“Social Security is the financial heart beat; it is the hear beat of the Gambia because Social Security fingers are into every pie of the Gambian economy. If we stop that office working for two days; in monetary wise we are losing between one and two million dalasis a day; not to talk about the pensioners that want to go on treatment; not to talk about the claims that are lying for pensioners to go on Hajj; the claims that are lying for pensioners to put their roofs in order before the rains come; nobody can quantify the damage it would do to the Gambia and the Gambian economy,” said Momodou Camara, the staff representative at the Social Security, Housing and Finance Corporation.

Mr. Camara was speaking in an interview with the Freedom Newspaper. This followed, a sit down strike organized by the SSHFC staffers. The SSHFC staffers have been on strike since on Thursday. Over two hundred staffers of the parastatal are taking part in the strike action. The SSHFC workers have called for the firing of their boss Muhammed Manjang. Manjang has been accused of abuse of office, corruption and nepotism. He has vehemently denied the charges.

“The strike action is all about a petition that the staff of Social Security and Housing Finance Corporation wrote to the Secretary General and Head of the Civil Service office of the president, due to the fact that over one-year Social Security’s management didn’t have a Board of Directors. So, we wrote a petition 21-page petition and in this petition embedded allegations of corruption; allegations of nepotism; allegations of abuse of office done by the reining Managing Director currently Mr. Manjang,” Camara remarked.

A new Board Chairman has been appointed by the president this past week to help resolve the mounting dispute between the Social Security workers and their Managing Director. A Board meeting was convened, which Camara attended.

Camara told Freedom Newspaper that he was ejected the from Board Meeting. He later briefed his colleagues upon his unceremonious ejection from the meeting. Staffers of the SSHFC convened a meeting and resolved that a sit-down strike was the most appropriate cause of action to satisfy their grievances.

“The staff in unison, in a general meeting organized by the staff on Thursday agreed that with immediate effect we are going on a sit-down strike for the government to act because in that government if the Managing Director told you that he is not an employee of the staff but by the president. So, it is only the president who can sack him. So, at the moment, we did not work on Thursday; We did not work today; and then the impasse persists,” Camara said.

“The demands are very simple. Manjang must go! The Managing Director must go because he has stolen money; per diem money, and the proofs are there. And in our service rules, if steal a dime; if you steal one butut; you should be summarily be dismissed. So, these guys were taking seven days per diem money, and wasted air tickets money and in that process employed a girl, and within six months confirmed the girl; promoted her; transferred her and paid three years for her to pursue an ACCA professional course in Ghana, when there are people who have served twenty years and they are on the que,” he added.

The main man at the center of the SSHFC staff dispute is Muhammed Manjang. Mr. Manjang is a former banker. He onetime headed the Standard Chartered Bank Kenya branch. He has denied the staffers allegations of financial impropriety.

“As to being selfish and greedy, I don’t know what they mean; if I was greedy, I would since the beginning of this year, for example, I have never travelled not because there wasn’t travel opportunities, but I felt every single opportunity did not add any value to the Social Security; I turn them down; Now if I was greedy, probably would have traveled and put the per diems in my pockets, but I didn’t because they were no value to me,” Manjang told the Fatu Network—an internet Gambian online station.

Manjang urged staffers to be ready to adopt to change. He noted that the old ways of running the institution are now a thing of the past.

“We here have staff loans of about hundred and thirty million dalasis; that is about four million dollars, and I can tell you, and you investigate yourself; if you look at what the private sector; banks for example, and you look at the other prastatals, I would not be surprised if our portfolio is more than the combined total of all those institutions. This is not our money because we see money in; these are contributions; these are people depositing their monies with us; it doesn’t mean we are generating profits,” Manjang remarked.

He added that the parastatal is spending huge amount of money on staffers –including loans made to them which have not been repaid. He said because of such financial indiscipline, there was not enough money to give pensioners a salary increase. Manjang says this is at the root of staff dissatisfaction with him and his policies.

Meanwhile, the striking SSHFC staffers said the strike action will continue unless their demands are met by the government.

The post GAMBIA: BREAKING NEWS: THE GAMBIA IS LOSING BETWEEN D1M AND D2M PER DAY BECAUSE OF OUR STRIKE ACTION-MOMODOU CAMARA SSHFC STAFF REP! appeared first on Freedom Newspaper.

” I wish to announce that last week, the Secretary to the Commission, Mr Alhaji Kurang, made a number of unsubstantiated allegations against Counsel Amie Bensouda. Based on information available to me, Mr Kurang acted beyond the confines of his administrative authority which was principally to execute the orders of the Commission and not to question the wisdom or motivations underpinning those orders,” Justice Minister Abubacarr Tambadou told journalists on Monday during a news conference.

“As a result of his actions, and in consultation with the Commission, Mr Kurang’s position as Secretary to the Commission has now become untenable under the circumstances. We wish to thank him for his service and wish him luck in his future endeavours,” he added.

The post GAMBIA: BREAKING NEWS: THE EXECUTIVE SECRETARY OF THE JANNEH COMMISSION FIRED AS JUSTICE MINISTER SAID KURANG HAS MADE “UNSUBSTANTIATED ALLEGATIONS” AGAINST LEAD COUNSEL BENSOUDA! appeared first on Freedom Newspaper.

The Lead Counsel at the Janneh Commission Amie Bensouda, has been accused by the outgoing Commission Executive Secretary Alhagie Kurang, of interfering with the Commission’s orders in seizing dictator Jammeh’s assets and properties. In this damning petition, Kurang addressed to the presidency, and Bensouda herself, Kurang said Amie Bensouda, was constantly on the phone with the former Finance Minister Amadou Sanneh, in an attempt to covertly negotiate and purchase dictator Jammeh’s  auctioned luxurious cars, livestock, and other properties.  Ms. Bensouda has denied the allegations in a counter statement she wrote.

Kurang has also accused Bensouda of endless travels at the expense of the Commission, whose members he said are yet to be paid. He also alleged that Bensouda is not happy that the Commission is feeding poor police officers, when she and her law firm are the biggest financial beneficiaries of the Janneh Commission.

He also accused Bensouda of meddling with the Commission’s budget and colluding with dictator Yahya Jammeh, and some of Jammeh’s former close associate summoned before the Commission. He cited the economic genocide perpetrated at the Social Security, Housing and Finance Corporation during Jammeh’s watch, while Bensouda was the retained lawyer for the SSHFC. Kurang maintained that Bensouda is a compromised Lead Counsel for the Janneh Commission. He did not believe that Bensouda will honestly serve the commission and the Gambia–given her alleged conflicted reputation and past dealings with some of the witnesses.

Bensouda, according to Kurang, is exploiting his biological relationship with Habib Drammeh, Secretary General and Head of the Civil Service to pursue her sheer greed for material wealth and possession. For example, he cited Bensouda’s alleged behind the scene moves to purchase some of Jammeh’s assets through Amadou Sanneh and Habib at the State House. Both Bensouda and her brother Habib have rejected Kurang’s allegations.

Kurang has also accused Bensouda of cozying up with witnesses such as Muhammed Bazzi. He alleged that there is a prior relationship between Bazzi and Bensouda prior to the fall of Jammeh; hence which led to Bensouda’s friendly cross-examination towards Muhammed Bazzi. He said Bensouda has benefited from Bazzi’s financial adventures in the Gambia; evidence of which, he said, was presented before the Commission.

Bazzi has been indicted by the US Treasury Department on alleged ties with the Hezbollah terror group. The Lebanese national has been designated as a Hezbollah financier.

Mr. Kurang also accused Bensouda of using her position at the Janneh Commission to purchase tractors belonging to the exiled Gambian dictator Yahya Jammeh. Kurang said Bensouda’s conduct is an affront to the Commission’s terms and references.

“Your quest to secure tractors at all cost for yourself or your interest in the KMC Constituency stands against the interest of the whole country,” Kurang said. Kurang used the dialect  ” Dafa Doy” word  in petition meaning ” Enough, is Enough.”

Below is the petition.

…………………………………….

The post GAMBIA: BREAKING NEWS: ALHAGIE KURANG’S BOMBSHELL PETITION AGAINST AMIE BENSOUDA PORTRAYS BENSOUDA AS AN ALLEGED GREEDY AND CONFLICTED LAWYER, BENT ON PURCHASING JAMMEH’S ASSETS BY ANY MEANS! appeared first on Freedom Newspaper.

The fired Gambian Vice President Fatoumatta Jallow Tambajang, has rejected a government job offer assigning her into the Foreign Service. She has written to the Gambian president Adama Barrow declining the offer. This was disclosed to the press today at a news conference held at the president’s office in Banjul. “ President Barrow accepted the resignation of the former Vice President Fatoumata Tambajang from the government of The Gambia. In a letter dated 4^th July 2018, Madam Tambajang declined the offer to serve in the Foreign Service. Her resignation came after she had been relieved of the position of Vice President and offered to work in the Foreign Service.  She gave personal and professional reasons for her decision, and it was accepted by the President,” Amie Bojang Sissoho, Director of Press at the State House told journalists.

Ms. Tambajang recently flew to Switzerland after she was sacked to take part in a conference on behalf of the Gambian government. She has officially informed the government that she is no longer interested in working the regime. Her letter declining the Foreign Service job extended to her by the president, was never shared with the media.

In another development, Ms. Bojang also informed reporters that the decision to fire Alhagie Kurang, the erstwhile Executive Secretary of the Janneh Commission emanated from the Attorney General’s Chambers in consultation with the President’s office. She said it was Justice Minister Baa Tambadou’s contention that the position of Kurang at the Commission was not tenable—given the baseless allegations he made against the Commission’s Lead Counsel Amie Bensouda. Kurang has since been replaced.

The post GAMBIA: BREAKING NEWS: SACKED GAMBIAN VICE PRESIDENT TAMBAJANG REJECTS FOREIGN SERVICE WORK OFFERED TO HER BY PRESIDENT BARROW! appeared first on Freedom Newspaper.

The sacked Gambian Vice President Fatoumatta Jallow says she has forgiven President Adama Barrow and his Coalition led government for sacking her from her position, which she said, is the second highest position of the land. She was addressing a governance conference in Switzerland recently after she was sacked.  Tambajang, in a condescending statement, sounded like she is a victim of state organized betrayal.  ” On this note, I want to give you my pledge; concrete pledge which is from here, I will be travelling to the Gambia, in the next two days. First, my pledge is: As a human being, and by nature, I like to forgive because I would like people to forgive me. So, for whatever cause it was that led to the government relieving me, from my position, the highest second position in my country, I have forgiven them. I don’t want to ask questions; I want to move contribute to building a better Gambia; that was the reason; my reason of being a member of the community; my reason of leaving my United Nations job to come and help nine political parties to become a Coalition to uproot a twenty-two-year dictator,” she remarked.

Besides her former Vice President portfolio job, Tambajang was the Chairperson of the Coalition government. But she has since resigned from that portfolio, citing personal and professional reasons.

