrating yourself into the society is contingent upon the fact that you had been visiting the country on a regular basis in the past 30 years. I go home at least once every year and loved it and because I have my cute and smart daughter there. I needed to spend some time with her at least once a year. Don’t question why I can’t just have her with me in US. Re-integrating yourself in The Gambia is can be tricky. I remember spending two months in the Gambia on one of my visits and certain family members and friends started questioning me when I shall return and rumor even had it that I might have been deported because I was riding a bicycle around town and using cheap public transport. I wondered is Gambia not my home? Can’t I just pack up and go back home without people questioning my sanity? How easy have your intermittent visits been if you are ever able to afford them? When, since you first traveled, did you begin to visit Gambia? Two, five, 10 years? It depends. It depends on when you “normalized” your status. It depends on when you obtained a resident permit, otherwise known as the green card. How did you obtain that green card? Well, that’s interesting!

While your fake marriage inches on (it takes about two year sometimes to obtain a green card and another three years to obtain American citizenship), you find yourself a job, a menial job. You would still take a menial job as a construction worker, a taxi driver (I used to be a cab driver at some point in my life in US and loved it and the big tips), a newspaper vendor, a security guard, a floor and toilet cleaner, a landscaper, a fast-food cashier, a baggage handler at the airport, a greeter at a hotel, a dish washer, or a bus boy (one who clears the table at restaurants). Name the menial job, that’s what you’ll get as a new-comer to the U.S. With the green card you acquired at about your 6th or 7th year in the U.S. (if you are fast and seductive enough), you will remain at the bottom level of that menial job unless you return to school here and get trained in some other vocation or profession. Nursing is one of the favorites among Africans, however I prefer real estate and establishing your own business.

One of the good things about being a green card holder, or a citizen, is the fact that you could obtain financial aid in the form of loans, and even grants in order to pay for your education and sundry issues. Remember, nothing is free in America. In America of today, you will have to cough up anything from $20,000 – $50,000 (annually) in university education cost. It should be no surprise to you that 25 years after graduating, you are still paying back that loan.

So, during the time you are paying back your student loan, it stands to reason that you are probably also paying back your car loan. If you have lived in this country for 12 years and have not owned your own house, other Gambians, especially in materially obsessed Gambian immigrant hubs like Seattle, Atlanta and Minneapolis begin to look at you funny because your rent will be around the same amount you would pay in mortgage if you owned the house. Why not buy then? Depending on your credit rating and taste, you will borrow hundreds of thousands to purchase a house. So, at some point in your life, you will owe student loan, car loan, and mortgage at the same time. Payments on these are usually due every month. Unlike The Gambia, you will also have to pay for gas and electricity. Lord help you if you have a phone because, along with your gas, electricity, and water bills, your phone bill is also due every month.

Did I mention already that you would have a wife and children too? Well, along with those monthly utilities bills are the daily (if not hourly) non-specified, unexpected bills to be paid on the children. Whereas in your village, you could send your wife to her parents and your children to their uncles and aunties for help, here, you are basically on your own. Good God!! And as you grapple with balancing your checkbook by taking a second job, you get word from your village that your mother is ill; or niece or nephew just secured admission to The Gambia university and you begin to curse why that Dictator Yahya Jammeh built a university and didn’t make it tuition free in the first place. You look at your bank account and you find just enough money to pay your bills at the end of the month (or no money at all because you just paid your bills); you decide to ignore the call from home because self-preservation is of utmost importance. But your conscience keeps knocking; you remember that Dad had to sell part of his farm to see you through school in the village; you remember that mom spent countless nights in the hospital when you were dying of malaria like my mom did for me when I was admitted at RVTH for 6 month in 1996. I actually watched Jammeh’s first inauguration after being voted to power in the parlor of the RVTH hospital with other recovering patients; you remember that your best friend who has now joined the chorus of people needing money back home contributed his last towards your visa fees. Even if you wanted to lie to them that you were broke, you couldn’t make a convincing case; what about that picture you sent home showing you in front of a huge house with two nice cars in the garage? What about that picture of you, your wife, and children standing in front of the fireplace in a well-furnished living room? What about the picture of you guys at Disneyland, in the pool, at the beach, playing around as if you have no worries? What about that last time you visited The Gambia and convened a meeting of the entire village at the village ‘Bantaba’ , where you doled money out to everybody, including those that did not even ask? Now you are in a quandary; conscientious but broke. You weigh all your options: do any of the problems require your physical presence in The Gambia? Or could you just borrow more money and send home? If you send money home, how much is too much?

You consider the totality of your life in the U.S. – the fact that at 60, you are still taking the trash out; you are still washing your own car; you are still washing your own clothes; you are still sweeping and vacuuming your own house; you are still mowing your own lawn; you are still doing groceries. If you are not lucky enough, you probably will still be doing the same dead end job you have been doing. You consider the fact that for 30 years you really did not make any real friends here. Somehow, you just found yourself holding more to the friends you left in Gambia rather than make new ones here with all the drama, gossip and pretensions.

At work, you find out that you have reached an impenetrable glass ceiling. Your employers will not promote you anymore because…hmmmm…you look different and speak different, even though you remain the most valuable expert at the office. You find yourself in a rot, doing the same thing over and over for years. So, you seriously consider returning to The Gambia. You make a “wetting the feet” visit to The Gambia, smartly testing the water before taking the plunge. People tell you that owning your own house before coming home is the best thing to do. You start to look for a piece of land. Lord helps you if you are lucky as land is becoming more and more expensive thanks to infrastructural development and uncontrolled population growth.

Anyway, you find a plot of land in, say, Brufut, Bijilo, Gunjur, Sanyang, or Tujereng . You jump through the hoops to obtain ownership of the land and draw up a building plan. Now, are you going to remain in your village until the house is completed or are you going to return to your base in US/UK? Of course, you will have to return to your family and job abroad while your house is being built. Are you going to hand the construction of your house over to a friend or relative? Lord helps you if someone else is monitoring your house construction for you. You can be sure to pay twice what it should normally cost you for the construction of that house. And it may not even be without structural defects! I finished building mind and the thought of going back home makes me sick because I love my life style in America and the freedom. The fact of the matter is I just don’t like certain behaviors in Gambia and don’t think I’m ready yet to tolerate them. People coming to appointments late because it’s African time, people visiting you without appointment, poor customer services in banks and government institutions , too many police check points and in one case my eldest sister waking me up so early in the morning when I visited my village to perform the dawn prayer. This blew up my mind, how could she have the temerity the interrupt my sweet sleep like that?

After building your own house, you now return to the questions raised before: when and how do you leave the U.K. or the U.S. for The Gambia? What would you do for a living in The Gambia? You then begin to think about the whole idea of leaving Gambia in the first place. Was it worth it at all? Yes, it may have given you an initial leg-up when you left, but has not the law of “diminishing returns” set in? The family and friends you left in The Gambia, some of whom you used to send money, did not remain in the same place you left them. You find out that they, too, have gone to Gambia University and got their bachelors and master’s degrees, have built their own homes. If they are in the civil service, they have accrued a substantial retirement benefit. If they are in the private sector, they have also put away enough assets for retirement years. All of them have attained positions of authority and influence and have contributed to the growth of their communities one way or the other. Their children have obtained university education and have gone on to bigger and better things. Your family and friends have done all these without leaving The Gambia except on vacation or refresher courses abroad. They have achieved so much while enjoying the cathartic effect of being around childhood friends and extended family. For years, you blame your failure to return home on Jammeh and bad governance and now that Jammeh, the butcher of Banjul is gone, you still can’t go back because you simply cannot. Tragic life and dilemma of a migrant. May God help us all!!

