Jammeh’s Economic Management Faulted
by Sana Camara
Deputies in the opposition bench are not the least satisfied with President Jammeh’s economic management system, believing that in the absence of proper auditing and assessment, economic management is a wishful thinking.
President Jammeh had earlier told the assembly that his government would continue to adhere to the precepts of sound and prudent economic management whose goal is to move toward economic recovery and ensure "a better quality of life for the Gambians." Jammeh however emphasised that there is still a long way to go, implying the need for time, hard work and perseverance.
Outlining the economic plan for the year, Jammeh hopes to make significant strides in the financial reform initiated within the last two years. "Economic management is not free from the occurrence of adverse shocks and lengthened periods of instability, hence the Gambia has had a fair share of those down-turns in the recent past", he said. He said that government has responded with "strict but suitable measures" to reverse the trend anytime it rears its head and rid the economic system of "undesirable elements, who he accused of deliberately hindering the operations of a free market system.
He said the outcome of such an exercise in the form of "Operation No Compromise" would weather all storms and that the government is prepared to tackle any future adverse economic shocks through institutional reforms.
President Jammeh also disclosed the passing into law of the Central Bank Bill 2005 to consolidate "our financial reform efforts in terms of good governance and transparency."
Debating on the issue, Halifa Sallah, member for Serekunda Central said in the absence of proper assessment and auditing system, such measures could be described as mere wishful thinking. He said there has not any system that can indicate to them concretely what is being done and where. This, added Halifa, is completely absent from the President’s address, despite the assembly’s repeated call for an audit report.
"Mr. speaker, I want to emphasise that time does not create economic prosperity, it is the economic policies that will have to create economic prosperity. And the policies so far adopted have not by an inch reversed the process of impoverishment of the people. Poverty is increasing and with time, it is going to get worse unless we can learn to reverse the process." Hon Sallah argued since Jammeh came to power there has not been any proper auditing system that is accountable and transparent. "Since this assembly came into being, it has not received reports of the auditor of the finances of this country. Then how can anyone talk about accountability?" he asked.
Halifa who is also the minority leader in the assembly said, "it is still a matter of concern that the Central Bank audit report is yet to be known, although the assembly was informed about the mismanagement at the Central Bank by SOS for Justice. There are serious lapses and we need an explanation. If Operation No Compromise is working, we would need an explanation on what has been done to deal with those lapses", he concluded.
The member for Jarra West, Kemeseng Jammeh also spoke along the same line with Mr. Sallah.
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Alleged Political Bias in Jarra District Tribunal
The chief of Jarra West, Yaya Jarjusey has been widely criticized for bending the law while presiding over cases in his district tribunal.
Chief Jarjusey delivered a ruling on a dispute between two ladies from Sankwia – Yassin Dibba and Tumbul Fofana. Both women were formerly supporting the APRC but following the incarceration of Baba Jobe, NAM for the area, Yassin decided to become an opposition supporter.
The chief who presided over the case went ahead to impose a fine of D500 on Yassin Dibba whose witnesses were not allowed to testify. The disgruntled witnesses, who spoke to The Independent, accused the chief of using his tribunal as a platform to haul insults at people, in particular, the imam of Sankwia who had asked both parties to mend fences during his Friday sermon.
According to witnesses, Tumbul’s clash with Yassin occurred after she (Tumbul) had diverted the money belonging to their village club. "She had insulted her and Yassin promised to revenge on their way to the rice field. Yassin could not confront her but Tumbul rushed to report the case to the chief, who politicized the whole issue," complained a witness, Fatou Fofana.
The villagers, majority of who are opposition supporters, could not swallow their anger and decided to report the case to UDP leader, Ousainou Darboe.
Reacting to the story, Chief Yaya Jarjusey said his judgment was based on facts and not along party lines. "Such reports are hypocritical, as I am not representing any political party. I am here for everybody," he angrily remarked, warning The Independent to be careful of carrying his stories.
Contrary to the allegations, Chief Jarjusey said the defendant was fined for her failure to respect the courts during the trial. "She has deliberately refused to supply correct information to the courts," he said.
Asked why he had denied the defendant’s witnesses from testifying, Jarjusey defended saying, "They don’t have any information relating to the case because they were not there when Yassin was threatening Tumbul in the bush. So how can I allow them to testify? The fine will serve as a deterrent to others in future."
