Foroyaa Newspaper Burning Issue
Issue  No.124/2007, 22 – 23 October, 2007
Editorial
What Do Women Have To Show By  2009
The APRC administration has adopted a National Policy for the  advancement of 
Gambian women covering 1999 to 2009.  The policy period is  almost coming to 
an end.
Since the birth of the Women’s Bureau and the  National Women’s Council 
established by an Act of Parliament in 1980, the World  Bank , the African 
Development Bank, governments like that of Norway have pumped  in millions to promote 
Women development projects. At the time of adopting the  policy, DFID was 
collaborating with the Gambia Government to focus on gender and  poverty related 
programmes financed with a million pounds grant from the British  Government.
Those who praise the APRC government on gender issues often  ignore the low 
representation of women in parliament, that is only 9.4 percent  (less than one 
out of ten), and the high incidence of poverty among them and  instead 
concentrate on the number of women in Cabinet as Secretaries of State  who  have no 
security of tenure and who are hired and fired at will by the  Executive.
The true success of a government is, first and foremost, measured  by the 
number of people it has succeeded in freeing from poverty and tyranny and  
enabled to live in liberty and dignity. Others are secondary indicators.
The  policy adopted in 1999 stated that women constituted “about 50  per cent 
of  the agricultural labour force, 70 per cent of the unskilled agricultural 
labour  force and 40 per cent of total agricultural production.”
In the area of  crop production, the report added ”Women produce 3% of the 
maize, 6 % of millet,  2% of sorghum, 3 % of course grains, 99% of upland rice 
and 24% of  groundnuts;”
The policy promised a review of the Labour Act, the General  Orders and the 
Public Service Commission regulations to protect women. It  promised  “to 
promote the use and maintenance of appropriate technologies  by women;” that “ 
initiatives will  be taken “to promote markets , storage  facilities and 
transportation for women’s produce and products;”  to  facilitate “ basic needs  such 
as food, shelter, clothing and education”  and “ help increase the access to 
and availability of  appropriate  technologies aimed at reducing the burden 
/workload of women.”
It is  abundantly clear that the poverty of the women is on the increase.  
Poor  women in the urban and rural areas lack basic food shelter and clothing.   
Their burden is increasing as their children become as poor as they are 
instead  of easing their suffering. Girls are coming out of school in the tens of  
thousands without any prospect for employment or marriage. Those employed as  
uncertificated teachers are terminated annually and have no access to 
maternity  leave or pension claims. They are producing without adequate market for 
their  produce. Transport costs are increasing and women who engage in the retail 
trade  are finding it more and more difficult  to earn enough to maintain 
their  trade and finance the upkeep of their families. It is amazing to see them 
leave  their homes at dawn to go to the gardens and farms or to run after 
truck loads  of goods in order to have a means of income only to end up with 
pittance. The  lives of poverty they live, sleeping on grass mattresses infected 
with bed bugs  and lice do not seem to prick the conscience of those who have 
escaped the  clutches of poverty. Foroyaa wishes to inform its readers that in 
the New Year  it will establish a women’s column to be known as the Women’s 
Platform. The  column will do a survey of all women projects which had been 
initiated in the  Gambia since the first Republic, note the sums involved and 
access their impact  on the lives of the women. It will interview women farmers, 
workers, public  sector employees and their associations to enable those who 
administer the  society today and those who want to change the society for a 
better tomorrow to  hear the voices of the women and know their real plight. This 
is the way  forward.    

“African Swine Fever Drastically  Reduced”
By Yaya Bajo
Dr. Babucarr Jaw, Director for  the Department  of Veterinary Services told 
Foroyaa that the African Swine Fever outbreak that  struck the country sometime 
ago has been drastically reduced. In an interview  with this reporter on 
Thursday 18 October, he said when the outbreak occurred  the only strategy they 
employed was improvement of the management system. He  said the pig breeders 
were urged to strictly apply standard bio-security  measures and that they were 
also provided with booklets and audio cassettes  which contained relevant 
information on the control measures of the  disease.
“We built their capacity through sensitization and we also liaise  with 
authorities from the sub-region as the disease is trans-boundary,” he  disclosed. 
Dr. Jaw added that when the outbreak occurred, their plan was to  stamp out the 
pigs and compensate the owners, but it was not easy as the social  dimension 
was looked into. He said pig breeders were also advised to restrict  the 
movement of the pigs and to properly dispose off the carcass. He said this  can be 
done by burning or burying the pigs between two layers of white lime to  avoid 
the spread of the disease.
The Veterinary Director noted that pig farms  should be properly disinfected 
and left empty for at least six weeks before  introducing sentinel pigs ( i.e 
introducing one or two pigs into the farm and  observe them for at least 
another six weeks). He added that at the end of the  period blood samples should be 
taken to ascertain whether the virus is still  circulating or not and if the 
samples are negative then pig breeders can be  adviced to re-stock, but the 
animals must be from flocks that are confirmed free  from infection.
Dr. Jaw further spoke on the Technical Cooperation Programme  Proposal 
Submitted to the FAO for funding. He said the programme will look at  the holistic 
issue of the African Swine Fever. “I have also engaged in  discussion with 
Animals and Plant Health Inspection Services (APHIS) which is a  branch of the 
United States Department of Agriculture to provide us with test  kids as well as 
capacity building for our laboratory staff,” he divulged. He  added that they 
would soon send them a team of experts to kick-start the  project.
Dr. Jaw said they are in constant touch with the pig breeders  association, 
adding that the association is currently on a restructuring process  with a 
view to properly address the needs of their members. “We also exchange  sanitary 
information with regards to all trans-boundary animal diseases,” he  said. 
Dr. Jaw defined African Swine Fever as a trans-boundary animals  disease and 
that the virus’ capacity to spread is high and it is highly  contagious. He 
added that symptomatically, the disease show high mortality,  refusal to eat, 
difficulty in moving with legs and diarrhea are some of the  signs. “The disease 
can be transmitted from animal to animal through direct or  indirect contact 
(ie through food, equipment and human beings). It has no  treatment and it 
does not have any vaccine to prevent it from occurring,” he  concluded.