Reports Of Hunger Strike At Mile Prisons

Fatu Camara
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Reports Of Hunger Strike At Mile Prisons

 

By Lamin Sanyang

 

Reliable sources have informed this medium about a revolt at The Mile II central prison on Saturday, February 18, 2017.

Sources inside the state central prisons disclosed that the prisoners are embarking on a hunger strike demanding to meet the Minister of Interior. They claimed that the total number of 174 prisoners promised to be release by the new government were not all released. They also claimed that the new government has only released prisoners sentenced for minor crimes while the major crime convicts were sidelined.

“Out of those released 28, of them have almost completed their jail term,” a source disclosed.

It is said that the prisoners are seeking audience with the new Minister of Interior to present their case to him for justice to be done.

“There are three sections at the central prison but the ministers visited only two sections leaving the other section called the ‘Yard’. This is the place where convicted prisoners are jailed.”

The prisoners vowed to continue on the hunger strike until their demands are met, saying the minister of interior should come back to the prisons.

Meanwhile, David Colley, Director General of Prisons was contacted but declined to comment and asked for a formal request letter to be written to his office.

‘Even if it requires going to Eq. Guinea to bring someone to recover our monies, we will” – Interior Minister Fatty

Fatu Camara
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‘Even if it requires going to Eq. Guinea to bring someone to recover our monies, we will” – Interior Minister Fatty

Gambia’s Interior Minister has insisted that no stone will be left un-turn in the quest to recover the missing and stolen millions and misappropriated assets by former President Yahya Jammeh and his enablers during the 22 years rule of the former APRC government.

Mai Ahmed Fatty made the declaration on Monday during a Press Conference by the Ministry of Finance on the state of the Gambian economy after the departure of long time ruler Yahya Jammeh to exile in Equatorial Guinea.

As the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs is working closely with the Ministries of Interior and Justice in this endeavor, Minister Fatty was invited to the event to speak over the security issues when the need arises.

He said “even if it will require us going to Equatorial Guinea and bring someone back to recover our monies, we will do it. It is the Gambian people’s monies and everything will be accounted for” he said.

According to Minister Fatty, all the lost, stolen and misappropriated assets must be returned to the Gambian people because it belongs to them. He repeated that the D500 million he earlier mentioned was just a tip of the ice bag saying more discoveries will be made soon.

Meanwhile, during the Press Conference, Finance Minister Amadou Sanneh reported shocking financial scandals at institutions like the Social Security and Housing Finance Corporation, Gamtel, Gambia Ports Authority and Carnegie Mining Project among others. He cited a debt of D48.3 billion left behind by the former regime of Yahya Jammeh.

He described the conduct of the former President and enablers as a total betrayal of the Gambian people saying APRC is a  disaster in human rights, socially, politically, fiscally and monetarily, economically and financially.

Minister Sanneh assured that under the new government and strong goodwill of international partners and the urgency with which they have come forth to assist and support a new Gambia that is full of freedom, democracy, human rights, rule of law and with sound fiscal and monetary policies, they will strive and work and pray to achieve the development aspirations of the people of new Gambia.

He then made it clear that the government will take all steps and measures to ensure that all lost, stolen and misappropriated assets are returned to the Gambian people. He said the Interior Minister and Attorney General and Minister of Justice will have all information on the preliminary findings to take appropriate actions.

21 reinstated Gambian ambassadors meet President Barrow

Fatu Camara
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21 reinstated Gambian ambassadors meet President Barrow

Twenty-one Gambian ambassadors accredited to different countries who were in December 2016, sacked by former President Yahya Jammeh for telling him to step down after loosing the elections, have finally met the new President Adama Barrow.

The diplomats were all reinstated to their various positions by President Barrow after taking the mantle of leadership of this country.

They are currently in the country to grace the 52nd Independence anniversary and the inauguration of President Barrow on Gambian soil. They used the opportunity to convene an interactive session with the new President and to familiarize themselves.

Addressing the diplomats, President Barrow welcome them in the new government saying Gambia has finally changed from a dictatorial rule to democratic rule. He expressed delight over the election that ushered in the new government which is base on democratic principles saying everybody was on board to make the change happen.

“We came to government not to have anything personal against anybody. The government has changed but Gambians have to continue working under the new government and you ambassadors are part of that. All of you where appointed by the then APRC regime under Yahya Jammeh but it is not personal but principle because you are Gambians and you have the right to work under the government” he said.

President Barrow encourage the Ambassadors to continue on doing their good work they started over the past years saying Gambia is a young democracy and everybody’s hand should be on deck so that the country will move forward.

President Barrow reminded the diplomats that the Gambia came out from a very difficult time as the former government was completely a liability and isolated when the country should have benefited a lot.

“Because the previous government was not respecting democratic principles, that is why you the Ambassadors took the bull by the horn and called on Jammeh to step down even though it was a risky move. You love your country” he said.

Ousainou Darboe, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Gambians Abroad thanked the Gambian diplomats for the visit saying it will help the President familiarize himself with them.

According to him, the constitutional responsibility of shaping and implementing foreign policy of the country rest entirely on the shoulder of the president and for you to represent the country in the other countries.

“It is therefore very important that the President knows and familiarize himself with you as you are entrusted with responsibilities of implementing Gambia’s foreign policy” he said.

Lamin Faati, Permanent Secretary 2 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said since there is a new government in place, it is important for the diplomats to meet the new President and line Minister and interact as they are in the forefront of diplomacy and foreign policy.

Dembo Badjie, the Dean of Gambian diplomats and ambassador to the Peoples’ Republic of China said after the December elections, they articulated their views on the prevailing circumstances in the country at the time because they felt that diplomacy is about image. He said on the 2nd December, 2016, Gambia was on the world map for all the right reasons but again on the 9th December, 2016, the country was on the world map for all wrong reasons.

“As the representative of the country abroad, we felt that it is our professional duty to speak out on the issues and ask the former government to step down and to ensure the peaceful transfer of power to President-elect at the time in accordance with the will of the Gambian people” he noted.

He thanked the government for reinstating them on their positions after the decision by the former President Yahya Jammeh to terminate their appointments.

Ex-President Jammeh’s Intelligence chief Yankuba Badjie arrested

Fatu Camara
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Ex-President Jammeh’s Intelligence chief Yankuba Badjie arrested

Police in Gambia have arrested and detained former intelligence chief of former President Yahya Jammeh.

Yankuba Badjie was arrested and detained along with the Agency’s former Director of Operations Sheikh Omar Jeng. They were detained late Monday at the Brusubi Police Station and currently helping police in their investigations.

Yankuba Badjie headed the dreaded and brutal agency during former dictator Yahya Jammeh’s rule with several human right violations.

He was removed in late January as the intelligence chief with the new government of President Barrow renaming the agency to State Intelligence Services (SIS).