Meanwhile, Tambajang, has announced that she is setting up a phony non-governmental organization—dedicated to empowering rural impoverished Gambian women. She is far from resting from her get rich or die mindset. She even said she is going to use her new phony organization to hold the Barrow government accountable.

“Concretely, I want to establish an NGO, which is going to be called GAMNERA paradigm; this is a Gambia New Era; paradigm; this is going to look at the empowerment of rural communities to have a voice; to have a space; to have time; to leverage; take charge of their narratives; to influence policy decision making; to keep governments accountable and also to join the community of nations. Thank you all very much; Good bless you,” she added.

OBSERVATIONS: DISCERNING THE TRUTH AND THE LIES

Fatoumatta Jallow Tambajang never left her UN job to come home to reunite the Gambian opposition. That statement is a figment of her own imagination. It is false, baseless, and unfounded.

Her contract with the UN System ended; hence she was out of work; that is what occasioned her return to the country. She kept a low profile during the peak of Jammeh’s dictatorship; minding her own business.

For the record: She never took part in any active politics or militancy during the period in question. She emerged from the wilderness during the last two years of Jammeh’s misrule. To be precise, she joined the struggle for Gambia’s emancipation during the Fass Njaga Choi debacle. At the time, she was discrete in her association with the opposition.

She onetime attended a conference in New York, that was organized by Amadou Janneh’s Coalition for Change Gambia, in collaboration with other NGOS. She later started emerging  from her closet to join genuine Gambians in their democratic quest to end dictatorship.

Tambajang was not a United Nations staffer. She was a UN Volunteer. She served in Liberia. She was able to find her way into the UN Voluntary job, through Mr. Blain, the current Gambian Ambassador to the United Kingdom. Blain was a senior official of the United Nations. Tambajang compensated him, when she found herself into the Vice Presidency, by hiring him, as an Ambassador.

Tambajang wants to take unsuspecting donors and Gambian women for a ride. She has nothing to offer to Gambian women. She was the Minister in charge of Women’s Affairs during her stint as Vice President.

If she was truly concerned about the plight of impoverished Gambian rural women, why didn’t she help them during her tenure as Women’s Affairs Minister. She was instead busy building a family dynasty at the expense of our poor taxpayers. The discredited legacy she left at the VP’s office speaks for itself. Her fingerprints were virtually into every sector of the economy; coupled with the prestigious jobs she preserved exclusively for her family members and friends.

She lacks the decency to formally handover her office to her successor Ousainou Darboe. She flew to Switzerland, days after she was sacked to attend a meeting. At the time, she was not in government. She has no moral authority to represent the Gambia at that forum. But she decided to treat the Gambia and her people with utter contempt. This delusional woman thinks that the Gambia owes her a jack. Nope! She is living in a bubble.

If Ms. Tambajang is that desperate to make easy money without toiling for it, let it be known, but it is disingenuous on her part to masquerade in the name of poor rural women to tap funding from unsuspecting donors.

The new Gambian has opened the floodgates for phony folks to cash in. Now that she is out of government, she thinks that she can still continue cashing in by using Gambian women.

She is a spent force, who was availed with the opportunity by President Barrow to represent Gambian women, but she misuse it. She should just retire for good.

She talked about holding governments accountable, that’s laughable so to speak. She lacks the moral authority to say anything against the current regime—given her past ethical issues and conflict of interest.

As the former Vice President, she refused to stay at the official residence the government allocated to her. She instead decided to lure the government to rent a private residential home for her, belonging to her son Alpha Barry. The same Alpha Barry was appointed Board Chairman of the Gambia Ports Authority during Tambajang’s tenure as VP. He is still the Board Chairman of the GPA.

One thing is evident, Tambajang is working on building a political structure under the disguise of supporting poor Gambian women. Time will tell.

The post GAMBIA: BREAKING NEWS: SACKED GAMBIAN VP ANNOUNCES THE SETTING UP A PHONY NGO “GAMNERA” WHICH SHE SAYS WILL EMPOWER IMPOVERISHED RURAL WOMEN! appeared first on Freedom Newspaper.

SPEECH DELIVERED ON BEHALF OF

PRESIDENT ADAMA BARROW BY

HONORABLE  DR. MAMADOU TANGARA,

MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS,

INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION AND GAMBIANS ABROAD ON THE OCCASION OF

THE 43^RD ECOWAS DAY CELEBRATION IN

THE GAMBIA

INDEPENDENCE STADIUM BAKAU

JULY 14, 2018

• Your Excellencies, Members of the Diplomatic Corps
• The Political Adviser, ECOWAS
• Head of Mission, ECOMIG and Force Commander
• Ministers, here present
• Venerable e Religious Leaders
• Distinguished Guests, Ladies and
• Gentlemen

It is with great pleasure that I am here this morning to commemorate with you this very happy occasion of the 43^rd ECOWAS day celebration in The Gambia. I am also very honoured o represent His Excellency, the President,  Mr. Adama Barrow, who is unavoidably absent due to some other matters of the state that he has to attend to. His soul and spirit as well as his prayers or best wishes are with you and he has asked me to convey and express this.

He has asked me to read his statement on this happy occasion, which I have the singular honour to read as follows:

“Your Excellencies

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen

I am indeed grateful that we are gathered here to commemorate and celebrate the 43^rd ECOWAS Day here in The Gambia.

At the outset, let me underscore that the importance of ECOWAS as an organisation whose mandate primarily  is to promote the economic and social integration of West African States and in this way ensure closer coordinated ties of cooperation between and among the ECOWAS  states.

Since its creation, ECOWAS has been relentless in the pursuit of unity and integration within the sub region and I am sure we are all witnesses to the tremendous strides taken over the years in this endeavour.

As a regional bloc, we are also witnesses to the active role that ECOWAS through the very many initiatives it has launched since its creation, has been championing in virtually every sphere of the political, economic and social lives of nation states and the citizenry.

Key among these is the area of peace building, promoting democracy, good governance and the rule of law as well as reinforcing peace, security and stability. Despite the huge challenges in these, we all know how important these initiatives are as the building blocks towards achieving long-term sustainable growth and development.

For us in The Gambia, we have every reason to be proud of ECOWAS and every reason therefore to celebrate this year. Undoubtedly, we have become a beneficiary of the many areas of support and assistance provided by ECOWAS. Not least is the area of peace that was restored in the wake of the political impasse in 2016. Through the intervention of ECOMIG, we have seen and enjoyed significant peace dividends without which The Gambia could have been another example of chaos and instability and possibly a failed state.

I would like to take this opportunity again to express my gratitude to all ECOWAS member states each for providing solidarity with The Gambia and all for the united decision to come in and save us from carnage.

My Government will forever remain grateful. We will ensure that the dividends from ECOWAS ‘ actions are sustained, and here I want to make particular reference to the comprehensive security sector reform that my Government is embarking on with the view to build greater professionalism in, as well as the requisite capacity in our security sector. We will continue to work closely with all sister states to ensure that not only is the threat of insecurity over-powered in any one country of the sub-region but in all of the ECOWAS territory.

In this drive, and in order to ensure that ECOWAS truly succeed in its mandate, my government will continue to subscribe to all ECOWAS protocols, including the protocols and instruments designed to enhance the free movement of people, goods and services within the framework of trade liberalisation.

I cannot proceed but recognise the importance and the need therefore to ensure that the political procurements that underlie these ECOWAS protocols as well as the instruments to give them effect, are actually implemented in real time and in practice. I say so because non-implementation is tantamount to failing the millions of people who stand to gain immensely from liberalised trade and openness to services within the ECOWAS space.

Excellencies,

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen

For our part, my government will do all it takes to stand by and support the effective implementation of the ECOWAS protocols. ECOWAS has become a household name, which like the EU, the UN and other bodies and organisations has demonstrated that they are a useful body and an important player in driving our socio-economic agenda as a sub-region as well as our collective political agenda. We must ensure coherence of efforts so that we can build on the achievements registered under ECOWAS. We must remain solidly resolute to the pursuit of our goal of becoming customs union, trading amongst ourselves as a market, harmonizing duties and taxes, and introducing the ECOWAS Single currency and the ECOWAS Passport with the view to maximise the benefits inherent from such opportunities.

I would like therefore to urge that we as the Member States close ranks to ensure that ECOWAS is able to effectively deliver on its mandate. It is an organisation that is governed in accordance with the principles of democracy, rule of law and good governance. These are important features that we can proudly become a bright example of.

To conclude, I would like to again congratulate all the citizens of ECOWAS and the ECOWAS Commission for yet another anniversary of celebrations. While there is a lot to celebrate, we should also realise that there is a lot of challenges to be wary about. In the face of globalisations, there are obvious threats of insecurity, including physical as well as cyber-based threats looming and of great concern to the sub-regional peace, security and development. With greater resolve, we can make ECOWAS a centre of excellence and an epitome of hope for our citizenry”

That ends the President’s statement and I thank you all for your attention. Happy 43^rd ECOWAS Anniversary.

The post Gambia: The Gambia Risked Descending Into Chaos And Instability, And Possibly A Failed State Without The Intervention Of ECOMIG; As Foreign Minister Tangara Hails ECOWAS And ECOMIG Help In Restoring Peace In The Gambia! appeared first on Freedom Newspaper.

The Secretary General and Head of the Civil Service Habib Drammeh will soon be replaced, this medium can reveal. Mr. Drammeh’s replacement is being sought. The name of Ebrima Ceesay, Secretary to Cabinet, came up during the discussions for his possible replacement. But no definitive decision has been reached yet on Drammeh’s future replacement.

Habib Drammeh is probably aware of the secret machinations around the State House to have him replaced. Word around the State House have it that Adama Barrow wants to replace Habib. There is infighting in Barrow’s government.

The Social Security staffers dispute case with their Managing Director Muhammed Manjang has been taken away from SG Drammeh. Mamburay Njie, the newly hired Finance Minister is handling the case.

There is an acrimonious relationship between the former Jammeh enablers. This is not to suggest in anyway that Habib and Mamburay had past issues. Habib’s sister Amie Bensouda is the lead counsel at the Janneh Commission. She recently grilled Mamburay Njie before the Commission over the stolen $4 million dollars Qatari grant that was extended to the Gambia government in the past administration. Mr. Njie aided and abetted Jammeh in stealing the $4 million Qatari grant while serving as Finance Minister. Mamburay is also being investigated on his past ties with Jammeh.

It should also be noted that both Habib and Mamburay, have served in Jammeh’s regime. The duo had been imprisoned at the mile two prison during Jammeh’s rule on alleged corruption related issues.

Like Jammeh, Barrow too, is obsessed with assembling former enablers, who will respond to his bidding. Habib Drammeh is on his way out of the State House.

Unless Adama Barrow, changes his mind, plans are afoot to have Habib Drammeh replaced. This is an open secret at the State House. We will keep you posted with developments.

The post GAMBIA: BREAKING NEWS: SG HABIB DRAMMEH TO BE REPLACED SOON! appeared first on Freedom Newspaper.