Rambo In Court, But…
By Fabakary B. Ceesay
Ousman  Jatta alias “Rambo” the councillor of Old Bakau and Cape Point Ward 
who was  called by the police to appear before Kanifing Magistrates Court on 
Friday 19  October, came to court only to find out that there was no case for 
him in court  on that day.
Rambo came to court escorted by a large crowd of family members,  supporters 
and sympathizers. Dressed in a Friday gown, Mr. Jatta appeared  confident as 
people came to greet and shake hands with him as a sign of  solidarity to him. 
His counsel, Mr. Ousainou Darboe, went to make consultations  with court staff 
and later informed Mr. Jatta and his entourage to return home,  as there was 
no case for him that day. 

Interview with Halifa  Sallah
On the Exchange Rate of the Dalasi, ECOWAS Court  on Ebrima   Manneh and  
Other Burning Issues

Foroyaa: What is the way  forward? 
Halifa:    This would have been a good opportunity  for any government which 
had not relied on any opportunistic manipulation of the  exchange rate regime 
in place to cause the disequilibrium, to put its financial  institutions on a 
solid foundation.
Foroyaa:  Do you believe that the  current exchange rates are not market 
determined? 
Halifa: I will be able to  give an unequivocal answer if the Central bank can 
give answers to the following  questions:
What is value of the dalasi notes which are currently in  circulation or are 
reserved in the    coffers of the Central  bank?
Are the commercial banks experiencing any shortages of dalasi deposits  in 
their buying  of foreign currency? 
What is the value of each of the  foreign currencies which had been traded up 
to the time of the exchange rate  instability?
Who determines the exchange rates, the banks or the Central  bank?
Foroyaa: Why are these questions relevant?
Halifa: They are  relevant because exchange rate instability has primary and 
secondary  causes?  It is common knowledge in economics that if you print more 
paper  money than goods and services required to be exchanged the value of 
the currency  will depreciate and inflation will skyrocket On the other hand, if 
the currency  available falls far short of the requirements for the goods and 
services to be  traded it will experience an appreciation in value. The 
object of monetary  policy in industrialised export oriented economies and non 
industrialised import  dependent economies are different. 
In short; an industrialised export  oriented economy could get its Central 
bank to intervene to devalue its currency  and contain inflation, thus making 
imported goods more expensive than locally  produced goods. Devaluation of 
currency in an industrialised country can be  linked to the stimulation of demand 
for local goods by nationals and importers  who would be able to buy more goods 
from the foreign money they possess: In a  non industrialised  import 
dependent economy depreciation of the value of  the local currency can lead to 
inflation and appreciation of the currency can  undermine investment and create the 
type of uncertainty which drives away  importers and causes scarcity of goods 
which are not produced locally. Shortages  of goods are likely to cause 
inflation. The monetary policy suitable for  developing countries is the maintenance 
of exchange rate stability.
Foroyaa:  Some readers may wonder how there can be shortage of local currency 
when  government can just print money as it wishes.
Halifa:  It is not  that simple. Shortage can be artificially caused by 
simply hoarding money or it  can be caused by the quick wear and tear of money 
without raising the money to  pay for the printing of new money. This is the 
primary responsibility of the  Central Bank. 
Section 161 of the Constitution states: “The Central Bank  shall be the only 
authority to issue the currency of the Gambia.” The minting or  production of 
currency is a very expensive enterprise. The currency requires  security 
features to distinguish it from counterfeit.   Hence  shortages of currency can 
occur if old ones go out of circulation without enough  new currencies being 
produced. I am not sure whether that is the case but one  has to go to a bank to 
withdraw money from an account to discover that the money  available is a 
health risk because of its decay:
Foroyaa: Finally how is  exchange rate stability maintained?
Halifa:  Section 161  subsection 4(a) of the Constitution states:
‘’The Central Bank shall promote  and maintain the stability of the currency 
of the Gambia.’’ The primary task is  for the Central Bank to ensure that 
the value of the dalasi in circulation does  not fall short of the actual 
demands for dalasi in all transactions in the  economy.  Secondly, the Central Bank 
must ensure that enough foreign  currency exists to carry out all the 
transactions required in the economy.   Where there is foreign exchange in excess of 
what is required the Central Bank  should implement fiscal policies which will 
enable it to mop up such foreign  exchange to put it in its reserves or advise 
the banks to deposit it in their  foreign reserves.   Furthermore the Central 
Bank should keep track of  the wear and tear of the local currency with a 
view to putting out of  circulation by environmentally friendly means monies 
which are no longer fit for  circulation and raise the necessary funds to replace 
them without any delay.  Where there are dalasis in circulation in excess to 
what is needed in all the  transactions in the economy the Central Bank must 
adopt monetary and fiscal  policies to mop up the excess liquidity or encourage 
the banks to expand more  into development banking by investing in foreign 
exchange generating projects to  ensure a balance and proportionate growth of the 
foreign exchange requirements  of the country in the absence of speculators. 
With exchange rate stability the  banks will derive slow but sure profit from 
investments in the productive base  while maintaining the balance between 
supply and demand in the currency market.  The primary role of the Central bank is 
precisely to adopt policies which will  enable it to facilitate a balance 
between supply of and demand for  the  Gambian dalasi, on one hand and supply of  
and demand for foreign currency,  on the other hand. Once it is capable of 
doing this there will be exchange rate  stability.
Foroyaa: What is your last word on this issue before we move to  the issue of 
Chief Manneh and the ECOWAS Court ?
Halifa: If I am wrong I  stand to be corrected by the Central Bank, the other 
Banks, the Department of  State for Finance and Economic Affairs or the 
Chamber of Commerce through  granting an interview with the paper Foroyaa or the 
Daily Observer.
Foroyaa:  How do you see the detentions without trial of Chief Manneh,  
Kaniba  Kanyi  and others and the proceedings before the ECOWAS  Court?