Mr Badjie has ever since been accused of being a chief enabler of former President Jammeh in most of the ungodly activities been conducted in the country ranging from arbitrary arrests, detention, tortures, disappearances and even killings.

It could be recalled that its was during the leadership of Mr Badjie at the NIA that former opposition UDP member Solo Sandeng was tortured to dead.

Meanwhile, Ex-Operations chief Sheikh Omar Jeng who is also arrested is blamed for masterminding the severe tortures meted on the female opposition UDP members arrested during the April 2014 peaceful protest led by late Solo Sandeng.

With the arrest of Mr Badjie and Jeng, Gambians are with the believe that there will be answers to the then gross human rights violations especially the activities of the most feared NIA Agents under former President Jammeh.

Jammeh Robbed Poor Pensioners

Fatu Camara
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Jammeh Robbed Poor Pensioners

 

By Lamin Sanyang

 

Gambia’s exiled former President Yahya Jammeh has been accused of robbing the country’s poor pensioners with billions of dalasi from the Social Security and Housing Finance Corporation SSHFC.

According to impeccable reports from the Finance Ministry, the exiled APRC leader has embezzled the poor workers pension funds through rampant ‘Executive Directives’.

“The Jammeh APRC administration has dipped its long arm into the workers pension funds through rampant ‘Executive Directives’ to the management of SSHFC,” Amadou Sanneh, Minister of Finance said.

Minister Sanneh made these revelations on Monday February 20, at a press conference held at the Ministry of Finance in Banjul.

The report further revealed a total of over two billion dalasi withdrawn by executive directives to a multiple expenditures without repayment. It has reported cash withdrawals of one million dollars made from the SSHFC through Executive Directives of Yahya Jammeh for expenditures uncounted for and undocumented.

“All these expenditures were out of the ordinary worker’s accumulated pensions fund,” Minister Sanneh pointed out.

Finance Minister said out of the abovementioned figure the sum of D1. 71 billion remains nonperforming without any payment made to it.

These revelations are stunning. The average Gambian workers were struggling to make ends meet while the former president was busy exploiting their hard earned money. It is well known fact that the country’s salary scale is one of the poorest in the sub- region. Despite the high prices of commodities still salaries remained low.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Finance has reported that the former President Jammeh’s APRC administration has left a debt stock of D48.3 Billion. It promised to reveal more on the destruction of the economy by the former government in the coming days, weeks and months. The questions lingering in the minds of many are whether the new government would be able to clear this amount of debt within a three year transition.

APRC Economic Crimes: What Next?

Fatu Camara
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APRC Economic Crimes: What Next?

By Madi Jobarteh

In the first place one has to applaud the Minister of Finance Amadou Sanneh for holding a press conference to tell Gambians the state of our public funds. I just hope that this practice would continue. The Barrow Administration must realize that effective communication is an indispensable tool that all modern democratic states utilize in order to control the narrative and dominate the space for good. Communicating with citizens on a consistent, truthful and timely manner serves to generate public confidence in the leadership, ensure stability and promote transparency and accountability.
That the debt of the country is standing at 48.3 billion dalasi should not be a surprise to any Gambian. Rather this is a mere validation of the misrule of Yaya Jammeh and the APRC Regime, which had consistently and constantly sought to loot and kill the Gambian Nation since 1994. Through the abuse of our laws, institutions and naked violence, APRC as a party and its National Assembly members ensured the disempowerment of Gambians in favour of one man whose only objective was to defraud and harm our people.

By now all Gambians must confirm that Yaya Jammeh has never had any good intentions for the Gambia. The practice of misuse of public funds has been a longstanding culture of his regime. One would recall that every year, after the National Assembly approved the national budget, yet his Vice President Isatou Njie Saidy would still go to the parliament in the last quarter of the year to seek a supplementary budget of hundreds of millions of dalasi on baseless arguments.

In fact in November 2014, Isatou Njie Saidy went to the Assembly only 40 days to the end of the year to request for additional one billion, one hundred and thirty four million, six hundred and ninety five thousand, nine hundred and forty eight dalasi (D1, 134, 695, 948). Out of this sum, D459, 473, 513 was allocated to the Office of the President alone. In that amount, Yaya Jammeh spent 86 million dalasi on national celebrations, 112 million dalasi went to the purchase of vehicles and 95 million dalasi went to hotel accommodation and 135 million dalasi on the president’s travels, while 30 million dalasi was spent on fuel. But the bitter truth also is that Yaya Jammeh used Gambians to spend this money illegally.
For example, we can recall in 2009 when Yaya Jammeh distributed one million dalasi to each of the 30 members of the Under 17 football team and their coaches.

This is not to mention the three million dalasi he gave to Kafuta community for their mosque, or the hundreds of Gambians he shipped to Mecca and Rome every year. He had also distributed huge sums of monies to various communities, groups and individuals in and outside of the Gambia, while distributed thousands of bags of rice and sugar and meat. What about the scores of entertainers and prostitutes he constantly imported from around the world at the expense of the Gambian citizen. Hence what this press conference has shown is to validate the illegal economic crimes of Yaya Jammeh, aided and abetted by the APRC and as well as many other Gambians who thought the man was just kind. The issue therefore is what next?

In light of that, I think Minister Sanneh must not only tell us about the misuse of public resources by Yaya Jammeh. But at the end of his ongoing investigations, he must go further to tell us what his government now intends to do about this. He has given us an idea about how some of the money was obtained such as the withdrawals made by one Sanna Jarju and Nuha Williams. But what preliminary actions is he going to take now to address urgent issues emerging from this crime?

For example, who are Sanna Jarju and Nuha Williams? Without pre-empting the investigations, I am of the strong view that these two men need to be invited urgently by the police to give information on the circumstances of these withdrawals. But also, the Governor of Central Bank and his relevant officials must be suspended and asked to assist in the investigations. Similarly, what do the top officials of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs know about these economic crimes? They need to also assist in the investigations. In the same vein, the MD of Gamtel and SSHFC and those in charge of Carnegie Minerals Project need to be investigated in terms of their knowledge and participation in this looting of national resources.

We expect prompt and thorough decisions and actions from the government because the very life of the country is at stake here. Since taking office one month ago, we expect the new administration to move with strategy and speed to protect vital national interests. For that reason, Isatou Njie Saidy and the former Minister of Finance must be called in by the police to shed light on those supplementary budget requests she was making. Here is a list of some of her requests:

1. Supplementary Budget 2010 – 100 million dalasi
2. Supplementary Budget 2011 – 220 million dalasi
3. Supplementary Budget 2012 – 471 million dalasi
4. Supplementary Budget 2013 – 300 million dalasi
5. Supplementary Budget 2014 – 1.134 billion dalasi

Finally, my advice remains that the Barrow Administration constantly communicates with citizens so as to provide the necessary assurance, direction and promote popular participation in national affairs. Such sharing of information will serve to legitimize the decisions and actions of the government as it opens them to public scrutiny, which is good for them. Without communication, the space would be left for rumours and speculation, some of which would be unfair and unnecessary, but this would be because the government is not just communicating at the right time and in full. Thus to avoid this, it is necessary that we hear from the State, always.

God Bless The Gambia.