President Adama Barrow is playing the devil advocate in the Social Security staffers dispute with their MD Muhammed Manjang. Barrow is obsessed with power and wealth; hence he is threading on a fine line—to avoid losing his base. He also doesn’t want to upset the staffers at the Social Security.

Mr. Barrow is not interested in an honest or upright worker. He wants to enjoy the SSHFC pensioners pie to waste, like his predecessor Yahya Jammeh did. Barrow is operating at an alarming rate.

Mamburay Njie was brought in, to settle scores with the Drammehs. His past strained relationship with the Drammehs is evident all over the place. He is Barrow’s to go guy, to help expedite the firing of Muhammed Manjang.

When Adama Barrow appointed Mamburay Njie, Minister of Finance, SG Habib Drammeh advised Barrow to put Njie’s appointment on hold pending the conclusion of the Janneh Commission. It was Drammeh’s contention that Njie is a person of interest before the Janneh Commission; hence his appointment will undermine the credibility of the Commission. Drammeh maintains that such a move could have disastrous blow on the Janneh Commission and the government of the day.

Barrow never heeded to Habib’s counselling. He went ahead to instruct one of the Permanent Secretaries to call Mamburay at his office, so that he can hand him over his appointment letter.

What followed next, was the leakage of the Janneh Commission asset declaration documents, targeting former Jammeh close associates. Mamburay’s name featured prominently on those documents. Who leaked the documents? Your guess is as good as mine. There is an infighting in the Barrow government. More scandalous leaks will emerge in coming days.

In recent weeks, Barrow has been bypassing his SG for reasons best known to him. He wants Mamburay to come in, and help him get rich, and settle scores with his past perceived adversaries.

As reported by the Freedom Newspaper, it was Mamaburay Njie, while serving as SG under Jammeh’s rule, who wrote to the former Inspector General of police to relay an Executive Order from Jammeh for Habib Drammeh’s arrest. Habib was the Director of the Tourism Authority at the time.

It was also during Mamburay’s watch that the Social Security terminated Amie Drammeh Bensouda’s contract as the Corporation’s retained lawyer. He cannot stand the Drammehs.

While Amadou Sanneh was occupying the portfolio of Finance Minister, Amie Bensouda used to advise them on some of the loans and contracts they brokered on behalf of the government. That’s the job of the AG Chambers, but the UDP led government has more faith in Amie than Baa Tambadou. Baa too has faith in Amie. One could argue here that the AG Chambers is now under the purview of Amie’s law firm—given the revelations coming from Alhagie Mamadi Kurang’s damning petition letter.

Now that there is a new Sheriff at the Finance Ministry, in the person of the former Jammeh enabler Mamburay Njie, word have it that Amie might lose access to the Ministry. In other words, she might not be cashing in from the Ministry.

Habib Drammeh will likely be fired in coming weeks, but that might not change the equation as far as Amie Bensouda’s advisory role to the FAR Norwegian oil company is concerned. FAR has been licensed to explore and mine oilfields in the Gambia. Barrow cannot afford to jeopardize his relationship with Amie.

The SSHFC case is a labor matter. It should be handled by the Ombudsman and not a political hack and former enabler like Mamburay Njie. But as usual, Barrow is using the former enablers for political and economic expedition. We are watching.

The post GAMBIA: BREAKING NEWS: BARROW’S PLANS TO FIRE MD MANJANG AND HABIB DRAMMEH EXPOSED BY AN INSIDER! appeared first on Freedom Newspaper.

The Deputy Leader of the opposition APRC Party Ousman Jatta, AKA Rambo, has said that President Adama Barrow’s proposed bridge for the Banjul/Barr ferry crossing, is not only a misplaced priority project, but also an affront to the plight of the suffering Gambian masses, some of whom, according to Rambo, are finding it extremely difficult to feed their families in today’s Gambia, under Barrow’s leadership. Mr. Jatta, speaking in an interview with this medium said Barrow should reconsider the economic ramifications associated with such a misplaced priority project. He said the Gambia has been faced with a host of pressing developmental challenges than constructing a mega bridge, which he said, might not have much economic impact bearing on the lives of the suffering Gambian masses.  

“Before bridging Banjul and Barra, why can’t we try to buy the farmers nuts and so on; that are in the Seccos. And, before we try to bridge Banjul and Barra, why can’t we try to stabilize our electricity system. Let him not embark on a promise that he cannot never keep; because I believe somebody said it is going to cost us about $ 2 billion dollars. $2 billion dollars is not a small money; how are we going to fund it?; where is the fund coming from? What are the strings attached to the said funds if at all it is available?,” Jatta asked.

“I believe the proposed bridge is a farfetched dream. It is not a priority right now. What we need right now, first to unify the people. The Gambia is so divided Pa. We need to bring people together because the way certain people see democracy in this country, I don’t think it is like that. The kind of democracy we have in the Gambia, I haven’t seen it anywhere in the world; frankly speaking,” Rambo added.

Mr. Jatta is concerned about the direction the new Gambia is heading towards. He said under Barrow’s rule, there is little or no respect for the individual, as some folks think that democracy have given them the license to do whatever they want under the sun.

“People can curse your mother in the name of democracy in the Gambia. If you ask them, why are they cursing at you, they will tell you, there is democracy in the Gambia. Perhaps, my understanding of democracy, is different from their own understanding of democracy. In my view, democracy doesn’t give anyone the right to violate other peoples’ rights,” he remarked.

Rambo said people are abusing Gambia’s new found democracy, partly because of President Barrow’s lame duck approach in presiding over the affairs of the nation. He said such an indiscipline and disrespect for the others rights never happened during Yahya Jammeh’s rule.

“During Yahya Jammeh’s era, when he speaks, people will know that Jammeh is speaking. A leader should have voice, and candor. I am not insinuating that Barrow doesn’t have voice, but his voice is lacking when it comes to shaping the direction of the country,” Jatta said.

“When President Jammeh talks, people will know that this man has spoken; so, you should be careful, but in this new dispensation, I have not seen that. People are not afraid of Barrow. I am not saying that he should be hashed or highhanded, but as a President, he has the Executive powers conferred on him to take his stand on issues; this how it should be, and it is final, but that is not happening in the Gambia,” he added.

Mr. Jatta also called on the Barrow government to look into the cost of living in the country. He said the regime should be preoccupied with revamping the economy, to make life affordable for Gambians than embarking on a white elephant bridge project. He said there is a huge difference between the Bambilimansa bridge Jammeh’s government constructed compared to the proposed Barra/Banjul bridge. He cited the financial cost incurred on financing the bridges constructed during the past administration compared to the current administration. He said the Banjul/Barra bridge costs more money than the previous bridges constructed under Jammeh’s rule.

“And also, something the government needs to look into, is the cost of basic commodities. Pa, some people are finding it very, very difficult to survive in the Gambia. Cost of living is very high in the Gambia; very expensive; frankly speaking,” he said.

Written By Pa Nderry M’Bai

The post GAMBIA: BREAKING NEWS: BARROW’S BANJUL/BARRA BRIDGE IS A MISPLACED PRIORITY PROJECT-RAMBO JATTA; SAYS GAMBIANS ARE CONCERNED ABOUT PUTTING FOOD IN THEIR BELLY THAN A WHILE ELEPHANT BRIDGE! appeared first on Freedom Newspaper.

President Adama Barrow is the most unpopular president, the Gambia, has ever had since post-independence, MC Cham, the National Youth Mobilizer of the Gambia Democratic Congress Party (GDC) told Freedom Radio Gambia’s Civic Education show on Thursday. Mr. Cham said Barrow has not only proven that he is incompetent to steer the affairs of the impoverished West African nation but has also woefully failed as a transitional Coalition president. Barrow, he went on, has shattered the hopes and aspirations of the Gambian electorate, who voted him into office.

“President Adama Barrow is very unpopular today in the Gambia. His own supporters have started renouncing their support for Barrow. He has failed the Gambian people. Barrow’s failure as a leader, is largely due to the misplaced agendas he and his colleagues in the government are pursuing. No one voted him into office to consolidate himself as a prospective future Gambian president post transition period. He was elected into office basically to champion and spearhead democratic reforms and not to the contrary,” MC Cham remarked.

“Barrow’s leadership has no sense of direction. It is a government mainly consists of “angry and greedy officials” who are obsessed with amassing money and material wealth at the expense of poor Gambians. Barrow hasn’t initiated any meaningful developmental project since he was elected into office in December of 2016. He and his cohorts have been preoccupied with endless travelling; claiming fat per diem allowances; living the life of flamboyant lifestyle at the expense of the Gambian taxpayers. This is not the promised regime, which will deliver the Gambia, and her people from abject poverty. Gambians are starving in this country. There is real hunger in the Gambia. This country has been reduced into a begging nation. There is poverty everywhere,” Cham added.

Cham said Barrow lacks the knowledge, wisdom, vision, and virtue to run the Gambia. He added that Barrow’s presidency is already a total failure, and that there is no way that he (Barrow) can turnaround things for the better. He said the Gambia under Barrow’s leadership is uncertain and all efforts should be made to ensure that an uninformed clueless leader, like Barrow is not elected into office again in the Gambia.

He accused Barrow of using his tour to throw shades at Mama Kandeh and the GDC party. He said Kandeh’s infrastructural investments in uplifting the lives of rural folks is evident all over the place. He cited the numerous boreholes Kandeh brought to the door steps of Gambians across the nation.

According to MC Cham, President Barrow, is behaving as if he was elected into office to serve his own interest or the interest of a selected few within the government. He accused Barrow of betraying the very terms, conditions and spirit of the Coalition government, which propelled him into the presidency.

“Mr. Barrow has betrayed his own Coalition partners by firing them from the government. I am strongly opposed to the firing of the former Vice President Fatoumatta Jallow Tambajang, OJ Jallow, and Mai Fatty. These folks have worked tirelessly to ensure that Jammeh was defeated in the past elections. Ms. Tambajang in particular was the main driving force behind the Coalition. She ensured that the opposition were unified just to usher political change. But Barrow rewarded them with a firing,” he added.

MC Cham also raised the appointment of the former Jammeh enablers such as Mamburay Njie and Momodou Tangara into Barrow’s cabinet. He noted that it was Adama Barrow, who told the nation that he has enough man power to fill his cabinet, but to the contrary Barrow has disavowed his statement by hiring some former Jammeh close aides into his government.

On Barrow’s proposed billion dollars Banjul/Barr bridge, MC Cham said the Gambian leader must either be daydreaming or is out of his mind. He branded Barrow’s bridge proposal as delusional and misplaced priority project.

“As we speak, Banjul is flooding. There is flood in Banjul. The rains have reduced our city as a pond. Banjul is not motorable at this time. Barrow should devote his energy and efforts in revamping our city. All the roads in Banjul are in deplorable conditions. The sanitation in Banjul shocks. There is no good sewage system in Banjul. And that is the seat of the presidency. I laughed when I heard him talking about a billion-dollar bridge. If he cannot fix the basic needs of the Gambian people, do you expect him to deliver on the proposed bridge? The bridge talk is another propaganda,” Cham told Freedom Radio.