To be continued
]
Ecomansa Holds Seminar On  Appreciation Of Dalasi
By Gibairu Janneh
Following the appreciation of the  dalasi against foreign currencies many 
thought that the price of basic  commodities would also be reduced. This is 
however not the case yet. The foreign  exchange rates have dropped yet the prices 
of commodities are still high. This  situation of the economy prompted the 
Economic and Management Studies’  Association of the UTG to organise a seminar on 
Wednesday on the theme “The  appreciation of the dalasi and its effects on the 
domestic economy” held at the  Girl’ Guide Headquarters  in Kanifing.
The main speakers at the seminar  included Dr. Buhari Sillah, Head of 
Economics Department, Mr. Lamin Bittaye, a  part time lecture in Economics and Yaya 
Jallow a Graduate Assistant, Mr. Jallow  explained what is meant by foreign 
exchange. He said that the foreign exchange  rate of a country is determined by 
the amount of foreign currency surplus  reserves that a country has based on 
the supply. He added that a country’s  foreign exchange does have an influence 
on the countr’s trade, unemployment and  its general level of economic growth.
Mr. Bittaye said the appreciation of  the dalasi was due to the positive 
measure taken by the Central Bank; that from  2004, The Central Bank embarked on 
reserve building which led to the dalasis’  appreciation. He further stated 
that other measures by the Central Bank, such as  the control of inflation, 
reduction in Bank charges, staff monitor programmes  were all measures that 
facilitated the growth of the dalasi.
For his part,  the head of the Economics Department, Dr. Buhari Sillah, 
analysed the general  situation of the country’s economy and concluded that with 
time the prices of  commodities will be reduced. He however noted that this 
reduction will be  gradual as other factors are also involved.

Brikama Area Council  CEO Sacked
By Modou Jonga

Reliable reports reaching Foroyaa have  it that the Chief Executive Officer 
of the Brikama Area Council, Mr. Balla Musa  Cham was recently relieved of his 
duties by the authorities. The sacked CEO is  said to be replaced by Mr. 
Momodou Jallow,the  CEO at Jangjanbureh   who reported to work yesterday.  
According to sources at the Brikama Area  Council, Mr. Cham received his termination 
letter on 16th October.  Sources  stated that no reason was advanced for the 
sacking of the BAC Chief Executive  Officer.
When this reporter visited the Brikama Area Council, two BAC  officials who 
preferred anonymity confirmed the story .
When contacted  the Public Relations Officer of the Brikama Area Council, Mr. 
Joof confirmed  that Mr. Balla Musa Cham was relieved of his duties on 
Tuesday 16 October and  that no reason or reasons were advanced for his sacking. He 
also said that he is  replaced by Mr. Momodou Jallow, Current CEO of the 
Jangjanbureh Area Council.  Efforts  to speak to the sacked CEO proved futile.