Shocking financial scandals discovered at SSHFC & GPA

Fatu Camara
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Shocking financial scandals discovered at SSHFC & GPA

The new government of President Adama Barrow has confirmed discovery of a big financial mismanagement on worker’s pension funds at the Social Security and Housing Finance Corporation and a questionable and wanton expenditures by Gambia Ports Authority (GPA) in its Business Development Expenses /Corporate Social Responsibilities Account for 2015 and 2016 respectively.

These discoveries were revealed on Monday, February 20, by the Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs during a press conference on the state of the country’s economy and the fraudulent activities by former President Yahya Jammeh and his APRC Government.

According to Finance Minister Amadou Sanneh, the Jammeh administration has dipped its long arm into workers pension funds through rampant ‘Executive Directives’ to the management of SSHFC and a total of D2, 094, 891, 000 was withdrawn by Executive Directives to a multitude of expenditures.

“The expenditures includes D74.517 million for NAWEC generators; D547.588 Million for loan repayments on behalf of NAWEC for ITFC and D74.662 million for interest charges for NAWEC. Another NAWEC generator acquisition amounting to D118.00 million was also made and some payments were received on this loan. Cost of John Deree tractors ($2.018 million) amounting to D57.092 million; and cash withdrawals of US$500, 000 twice totally US$1, 000, 000 were made from the SSHFC through Executuve Directives of Yahya Jammeh for expenditures unaccounted for an undocumented” he said.

Finance minister Sanneh revealed that all these expenditures were out of the ordinary workers’ accumulated pensions fund and out of a total of D2, 094, 891, 1000, the sum of D1.71 billion remains non-performing without any payment made to it.

Concerning the Gambia Ports Authority, Minister Sanneh said preliminary review found that the Authority made some questionable and wanton expenditures in its Business Development Expenses/Corporate Social Responsibilities Account for 2015 and 2016.

“GPA contribution towards Kanilai Alternative Medical Clinic run by Yahya Jammeh for D23, 000; hiring of tents for Sukuta APRC branch for D10, 000; Payment of 200T-Shirts for APRC militants and BCC for D75, 000; 50% payment to Ministry of Basic and Secondary Educarion for 22nd July scholarship pageant for D250, 000; Payment of D300, 000 for July 22,  20th celebrations; Honorarium to Volunteers at Dobong Farm D108, 000 on September 10, 2015 and another D108, 000 on December 18, 2015; Printing of Green T-Shirts for D255, 750 and payment sponsoring of a table for D375, 000 for APRC Peace and Love Gala dinner” he revealed.

In 2016, he said the GPA also made expenditures out of its Business Development Expenses/Corporate Social Responsibilities account , the resources of the Gambian people.

“Payment of its BusinessDevelopment Expenses/Corporate Social Responsibilities account of D500, 000 for Jammeh Foundation for Peace fundraising Gala dinner on 20th January 2016 and another D400, 000 for platinum plus and sapphire table to APRC Gala dinner; Payment of T-Shirts amounting to D46, 000 for July 22nd celebrations in 2016; Payment of 855 T-Shirts ecogroup for July 22nd celebrations 2016; Payment to security services of D60, 000 for July 22nd celebration in 2016; Payment of D40, 000 to APRC women rally at Jarra Soma in 2016; Payment of d356, 000 for 200 polo T-Shirts and 1300 T-Shirts for July 22nd celebrations; Payment of D110, 000 for 500 T-shirts for July 22nd celebrations; Payment of D105, 000 for T-Shirts for July 22nd celebrations; Payment of D21,000 for 100 T-shirts for APRC Award ceremony and payment of D18, 750 towards APRC Kiang West political rally” he disclosed.

According to Minister Sanneh, in 2016, the investigations discovered with shock that the GPA bough a new vehicle budgeted at D3, 000, 000 for D7, 527, 392.16, which is double the budget for the item. He then made it clear that these samples on public enterprise accounts of SSHFC, GAMTEL, GPA and Carnegie mining are reflections of the gross mismanagement of the Gambian economy by Yahya Jammeh and his government adding that the conduct amounts to total betrayal of the Gambian people leaving them with with monstrous debts amounting to D48.3 billion. He described the former APRC government as truly disaster in human rights, socially, politically, fiscally and monetarily, economically and financially.

He stated that the new government under President Barrow and the strong goodwill of international partners and the urgency with which they have come forth to assist and support a new Gambia that is full with freedom, democracy, human rights, rule of law and with sound fiscal and monetary policies, will strive and work and play to achieve the development aspirations of the people of The gambia. He assured that the government will take all steps and measures to ensure that all lost, stolen, and misappropriated assets are returned to the Gambian people and that the Ministries of Interior and Justice will have all the informations on these preliminary findings to take appropriate actions.

‘Gambia’s economy completely destroyed by Yahya Jammeh and enablers’ – New Finance Minister

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‘Gambia’s economy completely destroyed by Yahya Jammeh and enablers’ – New Finance Minister

The Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs has said that investigations conducted by his Ministry so far has revealed some alarming and gross mismanagement of public funds. He has  confirmed that the economy of the country has been completely destroyed and part f the stories are related to the action of the then President Exiled Yahya Jammeh and his enablers.

Amadou Sanneh made this revelation on Monday during a press conference on the state of the Gambian economy and the fraudulent activities of the former President Yahya Jammeh and his APRC Government.

The revealation by Minister Sanneh were based on preliminary findings on three public enterprises namely Social Security and Housing Finance Corporation (SSHFC), Gambia telecommunication Company Ltd (Gamtel), the Carnegie Mining project.

Gamtel Gateway Revenue
According to Minister Sanneh, it was discovered that the Gamtel Gateway Termination Revenue had been sycophoned by the former president. He said the gateway project is being managed by Gamtel on behalf of the Gambia government and incomes emanating from international incoming and outgoing traffic are generated through this gateway and initially used by Gamtel to offset its costs and loans.

“However, the management of the gateway was contracted to third parties over the years, Spectrum System1, Tel. and MGI. Currently, the government through Gamtel Ltd is having a 5 year contract with MGI from 2014 to 2019. The incomes generated by this project were diverted from Gamtel to an account – International Gateway Account at the Central Bank of the Gambia from September 13 2013 to July 4 2014. This account had an accumulated deposit for this period of US$5, 421, 732.98 of which US$5, 421, 440.61 was withdrawn leaving a balance of only US$292. 37” he said.

He further revealed that on July 10, 2014, another account was opened in the name of ‘the Special Projects Fund’ and a total of US$45, 194, 083.24 was deposited over the period and US$45, 171.05 was withdrawn over the same period leaving a balance of only US$110, 630.42 as at January 23, 2017.

“A sample of the withdrawals include on July 15, 2014 cash withdrawal of US$300,000 by one Sanna Jarju, Office of the President; July 23, 2014 cash withdrawal of US$700,000 through Sanna Jarju, Office of the President; July 23, 2014 cash withdrawal of US$600,000 by Sanna Jarju, Office of the president; 11th August 2014 cash withdrawal of US$1, 000, 000 Office of the President; 10th September 2014 cash withdrawal of US$1,000,000Office of the President; March 25, 2015 cash withdrawal of US$750, 000 by Sanna jarju, Office of the president; September 16, 2015 cash withdrawal of US$400,000 by Sulayman Badjie, Office of the President; September 16, 2015 cash withdrawal of US$800,000 through Sulayman Badjie, Office of the president; September 16, 2015 cash withdrawal of US$704, 721.63 through Nuha Williams, Office of the President; September 26, 2015 cash withdrawal of uS$500,000 through Sulayman Badjie, office of the president; November 14, 2016 cash withdrawal of US$704, 721.63 through Nuha Williams, Office of the President” he revealed.