“Here in the Gambia, people are dying because there are no drugs in our hospitals. The economy has crashed. Traders will spend the whole day in their shops without making any sales. The purchasing power for the average Gambian, has dramatically declined since Barrow has assumed the presidency. Many will go to bed without food; and woke up the next morning without the means of having a breakfast. Gambians are silently suffering in this country. Barrow has no serious plans to make cost of living affordable to the Gambian consumer. Electricity is also not stable at all. Water shortage is prevalent in Barrow’s new Gambia,” he added.

Mr. Cham also talked about Barrow’s lack of commitment to respect the three years transition period he agreed with his Coalition partners. He said one of the reasons why Barrow is insisting on serving the five years term as stipulated by the constitution is because of his lack of certainty of winning future elections.

“If elections were to be conducted after the three years transition period, Barrow will lose woefully. There is nobody who can defeat Mama Kandeh; not even Ousainou Darboe. Mama Kandeh has more support than them. They know it. That’s why Barrow is reneging from the three years transition period,” he said.

Cham also said a Mama Kandeh led government will investigate the financial activities of the Coalition government. He said Mr. Barrow and his cronies will be investigated to shed light on the properties they amassed within this short period of time. He referenced Barrow’s new home at Mangkamang-Kunda.

“We will ensure that Barrow and his colleagues are investigated once Mama Kandeh assumes office. We are keeping an eye on what is unfolding in this administration. There is corruption everywhere within Barrow’s government. Barrow must explain how he managed to build that expensive Manson in Mangkamang-Kunda. I just gathered that he has started constructing new structures in the village. Where does he get the money from? We will investigate them when we come to power,” MC Cham said.

Mr. Barrow recently told Eye Africa online TV in an interview that the Senegalese American rapper Akon, financed the Solar Energy, street lights and the new road at his home village. It is not clear if the American artist Multi-Platinum Grammy winner, has any future project plans in the Gambia, but his name came up during Barrow’s interview with Eye Africa. Akon is the CEO of the Akon Lightening Africa.

MC Cham also doubled down on Mama Kandeh’s recent statement that Ousainou Darboe’s appointment as Vice President is unconstitutional. He said if it means challenging Darboe’s appointment in court they will do it.

Cham used the interview to throw shades at the newly appointed Government Spokesperson Ebrima G Sankareh. He said it was not only childish for the Gambian government to issue a press release on Jammeh’s leaked audio conversations with his supporters, but according to MC “this goes to show that the Barrow administration has no sense of direction.” He said Jammeh is history now, and for this regime to use his leaked audios to cry the victim card clearly confirmed that they have nothing to offer to Gambians. He said Gambians are tired of the regime blaming Jammeh for everything under the sun.

” They have been elected into office to work, but so far, there is nothing new in the new Gambia. There is no meaningful development since Barrow ascended into the presidency; no single project. They spent all their time blaming Jammeh. Let them deliver and stop the excuses and the blame game,” Cham concluded.

The post GAMBIA: BREAKING NEWS: ADAMA BARROW IS GAMBIA’S MOST UNPOPULAR PRESIDENT SINCE POST INDEPENDENCE-MC CHAM appeared first on Freedom Newspaper.

For the first-time in Gambia’s history since independence, a new Bar Association been launched to operate side by side with the main Gambia Bar Association. The Gambia National Bar Association will officially elect its Executive Members on Saturday, according to the Coordinator of the new Bar Association Lawyer Lamin K Mboge. Mboge said the new Bar is not here to unseat the old Bar but to compliment its efforts in the administration of justice in the country. “ We don’t want to unseat them; in fact, that is not our aim; that is not our objective. We want to work together with them in pushing forward our agendas and we agree; in fact, we can have a joint session and make a joint presentation to the judiciary to the Executive; the National Assembly, and whatever we do, we want to partner with them; we know that we are doing it for the Gambia, and that is our country,” the Niamina Dankunku born legal luminary told Freedom Radio Gambia in an exclusive interview on Friday. “We felt the need to register a new Bar called The Gambia National Bar Association, for further express our freedom of expression and opinion and to assist our colleagues, who are young ones, that are coming up, but they have serious constraints into their practice; and, to assist the administration of justice on fair play and issues affecting our country at large,” he added. Below is part one of the Q and A interview we had with Lawyer Mboge. Please read on.

……………………………………….

Good evening Mr. Mboge. Mr. Mboge What is going on? We are made to understand that you guys have registered a new Bar Association in the Gambia? What is the Bar Association all about?

We felt the need to register a new Bar called The Gambia National Bar Association, for further express our freedom of expression and opinion and to assist our colleagues, who are young ones, that are coming up, but they have serious constraints into their practice; and, to assist the administration of justice on fair play and issues affecting our country at large.

So, it is correct to say that there are two Bar Associations in the Gambia?

Yes, there are two Bar Associations currently, but we may have another one, which is in the pipeline, but it is not yet ready, and I don’t want to disclose it, but it would be disclosed by itself when it is ready.

What triggered the setting up of the Gambia National Bar Association? What really triggered this?

This Bar was registered sometime in 2011, and due to the tight security situation and the suppression of the right of expression; freedom of opinion it was felt for a while until now that we have a democracy, where everybody is free to express himself or herself; and if we have issues affecting younger members of the Gambia Bar, I think that expression is not being fully developed and followed up by the existing Bar, we felt there is a need to register a new Bar; that should take up the challenges and the responsibilities.

Talking about the issues affecting the young lawyers, what are the issues you are talking about?

Previously, when you finished your LLB, and your BL, you go straight into practice, but there is a new Legal Practitioners Act, enforced, which requires pupilage, pupilage is like training; practical training, which we don’t opposed but the time limit, which is three years previously, which has been fought and brought down to two years and is still affecting the young ones; because we are not the only professionals; there are other professional bodies in the country, but as soon as you get your degree, it means you are qualified to practice your various field. But our younger ones are to go through pupilage; we are not against pupilage, but we are against the limitation; the time limit and they should be allowed to do their practice at the same time they are doing their training.

So, that is your bond of contention?

That is just one of them.

And what are the other issues that you have with the main Bar?

The other issues are that in other jurisdictions, we have an alternative platform for advancement of justice. We need unity in diversity in the sense that we are all united, but we have divergent views; and also we are partners in development; the socio economic advancement of our country; so that we can also actively participate in national issues affecting the judiciary; issues affecting the administration of justice in the country entirely; and we have other international bodies as well; we have the West African Bar, We have the African Bar, We have the international Bar; and we want to explore all these avenues for the Gambia to grow.

And who is the President of the newly set up Gambian National Bar Association? Who is the President of this Organization?

Well, I am the Coordinator and we are meeting; calling a general meeting tomorrow for elections; so, by tomorrow, we will be able to know the new Executive.

And how constitutional or how legal is this organization?

Wow on that one; that is interesting; ha, ha, ha. It is a registered organization with the Ministry, that is the government. The new Bar has given notice to the Chief Justice, who is the Head of the Judiciary; we have given notice to the Attorney General, who is the legal adviser to the government; we have given notice to the National Assembly and we have written to the Gambia Law school, and we should also do the same with the Faculty of Law at the University of the Gambia. And the primary purpose of establishing is to express our freedom of association, freedom of speech, and freedom of opinion, which is a constitutional right, and nobody can deny us that right.

Mr. Mboge, you have been into practice for so many years, have you ever heard of two Bar Associations operating side by side in a country?

Oh yes, even other jurisdictions, I will start with Nigeria, where most of us have been trained; where every state has its own Bar Association and they have a national one, but every state has its own Bar. In Ghana, you have other Bar Associations; in UK, even in the advanced world, you have four INNS; that is four different societies, where you are free to join; to choose to which one to join when you graduate as a lawyer; and we are following other jurisdiction; the Gambia has to grow; we don’t have to remain as we were since independence or even before independence.

And how is the old Bar perceiving your Organization? What are they saying?

Well, so far, we have not gotten any official pronouncement from the old Bar, but very soon we will engage them; we have given them notice of our Bar; and we have given them notice of our meeting, and our elections; and we want to work together with them as partners in development and not as rivals.

So, your move to set up this new body, should not be interpreted as a coup against the primary Bar Association; it should not be misconstrued as a coup?

Yes, exactly that is it; we don’t want to unseat them; in fact, that is not our aim; that is not our objective. We want to work together with them in pushing forward our agendas and we agree; in fact, we can have a joint session and make a joint presentation to the judiciary to the Executive; the National Assembly, and whatever we do, we want to partner with them; we know that we are doing it for the Gambia, and that is our country.

Is Mosses Richards part of your organization; lawyer Mosses Richards?

Wow, that is an interesting question. I don’t know why he in particular, and he will be asking you why you called; asked about him in particular.

Because I know for a fact that when he was fired by Jammeh and charged; your humble self was on Freedom radio, protesting about his firing and that gave birth to the rivalry within the Bar; so, I am just asking whether he is part of this organization?

Well, for now, I can say that I have given him notice and I have informed him, and I expect to see him in our general meeting tomorrow, and if he is interested; we have a registration form for membership and that will be open tomorrow.

Have you resigned your membership with the main Bar Association?

You see the situation of the main Bar is that previously it was an automatic membership; once you graduate, you are an automatic member because it was the only association in the Gambia, but now that we have an alternative Bar, people have an option if they want to be a member of the Gambia Bar Association or the Gambia National Bar Association. So, the mere fact that I have registered a new Bar, is a clear indication that I am no longer a member of the Gambia Bar, and as soon as we register our membership; any member who registers with us, I cannot say he is not a member of the Gambia Bar, because a member has a right to be part of the two associations; that is freedom of association.

Is your new organization legally mandated to accredit lawyers graduating from law school; do you have that legal mandate to accredit lawyers, who are out of law school; law school grandaunts? Do you have that legal mandate?

Well, we are just setting up and the force and the power behind our activities will give us, whatever achievements we made in the future. And that is one of the issues we need to table with the law school administration, the judiciary, and the Attorney General; these are all stakeholders in the accreditation of members from the law school. So, it is not a single body that is in charge, but all stakeholders will have to come together and make that decision.

But so far, it is correct to say that you do not have the legal mandate to accredit lawyers, who graduate from law schools?

Ha, ha, ha, ha. Well, I will say that every Gambian, not only lawyers; every Gambian has a constitutional right of freedom of association including yourself. It is only that our association is limited to professionals, who have graduated from the law school; those are the ones we called lawyers.

What would happen Mr. Mboge, if judges started saying that they not grant audience to lawyers, who are part of your organization into their courts? What will happen?

That is a practically impossibility. Practically impossibility. That will.. anyway, I don’t want to say what it will amount to because that is a gross violation of the constitution.

They cannot do that?

Nobody has the power to do that. Nobody can stop any Gambian from registering any association as long as it is legal; no judge can restraint us.

Is the Gambia Bar Association not the main legal body tasked or mandated to accredit lawyers, who graduate from law school?