GAMLISA  Celebrates 20th Anniversary
By Saikou Ceesay
GAMLISA, originally founded  as GAML (Gambia Library Association) was 
established in September 1987 and one  of its aims was to unite all persons engaged 
or interested in library and  information services in The Gambia.
In presenting his paper at the 20th  Anniversary of the organisation, Mr. 
Abdou Karim Sonko, representative of the  Secretary of State for ……said GAMLISA 
is currently carrying out sensitization  campaigns to create more awareness 
about the profession in the country and also  to seek technical and financial 
assistance to enable them organise educational  programmes for practitioners and 
users. Mr. Sonko considered the three-day Book  Bonanza as very timely and 
the theme which is “Information for Development” as  appropriate Mr. Sonko said 
“when we talk about information we are referring to  what is being 
communicated and the mode in which it is communicated”. He said  the main concern of 
GAMLISA, is to influence the policies that affect the  availability and access or 
otherwise to information for the Gambians populace.  Mr. Sonko promised that 
GAMLISA will allows applaud and appreciate whatever  steps are taken by the 
Department of State for Information of state in  particular, and the government 
in general to enable them as professionals,  provide the necessary services to 
influence access to information for  everyone.
Mrs. Elie Bahoum, an Executive Member of the Gambia Library and  Information 
Services Association (GAMLISA) said this avails them the opportunity  to meet 
and discuss issues relating to information science in its widest  connotation. 
Mrs. Bahaum said since then, the Association, under various  stewardships, 
has grown from strength to strength registring many success  stories, such as 
being affiliated to international sister organisation, setting  up of 
documentation centres, conducting training programmes for its personnel  among others.
Mrs. Jainaba Faal attended on behalf of the Director of  National Aids 
Secretariats (NAS). She stated that everyone, rich or poor, young  or old, is 
affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic are the most vulnerable. Mrs. Faal  assured her 
organisation strong conviction that GAMLISA would continue to  pioneer HIV/AIDS 
prevention, information dissemination amongst their target  groups, notably 
the youths and students utilizing their various facilities  (libraries) across 
the country. Mrs. Faal indicated that GAMLISA has joined the  wagon of 
contributing in HIV/AIDS interventions.  She assured GAMLISA of  her organisation’s 
unflinching support in this national and international  concern.
Adama Cupah from African Centre for Democracy and Human Rights also  shed 
light on the GAMLISA’s untiring efforts to unite all persons engaged in  library 
and information services in The Gambia and abroad.

MARRIAGE  AND FAMILY
Discrimination In The Family
Mom Rings Her Friends, Aja Bintou,  Aja ‘B’
Mom rang Aja B and explained the situation to her. She calmed her  down. Aja ‘
B’ is above her status. She is married to a business tycoon, Alhaji  Musa. 
She is blessed with two girls in the marriage. Her eldest daughter, Fatima  is 
married to an oil tycoon based in Saudi Arabia. Isha, her youngest daughter  is 
married to a UN Diplomat. Fatima is a surgeon, also practicing in Saudi  
Araba. Isha is a computer guru, running her IT business. Aja ‘B’ is also a  
businesswoman specializing in wedding gowns and wedding accessories. She has  
influence over Haja Oumu. She tells her home truths. “Zai rang yester night”.  “
Oh! That’s great. Where is she?” Aja B asked. “She would not tell”. Haja Oumu  
explained. “Well! Take it easy. At least there is a break through. She called 
 after a month’s silence. I’ll come over to your place”. “Thank you Aja ‘B’
. You  are really a sister”. Haja Oumu commented.
At Her Office
She told her  Secretary to cancel all calls. “I don’t want to talk to 
anyone. Take important  messages only”. “Okay Ma!” said Khadijah her Secretary.
Sulayman And  Badara
Badara is Saul’s best friend. He travelled to Europe. He has just  arrived. 
He found him in a sorrowful mode. Saul explained his problem with Haja  Oumu. “
What about your girl? Is she still focus?” Badara asked. “She is  excellent. 
She has no problem. She loves me with all her heart and soul. Her mum  is the 
only problem”. Saul confirmed. “Has her mum have any influence over her?”  “
No! She has no influence over her. Infact, she is rebelling. And is not living 
 with her family at the moment”. Saul explained. “Fine! Give her all your  
support. Get her positive blood relatives on your side and move on”. Badara  
advised. “Take the bull by the horn and marry your babe. Lean on me. I’ll carry 
 you on, all the time! Cheer up!” Badara shook up Saul.
Bani And Her  Mom
Bani told her mom some home truths. “Mom! I cannot understand you. You  used 
to be a warm, kind, accommodating and compassionate person. You never  
discriminated against any body. You were a team leader and love working in  a  team. 
But no more mom! You are different. You hate, scorn and loath the  poor and 
the needy. All because of your promotion! You are climbing the success  ladder. 
But he careful mom! Be careless! The old adage says when you are  climbing up 
don’t malice those you pass on the ground. In case you start falling  down 
they will hold you high up not to come crashing down! I am fed up with  
everything. Zai left became of your nagging. I might leave as well! This house  is 
becoming too hot for me!” Bani threatened. “Shut up foolish girl! If you want  to 
leave, leave, but not use anyone as a escape goat. Your cases are different.  
Zai challenged my authority and decided to leave by herself. Your case is  
different but if you want to leave, take at the way!” She pointed towards the  
door.
Three Months On
Zainab appeared. Musa, the gateman first welcomed  her. He was excited to see 
his small madam. “Welcome Miss Zainab! We all miss  you”. “Thank you! Is 
anybody in?” Zai asked. “Yes! Madam is in”. “Thank you!”  Zai walked towards 
the big house. Musa exclaimed with amusement. “Oh Miss  Zainab! Madam will be 
happy. She is worried to death!”
Mom Meets  Zainab
Mom met Zainab as she entered the sitting room while Zainab came in.  Mom 
cautiously greeted her. She is scared for her to leave again. Zainab  returned 
her greetings in a polite manner and went into her room. Mama changed  her tone 
and became more accommodative. She talked to herself and expressed self  pity. 
“I want to better their lives. You’ll not kill me! Life is very short!”  she 
grumbled.
The Pregnancy
Zainab gave the shocking news. “I am  pregnant!” She explained. “Preg what? 
For who?” Mama asked. Zainab refused to  talk.
Saul Enters The House
Mom threatened to kill Zainab. Then Saul  entered the sitting room. “You’ll 
not accept him mom but he is my choice the  father of my child!” Zainab 
confessed. “You have to abort that bastard in your  womb! You cannot bring shame 
into our family. I have nothing to do with this  pauper or his unborn child. You’
ll have to abort it or else I’ll commit two  murders”. Then she left and went 
into her room in a rage. Bani gave Zai  solidarity. She caressed her. “It’s 
okay sister! I’ll talk to her”. “Thank you!”  Sulay responded, Zainab nodded 
her head. Saul cuddled Zainab into his arms and  consoled and reassured her. 
Zainab cried over his arms.
Mom Pays A Visit To  Haja ‘B’
Mom paid a quick visit to her best Pal, Haja ‘B’. She announced that  Zai 
have returned home. “Allah be praised! That’s good news”. Haja ‘B’ announced  
with excitement. “Wait a minute! It is not like that”. “What is it again?”  “
Zainab is pregnant for him!” “What?” Haja Bintou consoled her friend. “ 
Nature  has a way of solving it’s problem. If the two are meant to be no one can 
put  them asunder!” “What do you mean?” Mama asked “Let them be! What else 
do you  want to do?” Haja Bintou asked. “She has  to abort the pregnancy and 
give  up her relationship with Saul!” “But that is impossible and you know it! 
It  is  against our religion, even the pregnancy before marriage. I am sorry. 
 Your refused to join the two lovers you cause it. Now! You must repent. 
Repent  your ways! Give the youths their chance, let them be! Zainabou is over 18 
years.  By law she can take  care of herself. Please my dear friend! Let your  
children be. When she delivers her baby, let Saul marry her”. Mama jumped up. 
 “Over my dead body! I’ll not allow it. You are selfish. Do you ask what 
type of  work Saul does?” She roared. “That is immaterial! What Saul does for a 
living is  left to him and his wife”. Haja Bintou defended her point. “What 
about if he is  an armed robber?” Mama asked. “Saul is not! And you know it! 
He is a decent guy  working as an accountant at the Continental Bank. I bank 
with his institution.  “Haja defended her point. “He is an ordinary accountant. 
A human counting  machine! I’ll not allow her marry my daughter. How about 
your two daughters  Fatima and Isha who are married to an oil tycoon and A UN 
Diplomat  respectively?” Mama challenged Haja ‘B’. Did I Bintou. She laughted 
at her.  “Choose their spouses? You know I didn’t leave your daughter. Let her 
be! And  please don’t do any stupid thing. Forgot about abortion. That is out 
of it.  Abortion is dangerous. You daughter can lose her life and get barren 
for life. I  do not support abortion unless it threatens the lady or the mother
”. Haja Bintou  emphasize her point. Mama was very angry with her friend and 
mento. They did not  see eye to eye. Angrily, she left Haja Bintou’s house and 
went back  home.