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IGP Admits Low Standards in Police Force
by Alieu Darboe
The acting Inspector General of Police, Major Ousman Sonko has admitted that standards have eroded in the police force. He promised to do everything humanely possible to restore competence, high standard and discipline, the hallmarks of policing.
Addressing police officers at Brikama at the end of his routine tour, IGP Sonko said corruption within the police force would no longer be entertained. He described corruption and malpractices as vices that pose threat to the good reputation of a highly professional body like police. "The first thing a police officer should do is to exempt himself from any corrupt practices that put the name of his institution in disrepute," he said.
And in the fight against corruption, the police chief stressed, no stone would be left unturned.
The IGP also advised police officers to execute their duties without fear or favour in their quest to diligently serve their nation and its people. He advised them to show respect at work and in society, which according to him, enable them to carry out their work effectively.
Since the police force is endowed with highly experienced, competent and officers, IGP stated, he will do his best to transform the force as the best in the sub-region.
Sonko commended Brikama Police Division for rendering good services to the people in the division.
Pah Amdy Jallow, the police administrator who was on tour said the tour creates dialogue, raise awareness and understanding among the police chiefs and their subordinates countrywide. "The routine tour is aimed at bringing closer collaboration within the force."
The tour comprises of commissioner Jammeh Conta, Pa Amdy Jallow, FRI Jammeh police adviser and other high profile senior police officers. The IGP and the entourage also call on the council of elders in Brikama under the leadership of Seyfo Demba Sanyang Bojang a former police deputy Inspector General.
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POPE JOHN PAUL MOURNED
"He will be remembered as a man who lived his prayers, a teacher who practiced that he preached; a pastor who went to the end of the earth to meet his people; a man who identified himself with the poorest, the weakest and the oppressed. He reached out to all which classless one would approach".
The above was an eulogy written by Rev. Peter Gomez, Vicar General in The Gambia, describing Pope John II, as a man who had distinguished himself for serving not only the Catholic community but also the entire humanity. Pope John Paul II succumbed to death after he had suffered from septic shock and irreversible heart failure. He was the first non-Italian to be elected the Pope in 450 years.
For 26 years, the 84-year-old pontiff diligently guided the universal church, after his successor St. Peter. Throughout his entire life, Pope had preached inter-religious tolerance and love as evidenced in his last sermon to the pilgrims: "Love converts hearts and gives peace."
In his home country of Poland, John Paul II fiercingly stood against communism and fought tooth and nail to condemn other human rights violations, which eventually led to the collapse of communism in that part of the world. John Paul II has gone through many trials and tribulations but he had continued to register immense successes in his papacy.
While he was serving the mission, he escaped an attempt on his life but he had traveled to 173 countries to preach not only the word of God, but peace, love and tolerance.
For us, the late Pope’s stopover in The Gambia in February 1992 was a festive one. A radio commentator recalled how the people went in tears upon seeing the Pope bow down to The Gambia. "Any time people see him they kept crying and they can’t say why. He loves people of all races and classes," he said. During his 1992 visit, John Paul spoke of his heart-felt friendship with the people of different faiths and prayed for The Gambia’s development.
The Pope, who will be buried today, has left behind a legacy worthy of emulation. He is gone but he will forever be in our hearts and minds. It is my heartfelt belief that the pen alone cannot chronicle all the achievements of Pope John Paul II, whose papacy coincided with wars and disputes in most parts of the world, especially Africa.
And as the cardinals assemble in St. Peter’s Square, Basilica, to preside over the election of a successor to the throne, the world expects them to elect a responsible person who will be able to step in his shoes. The leader of over a billion people, the late Pope was instrumental in condemning, abortion, use of condom, etc.
We join the world to mourn Pope John II.
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TB Cases Heighten HIV In Africa
by Sulayman Makalo
In most areas of the world, the battle against tuberculosis is being successfully fought, but in Africa the disease has reached alarming proportions with a growing number of TB cases and deaths linked to HIV, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a new report released on Thursday.
The Global Tuberculosis Control report for 2005 finds that global TB prevalence has declined by more than 20 percent since 1990 and that incidence rates are now falling or stable in five of the six regions of the world. The glaring exception is Africa, where TB incidence rates have tripled since 1990 in countries with high HIV prevalence and are still rising across the continent at a rate of 3-4 percent annually.