It is good that you raised this issue because section 23, subsection 3, of the Legal Practitioners Act, have clearly make provisions for normalization of membership within the Gambian Bar Association, or any professional body, registered within the country. And, we are a professional body; so, that means that the law has open up and given people the option and the opportunity to set up a professional body; and this is what we have done.

Right, it is your right to set up that professional body, but it is another thing for you to regularize your status as a lawyer, by ensuring that your membership with the Gambia Bar Association is intact.

Like I said, earlier, people have a right to choose which organization or association to belong to; you may either be a member of the Gambia Bar Association, the National Bar Association, or the third body that is coming in, I don’t know the name or be a member of one or two of every of these associations. It is up to the individual.

So, are you insinuating that there is another Bar Association in the making?  

No, I am not insinuating, I am telling you as a matter of fact; within a matter of short period of time, you will get to know about it, and you will see it in the news.

Why is everyone leaving the main Bar? What is going on?

Well, you know we are in a new democracy, and we are in a 21^st century; people are growing; people’s minds are changing; we have a University, and that University is producing graduates. So, the Gambia before and the Gambia today are different. We are getting legal minds; we are getting professionals, who are intellectuals and who should also be given the opportunity to express themselves; to express their views, and even if you cannot do it in one association, you can do it in another one.

In your own opinion, lawyer Mboge, what is your take on the main Bar; the old Bar Association; what is your take?

The Gambia Bar Association is consists of members, who are very, very respectable, who are legal luminaries, who are as good as any other lawyer, in fact, if I may say they are our seniors, and we respect them for that. And that doesn’t stop us, be it myself, I have members of the new association, who are more senior than myself.

Really?

Certainly, it is not only about the young ones; my agemates and my seniors are all in the new Bar.

But if all was cool and dandy at the old Bar, probably, you wouldn’t have set up this organization; right?

Yes, it is true, because you know, young ones; when you graduate from the University, you are full of energy and enthusiasm; you feel like expressing yourself in a free and fair manner; that is a constitutionally guaranteed right; nobody can stop you from doing that; so if you cannot do that in the old Bar; you are welcome to the new Bar; so, that you come and express yourself and we debate; we disagree and agree; and then we come up with a resolution; and then we may do what is necessary to bring those issues and agenda before the authorities.

Now that you have registered the new Bar Association, what are your long term and short-term plans, when it comes to the administration of justice in the Gambia?

When we meet tomorrow; I don’t want to disclose what I have already have for the association tomorrow because the launching we will expect some media practitioners to come and cover our deliberations; but I just want to say that we are not limited to the four corners of the association; we want to go national; and we want to go international; we want to engage the authorities on issues affecting the Bar; issues affecting the judiciary; and issues affecting the administration of justice. We want to engage societies; we want to advocate and advance the administration of justice in the country.

Does this mean taking the government to court in the event that they are found wanting?

Ha, ha, ha. Well, we don’t want to go that far unless all avenues for dialogue have been exhausted because obviously before you take the government to court, you have to engage them in dialogue.

How about helping poor litigants because in the Gambia folks going to court probably they cannot afford to pay a lawyer to represent them; will you be helping poor litigants; to provide them pro bono in court?

We call that legal aid and that is one of our agenda that we wish to address because not all are able to afford the services of a lawyer. We have a female lawyers association, which is called FLAG and they deal with issues of women and children.

So, it is correct to say that there is a fallout within the Gambia Bar Association; as such new organizations are coming up; right?

Well, I don’t want to say fallout. You know we are lawyers; we agree and disagree; and we want to unite in diversity. I don’t want to use the word fallout, I don’t think that is the way we feel or the way we think; what we think is to open another avenue for freedom of expression; constitutionally guaranteed right to flow; this is what we are after; we want people to come and express their views openly, freely, and fairly; in good faith and with respect to our seniors.

So, if I got you, young lawyers felt that they are being censored by the old guard of the Bar. They felt being censored; right?

Ha, ha, ha. Well, I don’t think that is the way. The issue is; we have a University that is producing almost fifty graduates per annum, and within four years, we have two hundred young graduates; and that is unprecedented; the whole Bar, so within the four years, we have equaled the number of lawyers, who have been in practice since colonial days. You understand. This is the issue. And these young ones, with the coming up of the Legal Practitioners Act, they are not; I wouldn’t say sidelined, but their views have not been heard; a legislation has been passed in respect of those young ones and they are seriously affected by that legislation; that is the Legal Practitioners Act.

Can you dwell on that legislation? What is it all about?

Well, I just some of it at the beginning of my interview and that is on the issue of pupilage and on the issue of training. You see, once a lawyer goes to the University, he battled for years to get his LLB, and then battled for another year to go through the Law school; once he graduates he is deemed to be fit and proper for him to be enrolled as a legal practitioner in the Gambia and any other jurisdiction.

But in the case of the Gambia, they are somehow restricted?

Yes, for now, there is a restriction because they have to do pupilage for one year, and that pupilage is attaching them to other Chambers of seniors to do their training for one year. And like we said, the number of output from the University is now far exceeding the seniors in the country. There are even some of the graduates, who don’t even have an office to do their training. So, you can see the issues that are arising in the new Gambia.

Earlier on, you talked about the organization being conceived during Jammeh’s regime, why couldn’t you register it at the time? What happened?

It was registered in 2011. That was in Jammeh’s time.

Why is that you guys couldn’t formally launch it?

For two reasons: Principally, political atmosphere was not yet conducive; that’s one; and two, some of our colleagues then used diplomacy and dialogue and then wanted a unified Bar rather than a separate Bar; alternative Bar; I wouldn’t call it a rival Bar; we are not rivals; we are partners in development. So, now that these new issues are arising in those days; the time the Bar was registered this issue affecting new lawyers have not arisen.

So, the Minister of Justice Abubacarr Tambadou, has he given his blessing to this?

Ha, ha, ha. Well, that is an Executive view, he cannot speak, although, he gave his word of advice and caution about the new Bar, but I wouldn’t say he has or has not given his blessing because that is not a requirement of the law. The new association does not require the blessing of the Attorney General or any other person. We only given him notice of registration of our Bar as a matter of courtesy and respect and as the head of the Bar. The Attorney General is the head of the public and the private Bar. So, any association, which is registered you have to bring it to his notice.

And what was the advice given by Mr. Tambadou to you guys?

Ha, ha, ha. Well, I think that is confidential. I cannot say that in the media especially in public; you know this is an international media, I am conducting this interview, so, I have to be careful not to expose those advice.

How about the Chief Justice Assan Jallow? Is he aware?

Yes, the Chief Justice is aware. As I stated earlier, I met with the Chief Justice and laid my cards on his table. I met with the Attorney General and I laid my cards on his table. I met with some of my senior colleagues and explained our situation and position to them; to enable them to understand our position and our viewpoint. And I wrote to the National Assembly, and I am yet to meet them, but I will in due course with the Speaker of the National Assembly as well.

What is the membership size of your new organization; if you don’t mind telling us?

Ha, ha, ha. Like I said, we are going to recruit membership and registration will start tomorrow.

And journalists would be invited to attend?

Oh yes. In fact, thanks for reminding me. I have sent a notice to the GPU press union to invite the press to not only attend, but also report our outcome. You see, we don’t want to be competing with anybody and we also want transparency; we don’t want to act behind closed doors. We will invite journalists, and if you want as well to know developments that happened tomorrow you can call, and you will be fully briefed.

Transcribed and written by Pa Nderry M’Bai

Email: panderrymbai@gmail.com

Tel: 919-749-6319

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UNMASKING SSHFC MD MANJANG, THE MAN WHO LIED THAT HE IS PROTECTING POOR PENSIONERS’ FUNDS WHILE HE DID WHAT NO OTHER MD HAD EVER DONE IN TERMS OF WASTAGE OF THAT FUND: TAKE A READ AND LOOK AT THE ATTACHED DOCS:

Manjang came, deliberately released his empty rhetorical reply to the staff petition to the media, online. He did and wanted only one thing and that is to gain more public support and sympathy from the remaining unsuspecting support base even though many that came to his defense at the beginning of the longest, most publicized and peppered saga of our New Dispensation had made a U Turn and regretted why they had said all that they had of the decent and hardworking staff of this noble institution, SSHFC. These, of course are the vilifying remarks of all kinds that were heaped on these dignified, decent and most hardworking men and women of our country.

He showed he was unhappy and reluctant to reply to the allegations been levelled against him by the 271 staff of the SSHFC even though it was the highest office of our land (State House) through the SG who had asked him to do this. He was clearly angry over the request by the OP through the SG to reply but why must a head of an institution be so angry so much so that he wouldn’t want to reply and possibly clear himself of all those damning allegations against him if indeed he is so clean of any wrong doing? This is puzzling!!!

Manjang went so low by publishing a “Thank you” letter from Momodou Camara to him. I am happy that he shared the letter as it showed that Camara has no ill feeling against him and would appreciate any good thing he does on the job but when it goes wrong too as in this saga, he will hold him accountable through the general staff body that he leads through an election. I am glad he never published any incriminating letter that had the honest, humble and true Patriot, Momodou Camara implicated as in his case. Camara is truly better than MD Manjang by all accounts.

Again, he went low to publish the list of demands by Staff to him and it’s clear the reason why he did this is to score a point through the public as the demand mainly centers on the honoring of the “old good traditions” or simply motivational packages for staff that he found in place and these, for some of you who don’t know, include:
-Early payments during feasts (Tobaski, Easter, Koriteh and Christmas).
-Non deduction free months (due to high level expenses during these periods)during feasts as in above and school reopening periods for payment of school fees
-Maintain the Hajj and Rome pilgrimage packages for both staff and pensioners.
-Maintain Ramadan sugar gifts to lower level Staff (cleaners, Messengers and the security).

The weirdest thing about these “old good traditions” or motivational packages that affects the staff is the fact that Mr Manjang has a problem with the continuity of these but ironically, he got no issues or problems with his own “old good traditions” or simply his own motivational packages and these include:
– The procurement of a brand new vehicle for him as the new MD which the office did and he had no qualms about it. His own car was bought for a whopping D2.5 million Dalasis and remember, this is from pensioner’s fund as he is fond of saying.
– The allocation of a utility car for he MD’s private home specifically for his wife. He also accepted this offer from the office and never had qualms about it or raised the issue of austerity measures to curb “waste” as he called it.
-The procurement of a phone that he could buy from his own pocket and save the poor pensioners’ fund from depleting but again accepted to be bought a phone of his liking.
– The utilisation of the entertainment budget which is only for Staff welfare like annual parties and the institution’s corporate social responsibilities but never been used by any previous MD for their own private hotels use with their friends or family members. This is done by MD Manjang only. I will guess this is the biggest waste of the pensioners’ money.
– The maintenance of the MD’s internet facilities at his private house. He also got no issues about this as he could have stopped the office from doing that too and pay his house Internet service himself since he got enough money as he made us to believe in his Fatunetwork interview.
– There are quite a number of other “old good traditions” or facilities for the MD that are all free for him and are still maintained for him but he never had issues with those and accepted for the continuity of them.