FOCUS ON POLITICS
THE 1987 SUPPLEMENTARY  REGISTRATION;
PDOIS CLASH WITH PPP AGENTS
We have been focusing on  politics in this column. We have traced the 
political history of the Gambia from  Pre-Colonial to Post-Independence era. The 
narration of events is meant to help  the youngsters to know the past so as to 
understand the present in order to  enable them shape the future.
In the last issue we have dwelt into issues  raised by a political party 
(PDOIS) in the first ever-National Education  Conference. We have stopped where we 
said Mr. Araba Bah replaced Mr. M.E Jallow  as leader of The Gambia Workers 
Union and was subsequently appointed by the  President as a nominated member to 
the House of Parliament. We then asked  whether he would be able to genuinely 
serve trade union interest in the house  even where it conflicts with 
government interest.
Let us continue from where  we stopped.
The 1980s were the painful years not only for the ordinary  Gambians but even 
so for elites.  Despite these difficult times, there  remained some genuine 
elites who refused to run or hide from the difficulties  and stood their ground 
and tried to participate in the democratic struggle by  establishing 
progressive newspapers with a view to help enlighten the masses and  enable them take 
positive decisions. But this did not happen without a  price.
In their bid to organize to get some recognition and protection from  the 
state, the independent press in The Gambia struggled for almost four years  
between 1983 to 1987 to have what they called “A National Press Council” but  
their struggles bore naught. This was why at a Press Conference held with the  
President at State House, Mr. Dixon Colley, editor of the Nation told Sir Dawda  
that they the Press had been clamoring for the state to pioneer a National 
Press  Council since 1983 but as he said nothing tangible has happened since 
then,  eventhough he told him, “you have always promised to look into it.”
In his  reaction, the president called on the new Minister of Information to 
address the  problem.
It was in this light that the new Minister Lamin Nafa Saho, met the  Local 
Press on Friday the 8 of July 1987 to discuss the proposed National Press  
Council (NPC). In that meeting, the following people who mattered were invited;  
Mr. M.L Auber, the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Saja Taal, the Under Secretary and  
Mr. Marcel Thomasi, Director of Information and Broadcasting. The minister 
after  his welcoming remarks delved into the purpose of the meeting and quoted 
the  question raised by editor Dixon Colley of the Nation Newspaper and the  
president’s response to that question. The minister said after thinking about  
the matter, he had new ideas, which he said he wanted to experiment with. He  
however admitted, according to reports that he was a layman in media affairs and 
 that he was subjected to correction. He again emphasized that the need to  
establish a press council was indeed felt.
Mr. A.A Njai, Secretary to the  study group elected by the Gambia Press Union 
and the department reported that  he had informed the outgoing minister and 
even wrote two reminders to keep the  issue continuously alive but as he said 
there has not been any response.  According to reports, as the discussion 
ensued the minister proposed that a  seminar be organised at the end of which NPC 
maybe established. This, the  reports said was unanimously accepted by all and 
sundry.
According to the  Nation, Pap Saine of Reuters also suggested that lawyers 
and writers be invited  for their resourcefulness. This suggestion too was 
accepted by all except Dr.  Taal, the under Secretary at the ministry but according 
to Dixon Colley, that  was not a problem. The problem was that the under 
Secretary intervened in such  an outburst that could be described as “uncontrolled”
 emotion. The reaction of  Mr. Colley in the Nation report showed how 
hysterical he was about the whole  thing. So what did the under Secretary said that 
created such rancor amongst  media practitioners?
Dr. Taal, according to reports said he could not take  the issue seriously 
because as he said, the Gambian press was full of  “untrained” “unorganized” 
and “unprofessional” journalists. Mr. Taal described  certain pressmen as disc 
jockeys and others as the “devils” advocate’, and so on  and so forth. Dixon 
who later responded to the under Secretary’s out bursts in  the Nation 
described the action as immature sentimentalities; that Taal should  know when and 
where to display it and of course to whom. Dixon fired back and  said, he was 
surprised by the behavior since Mr. Taal was a public administrator  who 
claimed to have been a trained journalist and who was one of the fierciest,  radical 
and most importantly critics of the regime during his Kent street Vour  days. 
He expressed surprise that Taal was now operator of a system he used to  
detest and denounce so savagely. He asked whether this was not a disappointment  
to the minister. He also urged Secretary General Langley to speak to Taal to  
avert future embarrassments to the Government in the future and so on and so  
forth.
Many journalists at the time felt that the regime was not serious  about 
creating National Press Council; that the true feeling of the state was in  fact 
coming through an Under Secretary that the meeting was just a smokescreen.  
Many wondered why highly certified intellectuals act in ways that do not serve  
the interest of the people but appeared to favour the state.
An African  historian Paul Tiyambe Zeleza who studied the predicament of the 
African  intellectual at the time described the period in his book  “
Manufacturing  African Studies” as thus, “The economic crises that hit many African 
countries  from the mid 1980s further compounded the problems of intellectual 
production  and reproduction, that the social sector targeted for retrenchment 
by the  structural adjustment programmes SAPs ostensibly adopted to rectify the 
crises,  had affected education and intellectuals in general, forcing many 
intellectuals  to resort to what he described as moon lighting, or sought to 
exercise their  entrepreneurial skills in the nebulous world of the “informal” 
sector whilst  others tried to endear themselves to the state for lucrative  
appointment.”
PDOIS COMMENCES RESEARCH ON REGISTRATION
Supplementary  Registration of voters took place throughout the country in 
late 1987. The  PDOIS, which had as its agenda to research into the electoral 
system bought  caloi bicycles for its militants to monitor the registration. 
They took the task  never to miss any single day of registration. So each 
registration team had a  monitor attached to it. The team in Banjul was the first to 
discover the tactic  of the PPP agents in their attempt to dominate the 
registration process.
The  First Encounter
The PDOIS militants insisted that election officers follow  the instructions 
of the supervisor of elections, which was a requirement by the  election Act. 
It was also a requirement of the Act for the supervisor of  elections to 
enforce on the part of all registration officers “fairness,  impartiality and 
compliance with the provisions of the election Act.
The  PDOIS militants claimed that they have discovered that PPP agents were 
the ones  issuing claim forms which they said was the responsibility 
expressedly assigned  to registration officers by rule 2 paragraph (3) which stated that 
“the  registration officer shall on application supply a form of claim free 
of charge  to a claimant.
The PDOIS executive said they wrote numerous petitions to the  supervisor of 
elections and contacted the deputy for redress without delay. All  
administrative channels they said had been exhausted to no avail. These  petitions were 
made public by publishing them in Newspapers as open letters to  the supervisor 
of elections without any reaction. The PPP Agents led by Pesseh  Njie 
insisted that it was a custom for their party militants to issue claim  forms and 
they were only out to help people to register. They however insisted  that it was 
the law that should prevail not tradition.
When the struggle  intensified, the PPP Agents who had no moral strength to 
hang on to decided to  place their tables adjacent to the registering officers 
so that claimants would  think that the PPP agents were one and the same with 
the registering team. The  PDOIS claimed that that was sending a wrong 
impression to the masses that  everything was under PPP control. Secondly failure to 
go to the PPP table could  give an indication of how the person intended to 
vote, which could lead to  victimization. They argued that the arrangement 
nullified the climate of  impartiality, which would characterize the election 
process from registration to  the declaration of results. The PDOIS claimed that 
the practice undermined the  very principle of free and fair elections; that it 
must cease.
. As the  tension increased, it was a big surprise to find that the PPP 
agents began to  hide forms under their tables. This was the time it became clear 
that the PPP’s  Election machine had its foundation in the crude registration 
system, the  Foroyaa commented.
It was at this time that a clandestine publication was  discovered in 
circulation against PDOIS captioned “A Banjul Political Observer  writes to enlighten 
public on PDOIS.” 

