Foroyaa Newspaper Burning Issues Issue No. 001/2007, 3-4 January, 2007   Editorial WILL POVERTY BE REDUCED BY HALF BY 2015? Eight years from now all countries are supposed to reduce poverty by at least half its present prevalence. This is one aspect of the Millennium Development Goals. The debate between the Secretary of State for Finance and the Minority Leader in the National Assembly of The Gambia regarding poverty is instructive. The Secretary of State for Finance and Economic Affairs indicated that Gambia will achieve the target of the Millennium Development Goals in terms of the reduction of poverty. He indicated that poverty has dropped from 69% to 58%. The Minority Leader indicated that according to the Millennium Development Goals anybody who earns less than one dollar a day in the Gambia would be considered to be living in abject poverty. He argued that signs of reducing poverty should be reflected in the rise of living standard or the increase in income of the poor. He indicated that the best gauge as to whether poverty is on the decline is the salary of the low grade employees of the public service. He lamented that cleaners, messengers, uncertificated teachers, drivers, and many low grade technical or clerical staff receives less than D1000 per month which amounts to less than 1 dollar a day. He asked: If government cannot free its employees from poverty by raising the minimum wage above 1 dollar a day, how can it free the unemployed and the poor farmers from poverty? Foroyaa strongly holds that the issue of poverty should not be reduced to an academic exercise or semantics. Poverty is real and the recent decision to drive beggars away from their green pastures is only compounding the problem and thus making the authorities to be more insensitive to the plight of those who do not have. Something should be done to create a minimum wage that will give visible credence to government’s claim that the PRSP is designed to reduce poverty.     FARMERS WORRIED ABOUT TRADE SEASON By Abdoulie G. Dibba Farmers around the country are worried about this year’s trade season. Talking to this reporter, farmers noted that the late start of the trade season is a cause for concern to them. They indicated that though their previous seccos have even been cleared, up to the time they were talking to this reporter, the seccos were yet to be fenced.  The farmers expressed dissatisfaction with this year’s producer price of D6, 500 per tonne. They pointed out that the policy that farmers who transport their nuts to the GGC depots would be paid D7, 500 per tonne does not benefit the farmers but the buying agents, since no farmer can afford to hire a transport to evacuate their nuts.  This reporter was taken to different stores by farmers to see for himself how their nuts are stored and how the nuts have started to be infected by insects. The farmers concluded by saying that the government should review its policy on the marketing of groundnuts but to which government has emphasised over and over again that it is abdicating its responsibility in the buying of groundnuts.    GOVERNMENT PROVIDES D33.4 MILLION TO IEC By Abdoulie G. Dibba The Government of The Gambia provided IEC with funds to the tune of D33.481, 869.00 (Thirty-three million, four hundred and eighty-one thousand, eight hundred and sixty-nine dalasis) for the conducting of the 2006 registration of voters and the Presidential election.  These revelations were made by the Secretary of State for Finance and Economic Affairs, Hon. Bala Gaye, while responding to a question raised by the Member for Illiasa, Hon. Kebba E.A. Touray, at the National Assembly. SoS Gaye told deputies that the amount includes funds required by other institutions of government that were actively involved in the whole exercise e.g. The Gambia Police Force, The Army, The NIA and State Guards. Further more SoS Gaye said part of the funds will also be used for the upcoming National Assembly elections in the year 2007. He concluded by saying that the final figures on government expenses will only be known after the 2007 National Assembly Elections.    HALIFA’S CONTRIBUTION TO THE DEBATE ON THE NATIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION BILL By Abdoulie Dibba In his contribution to the bill, the Minority Leader and Member for Serrekunda Central Honourable Halifa Sallah said development is about strategic objectives being translated into policies, programmes and projects. He argued that the vital thing is for one to be able to evaluate what one is doing periodically in order to find out whether the strategic objectives are being attained or not. He said this evaluation mechanism is inconceivable without a planning body.  Halifa pointed out that there is absolute need to create such an institution since there are plans associated with the Millennium Development Goals and the Poverty Reduction and Growth Programme that is being negotiated with certain institutions, which also require the achievement of certain goals. “Therefore the development of an institution that would be goal oriented is absolutely necessary, and in line with what is desirable. What is important is to look at the structures being created, the institution being created to examine whether they can serve the very purpose for which they are being created,” he said. Looking at the functions of the Commission, Halifa said one will discover that “they are to: - a) Formulate comprehensive national development strategies and policies and ensure that the strategies influence the plans of the implementing agencies; b) Coordinate the preparation and implementation of the multi-year rolling plans for The Gambia, including the five-year Medium Term Plan and the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper.” Halifa therefore asserted that “the Commission is responsible for formulating strategies and working out plans for their implementation. He indicated that Clause 4 reads: the commission shall consist of:- a) A full time chairperson; b) Secretary of state for Finance & Economic Affairs; c) Secretary of State For Trade, Industry and Employment; d) Secretary General Office of the President; e) The governor of the Central Bank of the Gambia; f) The President of the Gambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry; g) A representative of the Gambia Association of Local Government Authorities; h) A Director General of the Commission who shall also be the Secretary to the    Commission; and i) Two other members He further observed that the Commission also plays an advocacy role and that its function is very comprehensive.  