So where as 90% of all the “old good traditions” or motivational packages that are for staff are not for free, that of Manjang as the MD are all free service. One would wonder how he could have qualms or issues with those that affect the staff and that which only serve as motivationally driven factors for them but he MD has virtually no issues with those that affect him and his family. Isn’t this awkward?

DEBUNKING MANJANG’S FALLACIOUS UTTERANCES IN HIS REPLY TO THE STAFF PETITION SERIALLY:

Let me again make it clear that while Manjang went on his shameless defense of his mess in that reply, he spinned every bit of information that he honestly owe to the public and I will help break them down for the understanding of the Gambian population even though am sure many knew it was full of fabrications and lies of the the highest scale.

ISHA BAYO SCHOLARSHIP

The first  thing I would like to clear is that this  whole ACCA training program was meant and intended for Isha alone even though some guys warned him against the move as the consequences might be grave for him but he stubbornly defied them and told them it was only going to be a few days corridor talk and would die down. He perhaps forgot that we have long broken the shackles of dictatorship and the people are keenly watching every action of their leaders. He began the process with the girl and when staff became gradually aware of it and noise was made, he requested for another staff to be also brought in the fold and here is how Pa Yusu Gaye got nominated and it’s imperative for the people to know that these two did not even have the same number of years of sponsorship as Isha is sponsored for three years while Pa Yusu got sponsored for only two years.

Manjang in his shameless and fruitless defending of his gravious move to send an unconfirmed girl for a 3 year ACCA program and splashed 3 million Dalasis poor pensioners’ fund, has said that Isha was the most qualified person in the whole of the SSHFC Finance Department as she finished her CAT and was in fact on her ACCA Professional level but these claims were found to be nothing but fallacious utterances by the disgraced MD as per the attached results he posted online.

Manjang admitted to the fact that Isha never got confirmed on the job as had been rightly alluded to by the Staff Petition and remember when the journalist asked him in that Fatunetwork interview why he did not have Isha do her program locally and save the much needed cost, he lied that it was because if she was to do the the program here, she would not be able to get bonded. This is the biggest lie as all the SSHFC staff that got their degrees here at the UTG were all fully bonded and not even allowed to embark on their first sessions in class if their bonding process was not complete.

He also mentioned in his reply that there is no provision in the SSHFC Service Rules as to what number of years a staff has to serve in order to be eligible for overseas studies. It is indeed heart wrenching to know that after he claimed to have consulted the HR Department that tells Staff all these years that for one to be eligible for just local training, a staff has to serve a minimum of two years, this same HR Department never told him that Isha was not confirmed on the job yet and therefore wasn’t eligible for even local training talk less of overseas.

PERDIEM FRAUD ( THE BIGGEST AND THE MOST INCRIMINATING ALLEGATION)

On 29th September, 2017, MD Manjang got clearance from the OP (State House) for a 3 days official trip to Senegal and he got approval from the presidency to be paid a 3 days perdiem allowance (see attached travel clearance). MD Manjang internally had to concoct a further 7 days trip to embark to Sierra Leone but never got a clearance for this from the OP. According to his narrative as per his reply to the Board, the host were to fully cover the cost of the trip and the office, wherein he was issued clearance by the OP,  was to pay him only half of his full night perdiem allowance on that basis but NO, he paid himself 230 pounds (full night allowance). Please find attached copies of perdiem paid for NOT only the 3 days Senegal trip but for 10 days including his concocted Sierra Leone trip that he got no clearance for.

Am now pretty sure that most Gambians would no agree that there was indeed a fraud of perdiem allowance. Manjang in his reply to the petition in one of his seemingly concocted emails wrote, “I am stuck in Dakar, I missed my flight due to unexpected traffic caused by an accident. I am trying to re-route but there seems to be no way doing that before before the tomorrow. Unfortunately, I will not be able to make it and can’t even get back to Banjul until Wednesday”. LOL!!! Too cheap an excuse!!! This was the exact period Isha had concocted an exam leave and did travel to Dakar to have that cozy time with the disgraced MD Manjang at the Hotel Novotel in Dakar. This man really wasted poor pensioners’ fund. What I want to ask Manjang is these few questions:

– why didn’t his email capture a date and why didn’t he indicate in his reply which date this accident happened?

– Why didn’t his email capture the time this accident happened and why did he again fail to mention the time of this accident in his reply?

– Where in Dakar or Senegal or which part of Dakar had this accident happened and why didn’t he mention those very important details in his reply?

– Why informed only Haddy Cessay who is not part of Senior Management and not any other member of Management?

– How was it possible that he couldn’t request for one of the office drivers to come and collect him from Dakar with all the fleet of cars and the many drivers at his disposal but opted to only wait for the the next available flight back to Banjul?

MD Manjang since taking over the mantle of leadership of SSHFC had dismissed two very hardworking and dedicated staff (Omar Manjang and Musa Fatty) who served over 10 years in the job. The reason was attributed to their late retirement of D5,000 contribution money and frantic efforts were made by quiet many people for him to instead terminate their services so they would not lose their pension benefits but he being so heartless and insensitive, threw all those pleas in the appeal bin. These two poor gentlemen who were the breadwinners of their respective families were shocked beyond belief with the whole staff body.

So please let me know Gambians, why MD Manjang as the head of the institution must NOT be dismissed and prosecuted for stealing 7 (SEVEN) days perdiem allowance and wasting an air ticket of the value of over D45,000 if two junior Staff were actually dismissed and lost all their benefits for late retirement of D5,000 contribution money each???

MOBILE PHONES, ENTERTAINMENT AND INTERNET:

*The office bought a brand new phone for MD Manjang (one of the old good traditions that affect him and that’s of benefit to him and therefore never got issues with but had issues with the sugar that’s bought for the poor cleaners and watchmen during Ramadan) for a whopping 999 pounds (almost D65,000). After barely two months, Manjang had claimed that the phone was damaged but the bizzare thing about this narration of his is that he never produced the damaged phone at any point in time and I would think a phone of that huge sum would be replaced with a blink of an eye as there was to be a warranty for it.

Fortunately for us living in this part of our world, nothing is hidden as those you do good things for most often than not talk about it or expose you to their friends and acquaintances. Awa Camara and others of the Finance Department who were so close to Isha Bayo were told about the phone that was bought from poor pensioners’ fund and handed to Isha. In one of their usual jokes while showing the phone to Awa, Isha joked sarcastically to Awa about the disgraced MD Manjang’s phone gift to her, “kotoyu nyaaka faida yi, lunj nyu joh nyu jel”. Manjang must be in jail by now for really lying to Gambians and taking advantage of the poor pensioners and Gambian tax payers.

*Manjang is truly a liar you can never find anywhere in this country. In his reply to the Board that he sent to the Fatunetwork to gain more sympathy from his remaining gullible minds on Facebook, he lied to his teeth that he never used any of the Entertainment budget in 2017 when he actually had spent D43,784.85 (check PVs and their dates) on his foolish dinners and flamboyant living at the Coco Ocean and there are more of these bills that are not included here. Is this man not truly sick??? No MD in SSHFC’s 37 year history ever wasted poor pensioners’ fund like he did.

In one of the paid receipts for dinner is Mariama Manjang, his wife. What does his wife’s hotel bills got to do with the poor pensioners’ fund that he is lying to be protecting? I guess even H.E. Barrow does not have this luxury.

Manjang is too greedy and does not in anyway know what this Entertainment budget is NOT meant for the MD’s own private use with his wife and family or friends/girlfriends. This budget is STRICTLY for staff welfare issues, instances where the office has guests to entertain during ceremonies or events organized by the institution and towards SSHFC’s Corporate Social Responsibilities. Ironically, Manjang as dumb and greedy as he is, thought this is heaven for him and would spend this money as he pleased. No other MD had ever been as wasteful as Manjang and he is surely the worst Managing Director SSHFC has ever had.

*On internet payment that the office does for him at his home, I would have thought he was going to reject that as he is on a reform and on austerity measures. He is rich as he had made us to believe so I see no reason why he cannot pay that bill from his own pocket and spare the poor pensioners’ funds. Manjang is truly fake?

JAMAL MIKNAS APPOINTMENT:

Going by Jamal’s wages (D45,000) that the office pays him every month and the sensitivity of the contract awarded to him, one could safely conclude that he was appointed under the most senior management cadre of the institution. He Manjang had no authority, without the Board’s approval and consent to appoint anyone on this basis and this is the very reason why the indefatigable and principled Deputy Director of Audit Dept, Momodou Camara had a push and pull with him and he MD Manjang had to finally invite him to his office and kind of bully him into submission to his whims and caprices as he knows that this is nothing but a scam and an opportunity to milk the coffers. He is clearly culpable here too.

SUBSIDIARY BOARD OF DIRECTORS:

Here is where he manifested his true insolence, arrogance and dictatorship over all Directors of the institution. He cited balance and competence as a reason in his single-handed appointment of his friend, Mr Tambedou of GPA into the SSHFC Trust Bank Board seat but this is nothing but his disingenuity and usual terrible distortion of facts. Won’t it be foolhardy to fall for his innuendoes and gimmicks based on this narrative given the vast pool of talents among the Directors and Senior Management of the SSHFC?

With regards to the other Board Seats in SSHFC’s remaining Shareholding Entities, the disgraced MD Manjang fallaciously cited the awaiting of the Board for appointments into those positions. One would be tempted to therefore ask the question why he did not wait for the Board in the appointment of Tambedou. Again, his lies and plans to have his friends fill all the other Board Seats is unmasked here. Manjang is truly cunning and dangerous!

FAVOURITISM, NEPOTISM AND CRONYISM

This is in respect of appointment of Mrs Rohey Colley as his PA. You see, Manjang can lie so much. There was an internal advertisement of this post and it was strictly meant for the Confidential Secretaries within the institution to fill and criteria has been set. The main criteria for the post were age not above 45 years and experience of course. Manjang however flouted the age criteria and appointed his long time friend from outside of the office, a 58 year old woman, Mrs Rohey Colley and sidelined all SSHFC’s young, competent and highly experienced PAs. Here is a man who says that the institution is over bloated but will still add on to the over bloated Staff population. What an irony!!!

SAIKOU SANNEH AND THE TWO OFFICES CONUNDRUM:

Saikou Sanneh has ever been a controversial figure at SSHFC for so long a time. He was dismissed at some point before the change of government for failing his program of study he was sponsored and sent to do in the UK. It is firmly believed that he is related to the former Finance Minister, Amadou Sanneh and when this government came into being, Saikou got reinstated. He was thereafter sent on secondment to GTSC.

While away at the GTSC, his office at SSHFC was locked and left unoccupied up to this time when there is a serious office space problem in SSHFC. One would therefore wonder why and how a level headed head of an institution could find it difficult to decide on making this office available for those staff that find it hard to be seated comfortably in a conducive Office environment. He is clearly culpable here as well.