Asset Awards Craft  Competitors
By Isatou Bittaye
The Association of Small Scale Enterprises  in Tourism (ASSET) has awarded 
four winners of the Arts and Craft Competition  2007 on Thursday 18 October at 
the ASSET Cultural Encounter at Timbooktoo  Bookshop, Bakau.
In declaring the competition open, the Director General of  Gambia Tourism 
Authority (GTA), Mr. Kaliba Senghore said the competition was  aimed to improve 
the quality of art and craft products and ensure responsible  tourism in The 
Gambia. He added that it is all about partnership and promoting  responsible 
tourism in The Gambia. Mr. Senghore said the first competition was  held in 2005 
at the Alliance Franco Gambinne the current one was but done at the  ASSET’s 
Cultural encounter. He added that the competition will be held yearly in  
ensuring fair and responsible tourism. He said ASSET aims to encourage  its  
members to be more innovative and develop small scale tourism. Mrs. Binta Jobe,  
Director of Quality Control and Lincensing (GTA) said ASSET is taking the lead  
in ensuring that responsible tourism is achieved. She congratulated the  
participants and thanked ASSET for the good initiative. The winners of the  
Decorative category are Malick Ceesay and “Monkey Business”. They were awarded  each 
a cash prize of D7,500.00 and a certificate. The first winner of the  
practical category is Equi-Gambia who received a cash price of D10,000.00. They  were 
followed by Paper Recycling Skills Project who got a cash price of  
D5,000.00. The judges were Lamin Marenah, Anna of Top Shop, Karri from Marouns  
Supermarket and Mr. Goerge.