According to him, preliminary findings shows that these amounts have been withdrawn in cash US dollars or Gambian dalasis withdrawn and US dollars bought in the foreign exchange market thus creating undue pressure on both our reserves and the exchange rates. He said these two accounts totalling US$50, 615, 816.22 in deposits of international call terminating revenue have been withdrawn mainly in cash foreign currency and dalasis converted into foreign currency.

Carnegie Mining Project
According to Minister Sanneh, The Gambia has not discovered huge mineral resources but Elminite has been discovered and mined over the years. He said Carnegie Mining Project account was opened at The Central Bank of The Gambia from January 24, 2012 to December 30, 2015 receiving D139, 423 million as deposits and D139. 312 millions expenditure. This he said leaves a balance of only D110, 630 as at this date today.

“This account was operated outside the Central Revenue Fund. The account has been managed by the Office of the Paresident and Yahya Jammeh and all expenditures were done at his directives or will. A sample of these expenditures inckudes transfer to Trust Bank Ltd in favour of EAGL for D30, 969, 140; cash foreign currency withdrawals of D3, 833, 000; cheque payment for D5, 000, 000; cash payments to Governors for cost of fishing boats D600,000 and Donation/support by Gambia Government of D21, 635.000” Minister Sanneh stated.

He revealed that from December 30, 2015, there was no deposit into this account and government is now investigating where the revenues due to the government from the mining contract went. He said the government is paying the services of lawyers retained for the legal case with Carnegie with retainer fees totally D59.28 million to date and claims of monthly payments of £50,000 per month still running. He noted that the Attorney General and Minister of Justice will look into these payments and the legal issues with Carnegie with the view of bringing this bizarre drama indicative of the selfish interest of the Jammeh APRC Regime to an end.

“We are verifying the current contract that exists between the Mining operators and a company said to have the mining rights – Alhamdulillah Petroleum and Mineral Company. From our initial investigations of this company, there was no trace of its registration with the Registrar of Companies, but the Attorney General and Minister of Justice is assisting us on this matter” he Stated.

D48.3 billion monstrous debt left by Jammeh regime

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D48.3 billion monstrous debt left by Jammeh regime

Gambia’s Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs has discovered the mismanagement of public enterprises like Social Security and Housing Finance Corporation (SSHFC), Gamtel and Carnegie Mining project by the former President Yahya Jammeh and his APRC government saying the conduct amounts to a total betrayal of the Gambian people leaving them with monstrous debts amounting to D48.3 billion ($1.1billion), net international reserves of only US$27.4 Million or 0.7 months of import of goods and services.

Accordingly, the Central Bank of The Gambia has short term borrowing (SWAPS) from commercial banks of US$32.7 Million to enable it meet the government’s loan repayement obligation.

Minister Amadou Sanneh made these revelations on Monday, February 20, during a press conference at the Ministry’s conference room on the state of the Gambian economy and some fraudulent activities of the former President Yahya Jammeh and his APRC government.

He said from preliminary investigations conducted, its clear that the economy of the country had been completely destroyed and part of the stories are related to the action of the then President Exiled Yahya Jammeh and bis enablers.

“Real GDP growth of The Gambia has rebounded to 4.3 per cent in 2015 from 0.9 per cent in 2014. The improved economic activities continued in 2016 with growth expected to be within the long term trend growth rant of 4-6 per cent. Total Revenue and grants in 2017 is estimated at D14.34 billion from D12.99 billion budgeted, representing a growth of 10.4 per cent. Domestic revenue is estimated at D8.5 in 2017. Conversely, total expenditure and net lending is projected at D19.1 billion in 2017 from 16.9 billion budgeted in 2016. Of this, interest payments are estimated to be over D3 billion” Minister Sanneh explained.

Minister Sanneh added that fiscal deficit in 2017 is anticipated to increase to D4.7 billion (10 per cent of GDP) from D3.9 billion budgeted in 2016, representing a growth of 20.5 per cent. He said estimated net domestic borrowing for the fiscal year is expected to be 10% of GDP.

“Public debt ratio is 115% of GDP as at end December 2016. Total debt stock stood at D48.3 billion comprising D20.3 billion external and D28 billion domestic. The domestic debt increases from 54% to 67% of GDP from 2015 to 2016 respectively, compared with a marginal increase of the external debt from 46% to 48% of GDP from 2015 to 2016 respectively” Finance Minister Sanneh said.

According to him, consumer price inflation measured by the National Consumer Price Index (NCPI) rose to 7.9 per cent in December 2016 compared to 6.9 per cent in the corresponding period in 2015, adding that both food and non-food inflation increased to 8.7 and 6.5 per cent in December 2016 from 7.6 and 5.3 per cent in 2015 respectively.

He further stated that the monetary policy rate has remained constant at 23 percent since April 2015 and gross official reserves are US$68.75 Million as at February 3 2017, while the net international reserves are at US$20.81, which is approximately less than 2 months of import cover.

APRC Thugs Arrested In Kanfenda After Attacks On Coalition Supporters

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APRC Thugs Arrested In Kanfenda After Attacks On Coalition Supporters

FIRST LETTER TO GAMBIANS EXPLAINING MY POST RESIGNATION MESSAGES AND LETTERS TO PRESIDENT JAMMEH

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FIRST LETTER TO GAMBIANS EXPLAINING MY POST RESIGNATION MESSAGES AND LETTERS TO PRESIDENT JAMMEH

 

By Emmanuel Nkea

 
Good Morning Gambia,

 
As you recover from the hectic and historic Independence Day celebrations last Saturday, I know many objective minds would have wondered how and why I engaged in frequent letters and controversial messages with President Jammeh.

 
During my stay in Gambia, I learned that the only way to appease President Jammeh and enlist his goodwill was to send him praise written letters. After my resignation and departure from the Gambia, I wrote the first and several personal letters, and sent controversial messages of goodwill, encouragement and support to President Jammeh. Obviously, the letters were intended to induce his goodwill. Some erroneously thought that I was working my way back to the Judiciary. No!! That was not the case. But what was this all about? The answer lies in the following passages.

 
On the 5th of February, 2014, I reached the strong conclusion that I had to resign from the Judiciary of the Gambia. Protest resignation under Jammeh’s Gambia, was untenable. It came with huge risk and uncertainty. The decision and procedure ought to be taken wisely to avoid unnecessary persecution. Gibou Dem who was one of my official residential guards was already an adoptive son in my home. He was a decent and trustworthy chap, with a high sense of confidentiality. He accepted to get me out of the country once my resignation was ready. A hardcopy of my resignation was sealed in an envelope and my driver would take it together with my official car to the judiciary the next morning. The driver only knew that I was going upcountry for something very personal.