SIRRA FOON ILLEGAL MEDICAL INSURANCE REFUND:

Sirra Foon and Aji Yamundow Jagne were the two SSHFC Staff that were sent together to go and study Actuarial Science on a 7 year program. They studied, graduated and both came back together. While in America, they were both on full scholarship by the office just like any other staff member that are sent for overseas studies. Sirra is so close to the MD and presently works in the office while Aji Yamundow Jagne is on secondment at the GTSC.

It had never happened in the history of the corporation for a staff to be sent for studies overseas and the same staff to turn around and claim for unpaid medical insurance. Sirra Foon, it’s understood, had put in a claim for refund during the former MDs, Gibba and Graham’s tenure for her to be paid this money but was categorically and clearly turned down by the two MDs their reason being genuinely premised on the fact that it is incorporated into their monthly stipend payments just like it is done for any other staff that is sent for overseas studies.

Manjang was, for whatever reason and intent, cajoled into payment of this illegal refund (Over D400,000) to Sirra Foon without Aji Yamundow Jagne been put into the picture. When Aji Yamundow later realized or heard about this illegal payment through her former colleagues at the office (SSHFC), she also put in her own claim for refund of her medical insurance which Manjang has claimed he has been reviewing for over 12 weeks. Something definitely not right here as one would again wonder how and why it should take Manjang that hard a task to refund Aji Yamundow Jagne who together with Sirra went to study the same  program for the same number of years. In fact, it is understood that it was Aji Yamundow Jagne who made made full payment of her medical insurance while Sirra paid for only one year of her stay in the U.S. Perhaps he struck a deal with Sirra for him also to be paid half of the amount paid to Sirra Foon. Manjang is truly dangerous and capable of anything since he is bold enough to steal perdiem allowance for a trip he got no approval for from the OP.

DIRECTOR VACANCIES:

DMD and three other Director Positions have not been filled for close to one year or more since their previous occupants retired from the services of the corporation for reasons best known to him and there has been growing suspicion that he wants to give them out to his hand picked friends just like he did with his PA vacant position that he handed to his friend, Mrs Rohey Colley.

This is SSHFC for you Gambians, been malhandled and maladministered by a fake and pseudo professional and a so called technocrat in Manjang. He is a certified liar, very corrupt, notoriously cunning and a very  dangerous professional criminal. He lied about Isha’s ACCA qualifications, lied about his perdiem theft and also wildly lied about not spending from the Entertainment budget in 2017.

SSHFC staff have ever been known for excellence in hardwork, discipline and dedication to duty towards the Gambian Nation and her peoples’ development. Manjang messed up himself and threw the staff under the bus demeaning them and subjecting them to all kinds of insults and retributive remarks. He did this only to gain sympathy and support from the public.

It is imperative to know that SSHFC’s coffers have been drained heavily by Yahya Jammeh and the Staff were not in anyway complicit to that looting and therefore cannot be apportioned that blame as everyone knows the terrible state of affairs of our country then.

It may be of interest to readers and indeed all Gambians to find attached copy of commendation letter written to all Directors by the disgraced MD commending all Staff for their hardwork and dedication in seeing a surge in the corporation’s overall profit margin. What a double standard and hypocrisy of a MD who couple of days earlier replied to the staff petition to the Board highly retributive of these same staff just to gain more support from the public but forgot that the public cannot safe him from this mess he created for himself.

GOD BLESS OUR COUNTRY!

LAMIN B DARBOE

Editors note: The views expressed by the author do not represent position of this medium. Mr. Manjang is more than welcome to respond to the content of the author’s report. Thanks for your attention.

The post Gambia: UNMASKING SSHFC MD MANJANG, THE MAN WHO LIED THAT HE IS PROTECTING POOR PENSIONERS’ FUNDS WHILE HE DID WHAT NO OTHER MD HAD EVER DONE IN TERMS OF WASTAGE OF THAT FUND: TAKE A READ AND LOOK AT THE ATTACHED DOCS appeared first on Freedom Newspaper.

Amid local and international concern and denunciation over President Adama Barrow’s recent controversial announcement of constructing sixty mosques across the secular nation of the Gambia, the Barrow State House, has come up with a counter spin to the story by clarifying that the Gambian state has nothing to do with the controversial mosque project. President Barrow’s Press Director Amie Bojang Sissoho told a western media house that the newly formed Barrow Youth Movement for Development will instead be spearheading the construction of the sixty mosques in the country and not the President. “It is not Adama Barrow as the President, who is building the mosque; it is his Youth Group that associated themselves to supporting Adama Barrow. That’s is the Barrow Youth Movement. He agreed to naming their Group after him because they clearly stated they wanted to support his developmental projects and that is why he accepted it,” Mrs. Bojang Sissoho remarked.

“This has nothing to do with the government putting money there. It is because they associate to supporting the policies of the government. They do their own thing; they do their own fundraising; they do their own project initiatives,” she further clarified.

President Adama Barow made the controversial announcement during his meet the farmers tour. He said he is going to build 60 mosques across the country.

The Gambia is a secular nation, in which Muslims and Christians have been coexisting peacefully for decades. There is an entrenched clause in the constitution, which guarantees that the Gambia is a secular nation. Though, Muslims formed the majority.

Mr. Barrow’s announcement has been viewed by some observers “as the state meddling into the affairs of religion.” His Predecessor dictator Yahya Jammeh made a similar announcement before leaving office by declaring the Gambia as an Islamic State.

Meanwhile, Gambian Christians felt being marginalized by the state. They cannot understand why President Barrow should be making such announcements, when the country is confronted with pressing developmental challenges.

“ The announcement; there is a Youth Movement called the Barrow Youth Movement for National Development, which is supporting his development plan; there were need for people, who were requesting for mosque and garden. Government cannot do all of these, but the Barrow Youth Movement is also getting support that can be used to support the communities, and that was the content of the announcement,” State House Press Director Amie Bojang Sissoho said.

When asked who is going to finance for the construction of the sixty mosques, Mrs. Sissoho said: “It is through the Barrow Youth Movement for Development that they are looking for funding; they are fundraising and that is not a government project; so, I cannot go into details of who is sponsoring them and who is not; but I can say that because they have shown that they are interested in supporting the policies of the Barrow government that is why he is giving them that information.”

“In every community in the Gambia, where there are Muslims, there is going to be a mosque; it depends on the size of the population. We have observed that there are dilapidated mosques in some of the localities, and they were appealing,” she added.

Mrs. Sissoho was reminded that the Gambia is a secular nation, and therefore the construction of sixty mosques will make Gambian Christians felt alienated by the state. Hear her response: “It is a secular state; I am sure you are aware of that since the change of government, the government have declared that the Gambia is a secular state. It is state for both Muslims and Christians and nonbelievers. Building the mosque or pronouncing the building of mosques has nothing to do with the state.”

Quizzed whether the Gambian State will construct sixty Churches for Gambian Christians since they also voted for President Barrow in the past elections, Mrs. Sissoho maintained that the mosque project in question has nothing to do with the Gambian State. She said all funds and finances in respect of  the mosque project will come from the Barrow Youth Movement.

Written By Pa Nderry M’Bai

Email: panderrymbai@gmail.com

Tel: 919-749-6319

The post GAMBIA: STATE HOUSE ISSUES A COUNTER SPIN ON BARROW’S CONTROVERSIAL 60 MOSQUE PROJECT; AS PRESS DIRECTOR AMIE BOJANG SISSOHO SAYS BARROW’S YOUTH MOVEMENT WILL FINANCE THE PROJECT AND NOT PRESIDENT BARROW! appeared first on Freedom Newspaper.

The Gambia government said President Adama Barrow’s remarks about the planned construction of 60 mosques were twisted and grossly exaggerated to instill fear and deep divisions in the Gambian society and potentially malign the good reputation of the President and his democratic Government. Government Spokesperson Ebrima G Sankareh made the statement in a press release issued on Tuesday. “Following widespread allegations and mischaracterization of President Adama Barrow’s remarks in the North Bank Region about the planned construction of 60 mosques, The Gambia Government makes it categorically clear, that the reports were twisted and grossly exaggerated to instill fear and deep divisions in Gambian society and to potentially, malign the good reputation of the President and his democratic Government,” Mr. Sankareh remarked.

“Therefore, The Gambia Government hereby reminds citizens, visitors, resident aliens, representatives of foreign governments and their diplomatic missions as well as members of all religious denominations, that The Republic of The Gambia remains a secular, constitutional democracy where all are free to believe and practice their faith and it is not Government’s business to interfere in people’s religious beliefs,” he added. Below is the full text of the Government Spokesperson’s press release.

…………………………………..

Republic of The Gambia

Office of The Spokesperson

Ministry of Information & Telecommunication Infrastructure (MOICI)

GRTS Building

MDI Rd.

Banjul,

The Gambia                                                                                                                             

Date: July 24, 2018

The Gambia Government Press Statement on Allegations of 60 Mosques Construction Plan 

Following widespread allegations and mischaracterization of President Adama Barrow’s remarks in the North Bank Region about the planned construction of 60 mosques, The Gambia Government makes it categorically clear, that the reports were twisted and grossly exaggerated to instill fear and deep divisions in Gambian society and to potentially, malign the good reputation of the President and his democratic Government.

Therefore, The Gambia Government hereby reminds citizens, visitors, resident aliens, representatives of foreign governments and their diplomatic missions as well as members of all religious denominations, that The Republic of The Gambia remains a secular, constitutional democracy where all are free to believe and practice their faith and it is not Government’s business to interfere in people’s

religious beliefs.

Equally, Government wants to make it abundantly clear, that the construction of religious houses was not its policy agenda nor development programme. Instead, President Barrow’s vision for The Gambia is to radically transform a country that endured two decades of dictatorship and maladministration to a nation of hope and progress that respects and protects constitutional due process, the rule of law and promotes a culture of religious tolerance and guarantees citizens of their unfettered freedoms.

The Government acknowledges that some volunteer youth groups among them, the Barrow Youth Movement and NGOs, have availed themselves to the President with promises of boreholes, farming implements, seeds and fertilizer to support his development initiatives as well as the voluntary construction of village mosques following requests by local worshippers.

However, these pledges and pronouncements by volunteers must not be confused nor misconstrued as a deliberate policy by the Barrow government to build mosques. President Adama Barrow remains focus on his National Development Plans.

The Government once again reiterates it commitment to the secularity of the state where all are equal before the law.

Signed:

Ebrima G. Sankareh

Spokesperson of Government of The Republic of The Gambia.

The post GAMBIA: BREAKING NEWS: BARROW’S STATEMENT ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF 60 MOSQUES WAS TWISTED AND GROSSLY EXAGGERATED BY HIS DETRACTORS-GOV’T SPOKESPERSON SANKAREH appeared first on Freedom Newspaper.

Pastor Francis Forbes of the Gateway Abiding Word Ministries Church has implored the Barrow government to stay away from matters of religion and faith and focus on governance and create the enabling environment that would foster peace and economic prosperity in the country. The respected Gambian Pastor was reacting to President Adama Barrow’s announcement of constructing 60 mosques across the country on an annual basis. “I am bewildered of that statement. I am not too sure whether it is a political promise, but my first thought should be why, because the pressing needs of the country after what we came out of are more urgent beyond what I heard. And I wonder why,” said Pastor Forbes.

