This Chaneh Ceesay is quite remarkable and there is such a beautiful lesson in her story, that despite how downright ugly a situation can become, there is still a human beings choice to remain beautiful, strong and focused in such an environment.  This woman deserves so much recognition for her courage, her conviction and her ability to solve such a problem without compromising her beliefs.

As for the APRC momma.....just the mere fact that someone would advise you to bring harm to one of your children over something as crazy as political differences should be clear as Evian that the High Maintenance Zoo Keeper of Kanilai needs to be given the boot.....

Christine Sukuna


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Amadu Kabir Njie <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
Foroyaa Newspaper Burning Issues

Issue No. 43/2005, 2-5 June, 2005



Channeh Ceesay The Lioness of Baati Ndar on Campaign Trail



Never in the history of Gambian politics has a woman been subjected to such intense oppressive custody practices as Channeh Ceesay had to undergo. In the same vein no woman has ever displayed such unparallel heroinism in defence of her rights to take part in politics in The Gambia as Channeh had.

The mother is an APRC stalwart who went to nominate her opponent. The APRC has not taught the mother that section 104, subsection (3) of the Elections Decree states that “A person who is a citizen of The Gambia may freely choose the political party he/she desires”

Channeh felt that her mother has everything to follow the party of her choice and does not blame her for not giving her the support. However, the mother is being incited by the APRC stalwarts to threaten violence against her daughter, and to restrict entry of the NADD campaign team to Channeh’s compound. They had gone as far as to hide her clothes so that she will not join the campaign trail and use her brothers as guards at one time to prevent her from going. However, she succeeded in resisting all those pressures and is now on the campaign trail.

Channeh could have used the protection of the Police force to be freed from captivity when she was restrained in her compound. However she knew what society would say if she brought Police Officers to arrest her mother and brothers. She was caught between a rock and the deep blue sea. She used her own moral pressure on one of the parents and succeeded in breaking the heart of the father by asking whether any man would wish her child to have a history if not being a person of her words. She told the father that the candidate of the APRC is an equal with the same blood flowing in her veins. She asked him what she would tell her children tomorrow if she accepts bribes and withdraws her candidature. She told him that she was born free and that the father should never agree for her to sacrifice her dignity before the altar of money and promises. A good father who is caught between the love of a daughter and wife, now only cries when confronted by the APRC sponsors of customary
terrorism. The lioness of Baati Ndar has made history even if she were to lose the contest. She has expressed the falsity of the APRC claim that it stands for the liberation and empowerment of women. The Secretary of State for Women Affairs, the Women’s Bureau, the Women’s Council, the Women Activist, the Centre for Human Rights Studies, the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights that should monitor the protocol that defends the rights of women, should be alerted. All those who believe in the liberation of women should come to the support of Channeh Ceesay and acclaim her as a National Heroin.

The Vice President can easily call the mother and she is bound to change her attitude. She is daily going about with Amulai Janneh and the Commissioner. She can disobey the directives of her party leader. If the oppression of Channeh continues the whole campaign of the Vice President and other state institutions for women liberation, will be discredited and FOROYAA will wage a campaign internationally for such people not to given any audience in international fora for women liberation. Furthermore women activists should now move from theory to actual practice by taking Channeh’s case which is likely to repeat itself as more women decide to take part in politics. The battle for women’s rights to participate in politics has truly begun and women activists should put their money, mouth and pen where their heart lies to defend Channeh’s cause which is the cause of all women who treasure their dignity and right to be free and equal to all other human beings. History will note those
who took up the challenge and those who are defenders of women rights as a formality.



DEFENCE CHIEF AND BUS DRIVER

Who is right? Who is wrong?

Reports reaching Foroyaa Newspaper allege that the Chief of Defence Staff, Commander Hassan Sarr, upon seeing a bus driver beating a pupil, stepped out of his vehicle and slapped the driver. The bus driver is Mr. Ousman Sambou, who drives the school bus of St. John’s School for the Deaf at Kairaba Avenue.

According to the driver, the incident happened on the 25th of April, 2005, when he, as the school bus driver was on his usual routine of transporting his students to school. He observed from the driving mirror that one of the students took out his head through the window of the bus, while in traffic. Ousman said he then called the attention of the said pupil and told him to put his head inside, but the pupil refused. He added that as a consequence, upon arrival in the school premises, he used a stick to hit the pupil on the head twice.

