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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