“And my position really is that, whether is 60 mosques or 60 churches, I think government should really keep away from matters of religion and faith and focus on governance and creating an enabling environment for us all to be good citizens and bring the train that we all expect in the national development plan into fruition; that is what I think is important now,” he added.

Mr. Forbes said some section of the Gambian Christian population felt being marginalized and alienated by the President’s announcement. He cautioned that the Gambia is a secular state, and therefore, such statement coming from the President, has place in our new-found democracy.

“Well from what I have seen on social media and hearing from conversations, it is bit disheartening because it almost gives the Christians here, the impression that the government or through its surrogates is aligning in a religious way; and I think they ought to be reminded when we were going through what we went through in 2016 into 2017, the Christian Church, the Christian body of body Christ in The Gambia, was very actively involved as Gambians and as bonafied stakeholders of this country to ensure that things went out well, and things turns out well for the country; that is why the Church prayed in public; prayed in private; different groups fasted,” he remarked.

“I remember a particular Christian man, who cried openly in a meeting; I was asking what would become the future of his family in this country. He left his country, where there was war and came to this country because it was peaceful, and he was able to practice his faith; he married a Gambian woman; they have children and suddenly Ex-President Jammeh was making the decision he made in declaring the Gambia an Islamic State,” he told Freedom Radio Gambia.

Forbes said President Barrow’s statement reminded them about dictator Jammeh’s persecution of the country’s minority Christian population in the name of an Islamic State. He said Barrow should endeavor to treat all faiths equally and not to make them feel alienated.

“Now when we feel we have moved away from that; this statement in a rally have leave a bitter taste in the mouth of a Gambian Christian and we don’t want to have to go back to pray back to God to change it, but if we have to; we will,” he said.

Pastor Forbes maintained that the construction of sixty mosques in the country is a misplaced priority. He said the government should be concerned about improving the living conditions of Gambian youths than using them for political adventurism.

“Pa, as I said, even if he was going to construct 60 Churches, for us, in the Gambia, right now; there are pressing priorities; the rains are on; as a matter of fact, you just called me, about ten minutes after my electricity came on after about 16 hours off. I was told that there was a problem in one of the lines, but the rains have not even really poured down the way they would pour down; and you know here every time its rains lights would go off; homes flooded; gutters; so, there are more pressing priorities for this government as a transitional government to handle; to fix the nation properly. And I overheard yesterday on Focus on Africa, BBC, that it appears to be that it is the desire of the Barrow Youth Movement to do this and actually not the government.  And I am wondering if that is so,” he lamented.

“I am bewildered Pa, because the Youths of Gambia, in this Gambia that I live in; I am not understood the Youth to find building mosques as their priority. What we see in the backway syndrome and mass unemployment of this country that has about 60 percent of its population; 16 years and below; I really would doubt whether their priority is to build 60 mosques across the country. And I emphasize, even if it were 60 Churches, it is not our priority now. It is totally misplaced; it is mis-advised; and I think it should die as it was said; it should end and let us continue our building this country properly,” he added.

Forbes referenced an interview Amie Bojang Sissoho, the President’s Press Director granted to the BBC. He was not the least pleased with the content of that interview.

“I listened to the president’s Spokesperson and she said that it was the Barrow Youth Movement that was aligning itself, and I really find that language very funny; aligning itself with what? Does that mean that the presidency or the president, has such a desire? And that begins to bring to question your thought about a smokescreen; is this a subterfuge for something else; is a script that has been written; that is been played out or is somebody testing the waters to see the reaction? And if that is so, Pa, we were here in November, December, to January 2017, and only God, almighty saved this country from going through war; so, the matters of faith and religion, we should leave them and just be focused; it has never been a problem here; it should not be a problem,” he remarked.

Written By Pa Nderry M’Bai

Email: panderrymbai@gmail.com

Tel: 919-749-6319

The post GAMBIA: BREAKING NEWS: GAMBIAN PASTOR SENDS BARROW’S GOV’T TO THE CLEANERS; AS HE TRASHES BARROW’S ANNOUNCEMENT OF CONSTRUCTING 60 MOSQUES! appeared first on Freedom Newspaper.

Soldiers stationed at the Hamza barracks have been given notice to leave the barracks, the Freedom Newspaper can reveal. The soldiers were asked to relocate and report to other barracks. No reason was given for the sudden withdrawal of the soldiers.

Sources reaching the Freedom Newspaper said the withdrawn soldiers would be replaced by new recruits, who were recently trained in Senegal, by the Senegalese army. It has been gathered that the recruits have finished their training in Senegal.

The Hamza barracks was created by the exiled Gambian dictator. Some of the soldiers posted at the barracks were mainly from the presidential guards. Hamza barracks is next the mile two prison.

The army spokesman could not be reached for comment.

The post GAMBIA: BREAKING NEWS: SOLDIERS STATIONED AT HAMZA BARRACKS WITHDRAWN; TO BE REPLACED BY NEW RECRUITS TRAINED BY THE SENEGALESE ARMY! appeared first on Freedom Newspaper.

Gambian President Adama Barrow has warned would be protesters bent on destabilizing the West African nation in the name of exercising their democratic rights. He claimed that there are dishonest politicians with hidden agendas, who are determined to upset Gambia’s NEW FOUND democracy for their own selfish interest. Mr. Barrow has warned unsuspecting protesters to be mindful of politicians, who are hiding in the name of democracy to settle scores with his government. He says his government is aware of the “evil machinations” of some unnamed politicians. Barrow said there are folks bent on settling scores with his government because of personal vendetta. 

Addressing a meeting in Gunjur on Thursday, President Barrow took a jab at an unnamed Gambian disporan, accusing him, of inciting protest marches against his government. He said the unnamed Gambian came to his office on two different occasions looking for a job, but he advised him to apply like any other Gambian citizen. He said the person in question used to live in the diaspora.

Dissatisfied with Barrow’s response, he said, the person started waging an opposition against his government. He claimed that the person in question is obsessed with becoming a president.

According to Barrow, the person later resorted to vying into politics by claiming that he was going to register a political party to oppose his government. Barrow did not name names, but observers believed that he was referring to Amadou Scattered Janneh.

Mr. Janneh met president Barrow in the recent past. He was reportedly promised with the position of Public Service Commission Chairman. This medium even reported the story.  https://freedomnewspaper.com/2017/09/25/gambia-breaking-news-has-president-barrow-offered-amadou-janneh-a-job-at-the-public-service-commission-janneh-denies-discussing-employment-opportunities-with-barrow-during-his-recent-meeting-with/

In a Facebook posting on Thursday, Janneh ridiculed Barrow by posting a picture of a modern Gunjur town. “I didn’t want to scare Sukutarians at President Barrow’s Gunjur meeting; so, I took shots well after the event,” Janneh wrote.

Mr. Barrow also raised the double standards of some folks. He accused them of standing up to his government, but they were aloof during Jammeh’s rule.

“They often beat their chest that they will not condone this and that and yet they dared not challenge Yahya Jammeh. Where were they when Yahya Jammeh arrested Ousainou Darboe? Where were they when Yahy Jammeh killed the students? Where were they when Yahya Jammeh was killing our people? Where were they when Adama Barrow was here opposing Yahya Jammeh? These are bunch of selfish people obsessed with ruling this country. If they want to lead this country, they should wait for the 2021 elections,” he said.

Barrow said his government is not opposed to protest, but they will not tolerate any group of people being used by dishonest politicians to destabilize the country. He said the legal instruments which maintained Jammeh in power are still here in the country, while calling on his detractors to back off or else they risked facing the full brunt of the law.

The post GAMBIA: BREAKING NEWS: GAMBIAN PRESIDENT WARNS WOULD BE PROTESTERS BENT ON DESTABILIZING GAMBIA; AS HE CONDESCENDINGLY CALLS OUT AMADOU JANNEH! appeared first on Freedom Newspaper.

The Fall of Amie Bensouda

When about three weeks ago, Alhaji Kurang blew the whistle on the sins and atrocities of Amie Bensouda as a biased and prejudiced counsel at the Janneh Commission, the Justice Minister Bai Tambadou hurriedly rushed to her rescue by issuing a lame defence, which was met by public ridicule. Now Amie Bensouda is feeling the heat of public opinion and her star is on the way down the path of shame and ignominy. Because of her conflicted interests, on Tuesday 24 July 2018, the haughty and imperious Amie Bensouda was forced to eat humble pies when Musa Batchilly took over her all-important role at the Janneh Commission as a counsel in a case concerning the sale of Ocean Bay Hotel, Social Security and Augustus Prom, the receiver of Ocean Bay Hotel.

Amie Bensouda’s son Aziz Bensouda is representing his mother’s chambers in the case before the High Court in Banjul. The case involves Social Security, BPI and Augustus Prom. Now the Janneh Commission is investigating the sale of Ocean Bay, the receiver of Ocean Bay Hotel Augustus Prom insisted on the point of death that Amie Bensouda must stay out of the case at the Janneh Commission otherwise they would not appear before the Janneh Commission. That was why Amie Bensouda was pushed out of the Commission last Tuesday to give way to Lawyer Batchily.

Another interesting development at the Commission involving the same Ocean Bay Hotel is that Amie Bensouda’s son Aziz has colluded with Lawyer Abdoulie Sissoho to look for a third party to buy the hotel. Unfortunately for them, the Chairman of the commission Hon. Surahata Janneh who is now beginning to see through the Bensouda family told them point blank that his commission has no jurisdiction to hear the matter of the third party buyer. However, the questions the public is now asking are why the case of the third party buyer at the Janneh Commission was heard in camera on Wednesday 25 July 2018 not in the open forum of the commission? What is the Bensouda family trying to hide? Are they trying to secretly use a front to buy off the hotel?

Investigations have also revealed that contrary to what  Tamsir Badjie testified at the Janneh Commission under …. by Amie Bensouda, the lawyer who perfected the transaction of the Ocean Bay, Kairaba Beach and Sunwing Hotel is not Lawyer Lamin Ceesay but it is Amie Bensouda.

Moreover, the money paid for the sale of Atlantic Hotel by the Libyans was paid directly to Amie Bensouda who, on the direct instructions of Yahya Jammeh, paid the loot into a nominated designated account of Yahya Jammeh, not the account of the Gambia Government. She needs to be thoroughly investigated by the Janneh Commission on this issue.

One parastatal that is yet to be probed by the Janneh Commission is the GPTC, where Amie Bensouda’s brother Habib Drammeh worked as an accountant. It would be recalled that he was convicted of economic crimes against the state in 2013. It is the same convict who is now the secretary general and head of the civil service. And to add insult to injury, he is the brother of Amie Bensouda. The Gambia is not for sale.

Editors note: The views expressed by the author, are entirely that of his.  It does not represent the position of the Freedom Newspaper. Thanks for your attention.

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