 
By 6 am on February 6, 2014, I was already in Dakar, thanks to Gibou Dem. I decided that morning to forward an electronic copy of my resignation to the Attorney General and Minister of Justice. She acknowledged receipt and expressed her disappointment. On the 13th of February, 2014, I received an electronic letter from the Judicial Service Commission through the Judicial Secretary, acknowledging receipt and accepting my resignation while thanking me for my valuable services to the Judiciary.
I remained in touch with Gibou Dem from my hotel in Dakar, and updated me of the developments in Banjul. On the 7th of February, I received information that a team of plain cloth security officers led by one Lamin Darboe, went to SBEC School Bijilo where they attempted to kidnap my 7 year old son, but for the intervention of school authorities who refused and alerted my family. My family would later be subjected to long late night interrogations ostensibly by elements of the NIA. I instructed them to leave, and Gibou Dem again, assisted them to the airport and ensured that they left the Gambia unharmed. For these acts, Gibou Dem was reported to the NIA by his colleagues on guard. He too fled the country to Senegal.

 
Gibou Dem was soon trapped between Senegal and Libya struggling to use the back way to Europe. I feared that he may die in the process. And if he did, it would have been because of me. I sent him financial assistance regularly, but I was not sure if he could make it through. I persuaded him to come over to Cameroon but he seemed determined and convinced to make it to Europe. Still not sure that he could make it, I was forced to engage the Banjul authorities with a view to seeking some form of reprieve for him, just so that he could return to his family.

 
In most of the personal letters to President Jammeh, I openly and directly solicited for the return of Gibou Dem. I received replies to all my letters, and in most of them President Jammeh reiterated his call for me to return and work in the Gambia, but was conspicuously silent on the return of Gibou Dem.

 
Fortunately, Gibou Dem succeeded to cross over to Europe again with financial support from our two families. But his application for asylum had been turned down. The risk of deportation was high, and the consequences obvious. My conscience was on constant attack. I had to push even further. This coincided with the period following the arrest of the UDP Protesters. I thought, that in writing to President Jammeh along the lines that I did, he could for once permit the return of Gibou Dem. He did not. So after a second thought, I contacted the lawyer handling the asylum appeal, and after a detailed explanation, he agreed that I could make a statement to support the appeal process.

 
I issued a statement to the Asylum Tribunal in which I stated all these facts and how I genuinely feared that should the appeal be disallowed and Dem returned to Gambia, there was a real risk of irreparable damage to his life.

 
I am happy that my statement motivated a reversal of the earlier decision. Gibou Dem has been granted political asylum in Europe with a residence permit of 5 years.
I wish you all a bright day.

51 Arrested For Attacking Coalition Supporters In Foni

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51 Arrested For Attacking Coalition Supporters In Foni

Dozens of people were arrested at Foni for allegedly attacking the convoy of coalition supporters who were returning from the inauguration of President Adama Barrow and the independence celebration.

According to sources the jubilant coalition supporters coming from Bakau were allegedly attacked by angry supporters of the former president Yahya Jammeh at Kamfenda in Foni. They reportedly gathered heaps of stones and sticks waiting for the return of the coalition supporters who were assaulted with insults and attacks causing bodily harm to several people. The Police Intervention Unit PIU were deployed to the scene.

Speaking to the Police Spokesperson, Superintendent Foday Conta at the police headquarters has confirmed the incident. He explained that the situation is under control. He said about 51 people were arrested 26 juvenile and 25 adults altogether.

“They are charged with breach of peace,” Supt. Foday Conta said.

The police spokesperson said the arrestees were moved out to undisclosed locations to avoid further escalation of tension. He said there were no casualties but the victims were receiving treatment.

Meanwhile, he pointed that the juvenile arrestees were given bail while the adults are helping the police in their investigations.

That Feeling Of National Pride -The Gambia @52 Was A Moment To Savor

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That Feeling Of National Pride -The Gambia @52 Was A Moment To Savor

 

By Famara Fofana

 

No one in these shores need reminding that February 18 1965 was the exact date when The Gambia downed the yokes of British colonial rule. That epoch-making moment in history has long been taught in our history books as early as the 3rd grade or primary five as it were in.

After much cynicism initially, we are told that this country, known at the time for her groundnut exports, was unready to steer her own destiny to the promised land. Who would forget Berkeley Rice’s book “The Gambia- The birth of an Improbable Nation”

Whatever dispensation we may find ourselves as a people, nationhood celebration must be highly cherished and relished. In truth, this has not been the case in the past two decades as the event has been downgraded to a lower level; a footnote of an occasion by the then powers that be. It was devoid of a national character and the prestige that should have been the hallmark of any Independence anniversary.

For the first time in as many years, Independence celebration generated a feel-good factor and a sense of national pride weeks before the day itself. Perphaps too, that was down to the fact the event was a two-pronged affair that also saw the Swearing-in of President Barrow here on home turf.

The mammoth crowds at the Independence Stadium were a sight to behold and even scary in some instances as fears of a potential stampede loomed large ; this as Gambians and non Gambians from different facets of life vied for a place in the bowels of the Gambia’s only national stadium. I would later learn that some people from Jarra had made the journey on the eve of the day, spending the cold night in Bakau with the aid of some oranges.

Under the scorching sun on D day, students and teachers alike stood in perseverance as a gaggle of helpless journos made frantic efforts to enter the stadium. Talking of the media, journalists on their coverage of the proceedings were accorded a vantage point they never have had all the years thanks mainly to the collaborative efforts of the Gambia Press Union and the government.

During the eye-catching march pass that is synomymous with the various security detachments in times of such national events, I could not help but gauge the views of some people at the Stadium on Saturday.

“The feeling is great because I had the opportunity to also witness the inaugural independence day as a very young boy then ” says Moses Nden, a veteran broadcaster these days. He described the Gambia @52 celebrations as unique given excatly one month to this year’s day, it was all about panic in town being the day when Jammeh’s mandate offcially ended but one that was literally given a further stay of execution in the form of the State of Public Emergency he declared .

U.S-based Gambian Muhammed Kah told me “You could feel freedom in the air. The atitude of the people, the crowd was nothing but great. Its definitely a good feeling to be back here without having to look over your shoulders”.

“There was a sense of freedom about Saturday’s event”, remarked Lamin Manneh, an I.T teacher at Charles Jow Memorial Academy.

On the task at hand, journalist Moses Nden said “we have confidence in the new administration in view of the calibre of appointments made” . Even whereas he said this one is understandable, he would want to see a less flamboyant ceremony in subsequent independence anniversary celebrations.

For Mohammed Kah who jetted in from Maryland, the idea of the new dispensation to open the doors and embracing other people’s ideas and brains is worthy of acknowledgement .”There are a lot of people I know in the U.S who are capable of coming here and start ten to twenty businesses”, Kah gleefully added.

For now though, its like a new slate for the Gambia. Beyond the pomp and pageantry that characterised the Gambia @52 , the call to arms cant be louder as encapsulated in our National pledge” we must stand together as one people with one goal and move forward as one nation”.

President Barrow pardons 174 prisoners: 74 released so far

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President Barrow pardons 174 prisoners: 74 released so far

Gambia’s President Adama Barrow has pardoned a total of 174 prisoners who were serving various jail terms at the notorious state central prison of Mile II.