He claimed that at this point he saw the driver of GAF 1 disembark from his vehicle and approach him to enquire why he was beating the pupil. According to him, the GAF 1 driver returned to his vehicle but suddenly, a man putting on a navy uniform, whom he later learnt to be the Chief of Defence Staff, emerged from the GAF 1 vehicle and gave him what he called a “nasty slap”, which affected his ear. The school bus driver further claimed that as the Chief of Defence Staff departed he asked him (the school bus driver): Are you the father of the child?

Our reporter was shown the stick that was used to hit the pupil, which he described as a neem tree branch of a thickness of about 1.5 cm.

FOROYAA also spoke the PRO at the Armed Forces headquarters. He acknowledged that the Chief of Defence Staff did slap the school bus driver but he indicated that the circumstance warranted it. The PRO argued that the Chief of Defence Staff could not withstand what he saw. He pointed out that when the Chief of Defence Staff saw the school bus driver hitting the pupil “mercilessly” with a stick he was moved and had to send his driver to enquire and stop him. Instead of stopping he was only explaining. The PRO claimed that the Chief of Defence Staff could no longer stand it and therefore stepped out of his vehicle and slapped the school bus driver after asking him: Are you the parent of this child to hit him like this? The PRO said the Chief of Defence Staff did what any soldier would have done under the circumstances.



THE TRIAL OF MODOULAMIN KUJABI RESUMES



By Pateh Baldeh

The acrimonious criminal suit, involving Modou Lamin Kujabi (alias Jisaja Kujabi) continued at the Brikama Magistrates Court, presided over by Magistrate Bubacarr Jawo, on Thursday.

Widely known as Jisaja, the latter was charged with stealing, following his bitter ordeal at mile 2 central prisons, where he was incarcerated for several months. He was later granted bail by the Brikama Magistrate Court.

Continuing their cross-examination with the first PW1, Mr. Sanyang, a CID officer, the team of defence counsels, comprising of Lawyer Musa Batchilly, Lawyer Combeh Jeng and Sagarr Jahateh told him that no proper records were kept on the out going and present supply of materials. PW1 indicated that he does not know whether they are properly kept and further told the court that his duty is not to investigate whether records are properly kept, but the out going materials. He said that he has done his job properly.

Counsel Jeng put it to the witness that since he cannot tell the court the incoming and outgoing materials, how can they believe in him; that the accuse person is the main suspect according to his investigations.

Answer: That is left to the court (laughter) yes he is the main suspect based on what is in the book.

Counsel Jeng: I put it to you that there is no proof that the accused person is the main suspect.

Sanyang: As far as this records are concerned, IG3, there is proof.

Jeng: Look at IG 1,2,3,4. It is that in IG1 is only the accused’s name appears.

Sanyang: No. There are other names. More than 20 names.

Jeng: The names of persons who took material from the state?

Sanyang: Yes

Jeng: Similar things happened to IG 2,3,4?

Sanyang: Yes.

Jeng: In your investigation what makes you believe that the accused person is the main suspect?

Sanyang: According to the record keepers, those materials were given on the directive of the accused person.

Jeng: Did you say that Mr. Mobarack is in possession of all the keys in the store?

Sanyang: Yes your lordship.

Jeng: Did you keep action Diary?

Sanyang: Yes your lordship.

Jeng: Did you maintain an action diary pertaining to this case?

Sanyang: No your lordship.

Jeng: You did not maintain any action diary to this case?

Sanyang: The station diary in this case.

Jeng: So you made records in the station diary in this case?

Sanyang: Yes your lordship.

Jeng: Where is that station diary?

Sanyang: In the office.

Jeng: Can you produce the station diary?

Sanyang: An extract of the station diary is here. It was shown and Sanyang mentioned that they call it the diary of action.

Jeng: What is the difference between action diary and diary of action?

Prosecution ASP Badjie intervened by saying that PW1 does not know as he does not understand the language.

At the point, Counsel Batchilly told PW1 that he is just a seasoned Police Officer.

ASP Badjie, the prosecutor, objected to that saying counsel is not a police officer and he cannot say so.