The report indicated that even Uganda, an African HIV reduction success story, is today curing fewer TB patients than it did four years ago. More than half of all people with TB in Uganda remain without access to life-saving DOTS services due to strained general health facilities.
"Evidence in this report provides real optimism that TB is beatable, but it is also a clear warning," said WHO Director-General Dr LEE Jong-wook. "As Nelson Mandela has said, we can’t fight AIDS unless we do much more to fight TB, and it is time to match his words with urgent action in Africa on the two epidemics together."
There has been major progress in China and India, which account for one third of the global TB burden. Both are leading the accelerated response to TB control by rapidly scaling up DOTS. As a result, the number of cases treated under DOTS worldwide rose 8 percent in 2003 compared to the previous year. Other countries such as Indonesia and the Philippines are showing similar progress.
According to the report, assuming strong commitment and resources are sustained, four regions - the Americas, Eastern Mediterranean, South East Asia and Western Pacific - are on track to reach the United Nations Millennium Development Goal of reducing TB incidence by 2015. The two exceptions are Africa due to the TB/HIV co-epidemic, and Europe where there are high levels of multi-drug resistant TB and slow advances in DOTS in countries of the former Soviet Union.
"Dedicated frontline health workers are making a difference, reaching out to the most vulnerable. But we need to push even further, to work with new partners in both public and private health sectors, and in all regions, to reach more than half of all patients that are still without access to DOTS treatments," said Dr Mario Raviglione, Director of WHO’s Stop TB Department. "Since 1995, over 17 million people with TB have benefited from effective treatment under DOTS. But more could be achieved within countries, and in research into new diagnostics, drugs and vaccines, if the annual 1 billion Dollar funding gap for TB control was filled.
The report added that the urgency of addressing TB has been highlighted in the UK-led Commission for Africa, which linked improved TB control to strengthened health systems, as well as calling for full funding of WHO’s ‘Two Diseases, One Patient’ strategy for improved TB and HIV intervention.
"It is a remarkable achievement that we are on target to reach the goal of halving TB cases by 2015 in most places," said the UK’s International Development Secretary, Hilary Benn. "The Department for International Development is a strong supporter of TB programmes in some of the countries which have been making the fastest progress. However, as both the Global TB Control report and the Commission for Africa report stress, the destructive link between TB and AIDS in Africa is causing an increase in cases. I call on the international community to step up efforts to tackle both of these diseases together."
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Kotu Schools Hold Annual Recitation
by Juldeh J. Sowe
The Islamic Cultural Association of Kotu Junior and Senior Secondary School recently held its third annual Quranic Recitation and Islamic Quiz Competition at the school’s campus in Kotu. At least 40 secondary schools from both regions one and two participated in the competitions.
In his speech at the ceremony, the principal of Kotu Senior Secondary School, Mr. Lamin A.K. Sanyang, said like many schools, the two were also built by Islamic Call Organisation (Munazamat Al-Dawa Al-Islamiyya mainly to propagate Islam.
However, he said the leadership of the school is poised to help not only Muslim brothers and sisters, but non-Muslims as well.
He said Quran is the true revelation of truth sent to Prophet. "It is completely devoid of falsehood," he said.
Mr. Sanyang added that the Quran is a well-preserved holy book whose contents have never changed. "There is no single blemish of imperfection in it." This is why, he went on, it is pertinent for only pure people to touch it. "Those who are only pure in heart can truly feel its mysteries, moral and spiritual depths with their minds and inner vision", he noted.
He described the Quran as a book that contains stories of the past as a medium for the guidance of mankind. Prizes were awarded to students who performed well in the competitions.
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UK Samaritans Help Schools
by David Thoronka.
Philanthropists in the United Kingdom are vigorously engaged in complementing government’s efforts for improving the quality of education in The Gambia.
One such is Janet Daniels from Potters Bar UK, who donated numerous gifts to both the church and the schools within its jurisdiction.
Speaking at the ceremony in Serekunda, where the inauguration of a six-classroom block, Mrs. Daniels said she fell in love with The Gambia when she first visited the country in 1998 during Christmas holiday. "Since then my love for the country and its people through the church develops and I’m able to expedite series of projects with both schools, through fund raising in order to purchase materials and equipment for the schools."
She indicated her intention to establish a charitable trust that will raise funds to pay fees for students in both nursery, primary and secondary levels.