Acting under the powers conferred upon him by the Constitution, President Barrow used the occasion of the 52nd Independence Anniversary to pardon the prisoners.

Out of the 174 pardoned, only 74 prisoners were released on Saturday night while the other remaining 100 prisoners will be released in subsequent days.

Family members, friends and well wishers gathered at the gates of the prisons to welcome the released prisoners. They all expressed joy and happiness on this day saying it was indeed a surprise to them. They also prayed for the others in the prison so they can also have such an opportunity in order to reunite with their families.

Meanwhile, those pardoned include some non Gambians among them Senegalese and Guinean nationals. They were escorted out in an Immigration vehicle and headed to Banjul for paperwork to their various countries of origin.

Hundreds of people are still in the prison without being charged or put before a court of law. They were arrested by agents in the former government of Yahya Jammeh and unlawfully caged at the dirty cells of the prisons.

“Gambia has changed forever. The people are fully conscious that they can put government in office as well as remove it” President Barrow

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“Gambia has changed forever. The people are fully conscious that they can put government in office as well as remove it” President Barrow

INDEPENDENCE ANNIVERSARY ADDRESS OF H.E. ADAMA BARROW, PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE GAMBIA

Fellow Gambians,
May I begin by thanking Allah for making me the 3rd President of this great country through the support of the Gambian people. I seek guidance and blessing for me and my cabinet to have the strength and wisdom to serve our beloved nation to higher heights.

I would like to first of all welcome the distinguished heads of states and international guests who are here to share this joyous occasion with us.
Today is symbolic because of two important developments in the history of our dear motherland. It was on this day that The Gambia was declared Independent. I was just three days old.

Now I am the President of the Republic of The Gambia after 52 years of nationhood. Few people would have thought that I will be addressing the nation today.
I would like to thank the Gambian electorates for their astuteness. They exercised their civic rights in a peaceful and non-violent manner during the campaign, on election day as well as after the elections. I will not do justice without recognizing and expressing my sincere appreciation to the Gambian Diaspora. They spent time and resources to support my candidacy through the social media. They encouraged family members and friends to vote for me. This is a victory for democracy. It is a victory belonging to all Gambians. It is the decision of Gambians to change a Government which has entrenched itself through the ballot box. That has made it possible for us to gather here today.

I wish to take this opportunity to thank the Gambian people, ECOWAS, AU, The UN and all our international partners in general for supporting us at the most critical period of our history. This has ensured that democracy has a meaning to our people.

Gambia has changed forever. The people are fully conscious that they can put government in office as well as remove it. No government will ever be able to entrench itself against the will of the Gambian people. This is the lesson we must draw from the change that has been brought by the people.

We are now confronted with many challenges. We have inherited an economy that has declined because of political uncertainty. During the political impasse, businesses were shot down, offices and schools were closed. Foreign missions scaled down their staff, 50, 000 left the country and over 126, 000 became internally displaced.
People restricted their movements and the country became ungovernable. The country would have remained in such a situation if the new government did not succeed in finding a solution to the impasse.

Fellow Gambians

Health
The Government under my Presidency will strive to ensure the survival, protection and development of all children.

The Ministry of Health and Social Welfare is charged with the responsibility of doing an inventory on the needs of the hospitals in the country in order to determine the inputs necessary to upgrade health services. It is to ensure staff audit in order to identify constraints and develop programmes to enhance staff motivation.

The Government will seek to partner with ECOWAS, AU, the UN, other traditional development partners like the US, the EU, UK and new development partners to improve on infant and maternal health. The aim is to improve their well-being and reduce mortality.

We will work to improve nutrition, sanitation, access to clean drinking water and ensure that primary health care is accessible and affordable to both rural and urban centres.

Education
The law of the land instructs that basic education shall be free, accessible and compulsory. All Gambian children must go to school. The Gambia under my presidency will respect the dictates of the Constitution and work with our development partners to make free education for all a reality.

Agriculture and Fisheries
Agriculture shall be given added support to move towards food security and growth in export. Production and processing crops, livestock and fisheries will serve as the base for food security. These will be linked to job creation and increase in income through Agro-Industrial development.

Service Sector
The service sector, which is now the largest contributor to the Economy, will be given the incentives necessary for them to contribute more to employment creation and the GDP of the country.

Macro-economic stability will provide a fertile ground for telecommunication services, banks, hotels, insurance, housing companies and other sectors to grow and develop partnerships in Africa and all over the globe.

Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
The Ministry of Information and Communication Infrastructure will be given support to sustain its local area networks. This will make it possible for the Government to maintain the regional community information centres and provide them with the necessary ICT services. The e-government data centre will create better coordination and cooperation between government institutions.

The media, both public and private, will enjoy freedom to disseminate divergent views and dissenting opinion as required by the Constitution. The Media Law shall be reviewed and code of conduct for responsible journalism promoted.

This will include re-orientation of the state media to take up its public service responsibility.

Employment creation
As part of the reforms to be undertaken to improve on job creation, e-government will be utilised to ensure that the Personnel Management Office and the Labour Department would be able to store data on those seeking employment and the jobs available at each given period. This will facilitate proper assessment of employment and unemployment rates especially among the young people. The Government will undertake a major drive to promote employment in all sectors.

Works and Communication Infrastructure
In the area of infrastructural development the Government will give the Ministry of Works, Construction and Infrastructure time bound deadlines for the construction of the Basse-Fatoto, Fatoto-Koina and Laminkoto-Pasamas roads.

The ministry will undertake to identify all the key feeder roads in the country that require feasibility studies to prepare solid plans to source funds for their construction.

Energy Sector
In the area of Energy, the ministry is charged with the responsibility of ensuring adequate and affordable electricity supply by diversifying energy sources for basic household needs. The energy sector would be improved. The development of port facilities, road infrastructure, river transport and other services will attract foreign direct investment at a larger scale.

The Ministry of Petroleum will focus on developing the potential to exercise control and direction over the seismic surveys being done to explore the potential for oil production in the country. Industrial production shall be expanded to include robust development of the mining sector and the processing of raw materials into value added goods.
Transparency will be shown in this area to enable the people to know all developments regarding the sector.

Civil Service Reform
Civil Service Reform will be undertaken to link appointment to merit and income to performance.

A Ministry of Planning and Good Governance is to be established to facilitate and monitor the development and implementation of a blueprint for Socio-Economic development. The Provision of quality social services is the fundamental objective of the government under my Presidency.

This would require sustainable Macro Economic stability and growth. This is why I established a Think Tank, The Agency for Sustainable Socio-Economic Development (ASSED). It is charged with the responsibility to establish an expert bank. This will provide data on the different expertise available to share their knowledge and skills. Their expertise will be tapped in order to put in place an inclusive development agenda.

Regional administration will be done by public servants not political appointees.

The pay and grading structure of the civil service will be reviewed and pensioners will also benefit from the reforms.

State enterprises are to be reviewed with the view to adopt policies that would ensure that they pay dividend to government instead of being a liability.

Constitutional and Legal Reforms
The Government will undertake key constitutional and legal reforms which will be highlighted in my first address to the National Assembly.

It intends to enforce constitutional provisions that are entrenched to protect the fundamental rights of the citizens. Orders have already been given for all those detained without trial to be released.