When reviewing its composition, Halifa expressed the need for some explanation as to why the composition was in such a nature. He questioned how much time the members would have to perform the function of the commission. He also cited that under clause 20 (1), a mechanism has been created where the commission shall establish the following Directorates:- a) Directorate of Economic policy, analysis and management; b) Directorate of Development, planning implementation and coordination; c) Directorate of Research, Monitoring and Evaluation; d) Directorate of Finance and Administration; e) Such other Directorate as it may require for the proper functioning of the commission. Halifa then argued that he would like to imagine that these are going to be the technocrats who would be doing the actual work that is expected under the functions of the commission. He said what he cannot comprehend is that since the people who are going to be part of the commission would not actually make policy how efficient then is it for these technocrats to do the work and then pass it on to a commission comprising mainly of Cabinet members and who in turn would finally forward everything to the whole cabinet for decision. He said he would want to know why this is considered to be the appropriate composition for the commission. He observed that what is significant is that the Commission would do its work and would report annually to the National Assembly; that it states under Clause 24 that the commission shall report to the president and the president shall as soon as possible after receiving the annual report cause it to be laid before the National Assembly. So he said: “We have the power of scrutiny. What ever happens in its first year, we should be able to look at and see whether it is actually achieving the purpose for which it was intended.” On the issue of directives to the councils, Halifa said that the commission should not give guidelines and directives to the councils and argued that the commission should be a technical unit helping national and local institutions to do things in a proper manner so that facts would dictate the types of policies we are going to have which in turn would dictate the type of programmes and projects necessary to address the issue of sustainable economic development.     NOMINATION FOR N.A., 4-6 JAN Nomination of candidates for the forthcoming National Assembly elections is scheduled to take place from 4 - 6 January 2007. Candidates are to be nominated at the regional office where their constituency is located. For example candidates for Bakau constituency are to submit their nomination papers at the IEC regional office at Kanifing East Estate. There are 48 constituencies to be contested. By 4pm on Saturday 6th January 2007 when nominations are closed we would know all the contestants and the political parties or inclination they represent. The IEC has scheduled for APRC candidates to be nominated on 4th January, NADD on the 5th January and UDP on 6th January. The candidates of any other political party outside of these three political groupings or any prospective independent candidate who wishes to tender his/her nomination papers may do so on the 4th, 5th or 6th January. But the IEC would prefer the interested parties and individuals to inform the returning officer in their respective regions in advance so that they could be scheduled on any of the three days.  Nomination forms are available free of charge upon request from any of the IEC regional offices. Each candidate must be nominated by 300 registered voters. He/she must submit his/her nomination papers together with a sworn declaration of his/her assets, income tax clearance and a cash deposit of D5, 000 or a receipt to that effect. The constitution requires a leave of absence for one year without pay to be granted by employers when an employee holding public office wishes to stand for election. Such a letter should be submitted by such employee. A campaign period is expected between 10th and 23rd January followed by election on 25th January.   IGP BEMOANS INABILITY TO ENFORCE WOMEN’S PROTOCOL By Modou Nyang The Police lack the legal instrument to effectively enforce the Women’s Protocol due to the non domestication of the document, said Musa Mboob, the Inspector General of Police. According to the IGP, the Police have been dealing with cases relating to the Protocol, but because it has not been domesticated by law makers, they have not been able to effectively prosecute offenders. Delivering a paper at a symposium marking the first anniversary of the coming into force of the Protocol of the African Charter on the Rights of Women at the Kairaba Beach Hotel, the Police IG said laws and legal enforcement mechanisms are critical if the Police are to hold offenders accountable and keep Women safe. He said “to effectively deal with this issue, laws and legal enforcement mechanisms are critical component(s) of our effort to keep women safe and hold all offenders accountable for violent behaviour”. According to IG Mboob, the Police is one of the most important stakeholders in the drive to enforce the Protocol and called on Police Officers to immediately act upon receiving complaints of such nature. The Inspector General of Police also lamented the negative influence of culture in enabling the Police to try Women rights offenders. He asserted that Women often seek to withdraw cases when they learn that the abuser may be punished by a monetary fine or imprisonment. “This has been a factor that is greatly hindering progress,” he lamented. The IG stated that his institution has recently created a Human Rights Unit with a view to not only arresting and prosecuting offenders but also to enable the proper handling of issues of violation of the rights of vulnerable persons in our society.    ARMED ROBBERS HIT BADDIBOU By Fabakary B. Ceesay Reports have it that nearly a dozen men armed with hunting guns and machetes on Thursday 14th December 2006 attacked the small border village of Kerr Katim in Central Baddibou District, North Bank Region.  According to a customs officer stationed at the said village, the robbers came from the direction of the border with Senegal with a horse cart. He said that the horse cart was hidden on the outskirts of the village and the robbers waited until night fall to carryout their operation. He said that the robbers struck around 8:30pm when they, (the officers) had left for border patrol.  According to him, a Mauritanian businessman was affected and was badly wounded with a machete. He explained that when the villagers intervened to help the businessman, they were shot at with the hunting gun and that about a dozen villagers have sustained gunshot injuries. He disclosed that the robbers have made away with an amount of nine (9) million CFA francs and one hundred thousand (D100, 000) Gambian dalasi. In a separate incident, according to the same officer, another group of armed robbers have earlier on attacked a “Lumo” border village of Kerr Pateh, also in Central Baddibou. According to the officer, the robbers hit the “Lumo” village on Tuesday 5th December 2006, on the eve of the “Lumo” day which is every Wednesday. He told this reporter that different shops were attacked and that the robbers have made away with uncountable materials, valuables and monies. He noted that the robbers spoke broken Wollof and that they headed towards the Senegalese border.   
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