Jeng: It is true that some officers took him from mile 2?

Sanyang: It is true your lordship.

Jeng: Under what instruction?

Sanyang: Under the instruction of the CMC.

Jeng: It is true that the accused person was not charged, when detained at mile 2?

Sanyang: No. He was not charged.

Jeng: You told the court that ASP Touray said that the evidence against the accused person is not enough to prosecute the accused person who is now in court?

Sanyang: Yes, your worship.



The case was adjourned to the 7th of June 2005.



GAMCO FILE MISSING AT THE AG’S

CHAMBERS

Foroyaa has been informed by officials at the Attorney General’s Chambers and Department of State for Justice that the file for The Gambia Agricultural Marketing Company (GAMCO) is allegedly missing. Foroyaa became aware of this while it was making a follow-up of searches of the files of a number of companies that it intends to conduct.

What seems to have been a simple matter in conducting a search of a company file has now turned down to be tricky business. A red tape bureaucracy has been established so that whenever a request for a search is made that request has to be in writing. Even with such written request the files that are to be searched would eventually find themselves in the office of the Attorney General apparently for scrutiny. Not only that, top officials seem to lack the guts to make the files available. Foroyaa had forward a request for a search of a number of company files, including the Gamco file since the early March this year. The reporter to conduct the search has always been going up and down without having access to any of the files. Eventually when he was told he could have access and he went for the search he was told that the Gamco file was missing. We hope that this problem will be soughted out and the files, which are public records, will be made accessible without further delay.



LAISSE PASSE IS FREE

By Surakata Danso



The Public Relations Officer of the Immigration Department, Mr. Gomez, has informed FOROYAA that the travel document called “Laisse Passé” is not for sale. Mr. Gomez made this disclosure in his office on the 30th May 2005, in reaction to a complaint on the conduct of some Immigration Officers in the provinces by this reporter when he alleged that he had witnessed Immigration Officers in the provinces on the 20th May 2005, asking for D25 from Gambians who failed to produce identification cards at Bansang Police Checkpoint, near the hospital, Yorobiri Kunda and Bakadaji checkpoints in URD. This reporter claimed to be an eye witness to officers of the Immigration Department asking people to pay D25 for “Laisse Passé” for failing to produce ID cards. This included even Gambians who produced Voters cards and attestation certificates from Alkalos and Chiefs of districts.

The Immigration PRO indicated that the “Laisse Passé” forms are given to their officers all over the country in other to make travelling easier for citizens of ECOWAS countries and those Gambians travelling to Senegal. He said that on no account should officers of the Immigration department ask for any amount of money from any citizen of ECOWAS during his or her travel in or across The Gambia on ‘Laisse Passé’. The PRO asserted that from hence forth all travellers who are citizens of ECOWAS member countries including The Gambia that are asked D25 or any money for cost of ‘Laisse Passé’ must report the matter to the authorities by showing the ‘Laisse Passé’ and indicate the place where they’ve been issued the document.



LAUNCHING OF NADD

Part 2

Halifa’s Speech

We publish below the full text of the speech of the Coordinator of NADD, Halifa Sallah. In his speech he explained the essence and purpose of NADD. In subsequent issues we shall publish the speeches of the Political Leaders in the Alliance.

It is a common saying that to communicate by word of mouth is difficult. In my view, to utter words is not difficult. What is actually difficult is comprehension. To ensure comprehension the mind has the duty to sieve the truth out of the utterances to ensure clarity of vision. It is such clarity that enables you to know yourself, your country, your citizenship rights and the world. This is why a human being is called a human being.

A human being who is not aware of his or her citizenship rights is always downgraded, marginalized and fearful of speaking one’s mind. Such a person finds oneself always in hardship and misery. One hardly asks oneself why one is in that condition and would hardly find an answer. On the other hand, human beings who are aware must ask for reasons and solutions to their problems.

We are here today to assert our citizenship rights. Without knowledge of such rights, a person lives like the other animals. Your fellow beings will ride on your back and drive you up to your grave.

Without knowledge of citizenship rights you will not know what belongs to you. Others will grab the national wealth which belongs to you and take ownership of it. Such people will live in heaven on earth while you will live in hell on earth. What is hell on earth? That is to be born in poverty and misery, grow up and die in it. You will leave your children to live and die in poverty and misery. The same goes for your grand children. Anyone who is destined to such a life would have been better not to be born.