The Attorney General and Minister of Justice will receive information regarding all those who are arrested without being traced. An appropriate commission would be established to conduct inquiries into their disappearances.

A Human Rights Commission will be established without delay to complement the initiatives of the Attorney General.

The National Council for Civic Education will be provided with the facilities to conduct civic education to promote national reconciliation in collaboration with other organisations that are set up to promote national unity and reconciliation.

The judiciary will receive adequate support in terms of personnel and independence to enable it to deliver justice without fear or favour.

On Foreign Relations
The Gambia during the impasse knows what solidarity means. Senegal has proven to be a friend in times of need. The people of Senegal hosted the people who fled and the government hosted me as President-elect and worked hand in glove with ECOWAS, The AU, UN and the international community in general to ensure that the verdict of the Gambian people is not violated.

In this regard, my first trip as a head of state will be to Senegal so that we could discuss and conclude on matters such as the SeneGambia bridge, our common borders, the status of the Senegalo-Gambian Secretariat and other outstanding issues. We want the relation between the two countries to be a model for African integration.

I would like to give special thanks to President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the Chair of ECOWAS, President Muhamadu Buhari of Nigeria, President Ernest Bai Koroma of Sierra Leone and former President John Dramani Mahama of Ghana who undertook the first mediation efforts.

I cannot conclude without adding the names of President Alpha Conde of Guinea and President Abdul Aziz of Mauritania who stepped in at the right time.

My special gratitude is also extended to my host President Macky Sall of the Republic of Senegal during the impasse. I was given a choice by ECOWAS to stay in Liberia, Nigeria or Senegal during the impasse.

I chose Senegal because of the fact we are the same people occupying two different countries. I must say I made the right choice and received the greatest hospitality.
Your Excellences, honourable guests and fellow citizens, I would like to conclude by emphasizing that for 22 years the Gambian people yearned to live in a country where our diversity will be bridged by our tolerance and our determination to work together for the common good.

We decided to form a Coalition so that those speaking Jola, Serer, Aku, Serahuleh, Manjago, Mandinka, Fula, Wollof and all other groupings would ensure that we build One Gambia, One Nation and One People. Justice will guide our action and this Government intends to maintain that spirit of national unity.

The whole world supports us and The Gambia will remain a beacon of peace and hope for others to draw lessons from.

Long Live The Republic! Long Live the United People of The Gambia! Forward Ever! Backward Never!

Gambians celebrate Independence Day In Grand Style

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Gambians celebrate Independence Day In Grand Style

Huge crowds waved Gambian flags, applauding in excitement as the country celebrates 52 years of Independence at The Independent Stadium in Bakau.

Many say this year’s independent celebration was very special adding that they have not seen anything like it especially during the past 22 years of the Jammeh regime.

There were waves of applause to a beloved President Adama Barrow as his motorcade entered the independence stadium. He was seen standing in his vehicle surrounded by security officers while the cameramen were taking loads of photos. He raised his hand to touch his watch a symbol to show that the era of former president has ended and that The new Gambia is here.

President Barrow was escorted to the podium where the national anthem was played in his honour before walking to greet the invited heads of State and dignitaries representing their countries to the occasion.

The invited heads of state includes the president of Senegal who was a special guest, Presidents of Liberia, Mauritania, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Ghana and former President of Ghana, Nigerian Vice president, Prime Minister of Guinea Bissau as well as The UN Special Envoy in West Africa amongst others.

The programme was opened with prayers from both Muslim and Christian prayers.

There were helicopters flying around the stadium. The Liberian and Senegalese presidents were given cheers and loud applause by the crowd. Lt. Colonel Babucarr Sanyang was the parade commander.

The Director General of Prisons, David Colley was booed while the first Gambian soldier to switched allegiance to president Barrow was cheered.

Meanwhile, the former Vice President of the Gambia, Isatou Njie Saidy was in attendance but booed by the crowd.

Gambia At 52

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Gambia At 52

Flags flying high in Bakau as the Gambia celebrates 52 years of  independence and the inauguration of President Adama Barrow at the Independence Stadium in Bakau.

Gambian men and women, young and old from different political affiliation came out in their thousands to celebrate the country’s independence from the yolk of British colonialism.

The country has gained its independent on the 18th February 1965 under the leadership of Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara. It became a republic in 1970.

The small West African country has since embraced multiparty democracy after independence. Former President Jawara has been in power for 30 years. His regime was overthrown by a group of young military officers headed by young Lieutenant, Yahya Jammeh. Jammeh  ruled a two year transition before retiring from military to contest elections in 1996.

The former military leader later turned into a defiant dictator who has ruled the country with an iron fist for 22 years. He made strict conditions for the opposition parties to exist. Under his watched so many people were killed while others went missing.

Jammeh lost to the opposition coalition candidate Adama Barrow in the presidential polls, December 1. He first conceded defeat but later changed position by rejecting the results and called for fresh elections. He was strongly condemned for his actions before the sub-regional military intervention came to boot him out of office that sent him into exile in Equitorial Guinea.

President Adama Barrow was sworn in on the January 19, at The Gambian Embassy in Dakar. He was flown out of the country by the sub-regional leaders after concerns were raised about his personal safety. He returned to the country after the former dictator Yahya Jammeh was forced to leave.

The new administration has inherited a broken country with a collapsed economy, bad governance, human rights abuse and ethnic politics among other things that needs knowledge and experience to be fixed. The expectations of the people are high on the new administration. The questions that is lingering on everyone’s mind is whether they would be able to live up to expectations?

Meanwhile, today’s independent celebration was marked with grand style as heads of state from other countries graced the occasion.

Macky Sall Says Gambia, Senegal Are One Family

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Macky Sall Says Gambia, Senegal Are One Family

 

By Lamin Sanyang

 

Senegal’s President Macky Sall who was a Special Guest to the country’s 52nd Independent Anniversary has said that the two countries, Gambia and Senegal are one family.

“Gambia and Senegal are one family. We are divided by circumstances of history. We share the same values. the same history. This is the legacy we inherited from our ancestors,” President Macky Sall said.

President Sall who was speaking in English, called on the two nations to nurture the legacy of their ancestors, saying they owe it to themselves and generations to come.

“What we need is peace and harmony. What we need is security. What we need is development,” he pointed out.

Sall called on the two countries to get together, work together and face their challenges together.

President Sall said the Gambia and Senegal are not only neighbors but they are brothers. He explained that the people, cultures and foods are all the same.

Meanwhile, he congratulated president Barrow for his historic election victory, saying it is victory for The Gambian people.

Gunjur Beach Mosque Imam Confirms Denial of Access

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Gunjur Beach Mosque Imam Confirms Denial of Access

 

 

The Imam of Gunjur Beach Mosque, Dembo Darboe alias ‘Dembo Tutiba’ has conformed to The Fatu Network that access to the mosque was denied Friday, February 17. No friday prayers was performed  over there.

He said Friday prayers have always been performed there since the opening of the mosque except this past friday. “Nuha Sanyang, a soldier in charge of the keys, called and said he received directives from his senior man at Yundum Barracks to turn in the keys” The Imam said.

Until now no reason has been given as to why the keys were turned in and who really is behind the act.

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