Escaped Convict  Gets Extra-Two  Year Jail Term
By Saikou Ceesay
Soriba Kondi, believed to be Guinean  national who had previously been 
convicted and
jailed on 3 April to ten years  imprisonment for his implication in an armed 
robbery, was on Thursday 1 1th  October sentenced to four years imprisonment 
for escaping from lawful  custody.
The accused Soriba Kondi had absconded from prison vehicle while in  lawful 
custody on their way to Bundung Magistrates court with six  prisoners.
Soriba Kondi is said to have a separate pending case against him  at the 
Bundung Magistrates Court. The prosecution called two witnesses. During  cross 
examination PW1 Abdoulie Njie, a police officer attached to the Banjul  Police 
Station, presented the cautionary statement obtained from the accused at  the 
station. He explained in detail that the statement tendered with thumb print  
before the court, is the accused person’s statement. He narrated that he is not  
aware of anyone that beat the accused to obtain statement from him. During 
cross  examination PW2 Essa Keita a police officer attached to the Bundung 
Police  Station maintained that the accused person stamped the door with his foot, 
and  allowed other prisoners to escape from lawful custody. Police officer 
confirmed  that he didn’t allow the prisoners to escape.
In his defence the accused  Soriba Kondi: said his sister gave fifty thousand 
dalasis to prosecutor Sergeant  Omar Jaharteh to secure his escape. In short 
he insisted that his sister Adama  Kondi gave the said amount in the pretence 
of Adama Jallow and Muhammadu Darboe  both prisoners serving at Mile Two.
Delivering his judgment at the Kanifing  Magistrates’ Court, Magistrate Moses 
Richards said “having looked at
the  evidence, before the court,” it is now pertinent for him to look at the 
law.  Moses Richards interpreted section 108 of the Criminal Code of the Laws 
of the  Gambia and asserted that the evidences before the court are clear and 
detailed.  He ruled that the accused escaped from lawful custody between State 
Central  Prison and Bundung Magistrates’ Court. He said the accused 
complained of being  beaten by the investigators but didn’t provide any witnesses, 
citing that he  perverted justice.). 
In this mitigation the accused begged for forgiveness.  He was finally 
sentenced accordingly. Count 1; two years w1ili~out option of a  fine and Count 2; 
two years without option of fine for his admission that he had  paid D50,000 
for escape. Both sentences are to run consecutively at the  Jangjanbureh Prison 
with hard labour. Altogether Soriba Kondi is to serve  fourteen (14) years, 
with pending charges at the Bundung Magistrates  Court.

Training For West African Journalists Calls Off
By  Fabakary B. Ceesay
The planned two day training workshop for West African  Journalists slated 
for 19th and 20th October in Banjul has been called off at  the eleventh hour 
without any reason advanced from the organisers. The proposed  programme was 
organised by the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights  (ACHPR) in 
collaboration with the open society initiative for West Africa  (OSIWA).
A commission’s member pointed out that they received orders  indicating to 
the Commission that there could not be any possibility of hosting  the event in 
The Gambia. “We were told that the workshop cannot take place  here,” he 
said. Dr.Feyi Ogunade, Senior legal officers of the commission in  charge of 
promotional affairs said, “now that the event cannot take place here,  it will be 
rescheduled to another country.” Dr. Ogunade declined to comment on  where such 
an order came from. It should be borne in mind that six Gambian  Journalists 
with participants from Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia,  Mali, 
Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo were to benefit from the training.  
Gambian Journalists were only informed of the development shortly before the  start 
of the programme. It was also brought to their attention that their  
counterparts, who were due to come from other countries were informed to cancel  their 
fights. They were said to have already bought their air tickets to and  from 
Banjul.