NADD emerged to affirm the citizenship rights of the citizenry by empowering them. Sovereignty resides in each citizen. This makes them an embodiment of power to say how the country is governed. If one claims to own a compound but has no right over it, then it belongs to somebody else. In the same vein, if you claim to be owners of this country but have no power or say on how it is governed, then you have lost your citizenship rights. The fact that in a sovereign republic each citizen is endowed with sovereign power to have equal say in how the country is run is the reason why they have voters’ cards. The way a country is run is determined by the voters. The voters consequently determine the direction of a country. The national wealth belongs to us as tax payers. For instance this year the amount of revenue that should go to the national coffers is 3 billion dalasis (3000 million dalasis). This belongs to us.

Who should take care of that fund? This is why we elect a caretaker of that fund. That elected person, the president, is the one who sits down with his cabinet to decide how to utilize the fund for the development of the country. It is therefore the right of every citizen to keep track of such development in order to be able to determine whether one is being properly represented or not. One should be able to assess whether one’s country is progressing or retrogressing in order to cast one’s vote in subsequent elections. The yardstick to know whether a country is progressing or retrogressing needs to be clear to every citizen. If the misery of the people is increasing then you know the country is going backward. If the produce of the farmers is not being bought and their earnings are inadequate to improve their welfare, then one must say the country is moving backward.

If unemployment is increasing due to inadequate investment then one can say that the country is retrogressing. If all indicators show that the country is moving backward then something needs to be done by the sovereign Gambian people. This is why opposition parties are created. Some believe that opposition parties are formed because of anger. No, that is not always the case. Let me ask this question for the sake of clarity. If you elect your leaders and they misrepresent you, what should you do? You should remove them from office. But if there is no opposition, how would you remove them from power? If you don’t have a strong opposition, how will you remove him from power?

It is important to recognise what led to the creation of NADD. Opposition parties came into being to remove the APRC government from office. This objective can only be achieved if the people realise that the country is not progressing. Many will be surprised by this remark. The amount of revenue to be collected is 3 billion dalasis (3000 million dalasis). If that is not utilized properly we will not make savings to invest in public services. You may now ask me how the country manages to develop the airport, the television, build roads, hospitals and other services and infrastructure.

I want you to listen very carefully. The answer to the question is that most of the development projects are based loans. For instance, for the construction of the Bwiam Hospital D30 million was borrowed from Libya; for the Kombo Coastal Road D112 million was borrowed from Kuwait (Applause). Most of the development projects you see in this country are based on loans. People say development is brought by loans but they are not exposed to the consequences. They are also not told how the three billion dalasis from their tax money and payment for services are utilized in their interest. It is important not only to realise that projects such as the television are financed by Libya; the Kerewan Road by Taiwan and so on and so forth. This has made the country to be heavily indebted to the tune of 22 billion dalasi. Debts by themselves do not bring about sustainable development. It they are not utilized properly they can fetter the development of services for the promotion of general
welfare. For example, debt repayment is to consume about D1, 400, 000, 000 (one billion four hundred million) from this years should be paid back to countries we borrowed from.

If you look into the issue of employment, nothing more than 16 thousand people are employed by the state. About 200, 000 students will graduate from school in the next ten years. How will they have employment? If the state did not employ them, private investors may do, but that too is lacking. How can the government solve this?

Agricultural products are here and not even bought but they have invested D350,000,000 (350 million dalasi)on Amie’s Beach Hotel from the funds contributed by the workers to Social Security. How is this to benefit the workers, the unemployed and the farmers? The government is not using money to eradicate the suffering of the people.

It is important to realise that poverty and misery are increasing in the country. Those going to school cannot find jobs after graduating. How will they live? Your fathers were born in misery and you too will grow to add to that list. Your children too will grow like that. In the same home, you find unemployed father, children and grandchildren. Will that home not be torn asunder? (Applause). If boys are unemployed, how will our daughters be married? They too add to the burden that has many negative consequences for the country. The way our country is governed brings poverty and misery. If our country’s resources are used to develop it, poverty and misery will automatically decrease.


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