Land Palaver At Sohm 
WR Governor Declines To  Comment
By Modou Jonga
Foroyaa is reliably informed that a land tussle  erupted in Sohm village in 
the Kombo East District. Reports indicate that the  district chief, Basiru 
Jarju, sold a piece of land to two American Nationals,  Brian and Ayondele Carson 
to the tune of D100,000 dalasis.
Sources noted that  for more than five months no valid official receipt or 
other relevant land  transfer documents has yet been issued, relevant 
authorities such as the  Governor of Western Region, and National Assembly Member for 
Kombo East were  approached to facilitate the issuance of the said official 
receipt but the  authorities are yet to intervene directly to solve the land 
palaver. However,  the authorities are said to have talked with the district chief. 
Sources noted  that following the sale of the said land to the new owners, 
the once cordial  relationship between the Americans and the Chief has turned 
sour. The Americans  are also said to be bullied, threatened and harrassed 
systemically at Sohm.  Sources told this reporter, that the Americans are also 
threatened with  deportation by the said district chief, if they continue to 
demand the said  official receipt. 
Speaking to this reporter Brain and Ayodele Carson  confirmed that they are 
yet to be issued with a receipt by the chief and that  they are often harassed 
and threatened following their demand for the said  receipt. They noted that, 
they came to settle at Sohm because they were  convinced when they were in the 
United States of America by a resident of Sohm  who is based in the United 
States of America to come to Sohm. The duo stressed  that their bright dreams of 
settling at Sohm was dashed due to the current  hostile atmosphere they found 
themselves in with the said concerned authorities  in the said land case.
When he was contacted, Basiru Jarju, Chief of Kombo  East noted that the said 
plot of land is not sold to the American. He added that  the plot land is 
given to the Americans gratis by the people of  Sohm.  Chief Jarju vehemently 
said the allegations of harassment and intimidation  against the duo is 
unfounded. On his part Mr. Lamin Bojang, National Assembly  Member for Kombo East 
confirmed the said land palaver but noted that he had an  audience with the 
concerned parties in order to solve the dispute. Mr. Bojang  noted his resolve to 
solve the said standing dispute. The Governor of the  Western Region Abdou F. M 
Badjie on his part urged this reporter to contact the  said district chief and 
further declined to comment. 

Timber  Dealers Decry Forestry Ban
By Modou Jonga
Barely a month after the coming  into effect of the ban on all forestry 
activities by the President of the  Republic, numerous timber dealers are lamenting 
that it is unbearable and  detrimental to their survival. The timber dealers 
at Brikama expressed their  frustration with the ban on timber cutting, in an 
interview granted to this  reporter.
Abdoulie Tinn, a timber dealer noted that the ban completely halted  his 
business and that the ban should be lifted because it is unbearable. The ban  on 
forestry activities, noted Mr. Tinn, is seriously affected his income  
generating capacity in taking care of the basic needs of his family. While  urging the 
government to revise the circumstances of the said ban, Mr. Tinn has  
lamented that he has lost over ten thousand dalasis due to the ban and logs of  
timber left uncollected in the forest.
Another desperate timber dealer,  Landing Nyassi, said he has been in the 
timber business for ten years and that  he is finding it extremely hard to make 
ends meet. We are at a lost to  understand the reasons for the ban on forestry 
activities”. He stated that the  scarcity of saw dust due to the ban has also 
affected woman who produced the  ‘Soda Soap using materials including saw 
dust. He lamented that he has 22 logs  of timber left in the forest uncollected.
Sedio Sonko noted that the ban has  halted his timber business. “The scale of 
the felling and marketing of the red  timber has necessitated the ban, “ he 
posited. According to Mr. Sonko he had one  hundred and fifty dalasis worth of 
timber uncollected in the forest and has lost  an amount of ten thousand 
dalasis due to the recent ban. Another timber dealer,  Ousman A. Jammeh, said he is 
desperate. Mr. Jammeh urged the relevant  authorities to furnish them with  
sufficient information as to what gave  rise to the forestry ban through the 
mass media.
More than thirty timber  dealers who spoke to this reporter have lamented 
about the adverse economic  effects of the benon them due to the said ban. They 
reiterated the call on the  government to reconsider and lift the ban in due 
course. 

Brikama  Art. Turf to Develop Football
By Modou Jonga
The artificial surface being  constructed at the Brikama Box Bar mini stadium 
will contribute in the  development of football, said Lamin King Colley.
King Colley, chairman of the  Western Region Sports Committee was speaking 
during a tour of the project by the  FIFA consultant Dr. Eric Harrison. Colley 
said the project represents a hallmark  in the development of football not only 
in the Western region but the  country as a whole. “The project will enhance 
the development of Gambian  players”, he added. 
Brikama is the beneficiary of the first artificial  surface in the country. 
The project is being funded by FIFA through the Gambia  Football Association 
GFA at a reported cost of D10million. 
Dr. Harrison the  project’s consultant in appraising the state of the project 
talked of FIFA’s  desire in developing football infrastructures. He also 
called on those that will  be tasked with the management of the facility when it 
is ready to perform their  tasks efficiently, and revealed that seminars will 
be organised to educate them  on how to maintain the facilities.
Also present during the tour were the  Director of GFA’s Technical Training 
Center, Bakary Terema Dahaba and the  project contractor.




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