In order to meet the needs of Gambian children, Mrs. Daniels decided to forge partnership with the Friends of The Gambia for expansion of the said project. "It is my wish that this new building for the nursery school will eliminate all the odds of the old school. The school will encourage the present generation of pupils who will pass through its doors to become good citizens of The Gambia - citizens who will recognised that they have to live in a good and clean environment", she added.
Other speakers included Mr. Theophilus George, a representative of the Bishop of Banjul.
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Fire Service Receives Vehicles
by Lamin Njie
In a bid to improve the services of the Gambia Fire Services, a sister fire fighting brigade in UK, Avon Fire Service last Friday donated Six fire-fighting vehicles to their Gambian counterparts at Bakau Fire Station.
In his statement at the presentation ceremony, the chief fire officer of The Gambia Roger Bakurin, said the donated items would go a long way in complementing government's efforts in providing quick fire and rescue operations to victims, whenever the need arises. He hailed the partnership between the two institutions, hoping it to continue to grow from strength to strength. "We are very much thankful to Avon Fire Service. We promise to put the vehicles to good use."
Earlier, the SOS for Interior, Baboucarr Jatta, said, "We hope that the donated equipment would not only save lives but also improve the quality of work." He urged fire fighters to make good use of the donation.
The occasion was used a platform to present certificates to 100 fire fighters for successfully accomplishing two weeks training course on rescue operations.
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GTTI Congratulates New Director
by Ahmed Carayol
Following the appointment of Mrs. Fatou L. Faye as Secretary of State for Education, the Gambia Technical Training Institute, GTTI, Board of Governors have endorsed the appointment of Mrs. Fatou Mbye as the director of the institute.
A press release from GTTI described the two ladies as "wished strings of successes in their new assignments."
The full text of the release reads: The Board of Governors, Management, staff and students of GTTI are pleased to inform the general public that after the recent elevation of their former Director, Mrs. Fatou L. Faye to the position of "Secretary of State for Education", their institute is blessed with the appointment of another dynamic Director in the person of Mrs. Fatou Mbye.
They are wished strings of successes in their new assignments".
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Absoluteness In Principles
by Seedy Bojang
It is widely believed that absoluteness in principle is an infinite element in all paragons of virtues in virtually all domains of life.
The fact that each individual character is a personality of an entity within the wider spectrum of the society, we are bound to have our own imperfections and perfection of acts, for sure, and often, these gifts of God are mere metaphoric in absoluteness.
Of all persons, there is personality, character and principle, which make an individual person a complete being of creation both in the realm of spirit and the physical world. Since the genesis of humanity family indicates that there is positivity and negativity in all human endeavours, it is theorized that both effects have direct or indirect bearings on our lives as the nucleus of the wider society.
It is not easy to talk about family, especially in this modern age, where family life is no longer where it was several years ago, coupled with increased rate of violence, turbulence, thug of words, crime and family break up and other untold sufferings in recent times. These tendencies are mostly attributable to negative attitudes within themselves; and their affinities mainly culminate from unspeakable sufferings and our response to issues. Undoubtedly, these and other factors are all contributing to the dilemma riddling the communities in our times.
Further digressing off into personality as a case study, we have come to realise that every human being comports himself in a manner peculiar to his consciousness, which embodies the true characters and principles of the individual person as a legal entity in the comity of others.
Nonetheless, with all these in the background, we are being invited and in fact challenged by nature to reflect on how we should live as a human family for the interest of the society, without hurting others, who might not necessarily be antagonistic to the true conception of societal uniqueness.
While the most deterrent factor for the harmonisation of the recurrent disintegration in our midst is the negativity within ourselves, as manifested by anxiety, hatred and prejudices, we must none-the-less, be steadfast in our quest for progress and respect for principles, despite the fact that there are genuine causes for the opposite, as a matter of concern.
Indeed, we must not cease to strive for the better as a matter of principle to haul over triviality, as expressingly denoted by our clarity of purpose, sincerity, truthfulness, justice, mutual trust and understanding. Yet, we are obliged to weave into our family relationships, work places and the society at large, and cultivate respect and love for others in the interest of development.
Respect implies that we look at others with a kind of attitude to realise that each is a unique person, possessing both strengths and weaknesses; accepting others with their habits and characteristics, while respecting them for what they are; and at the same time seek to encourage others with what needs to be done and discourage what needs to be changed, without hurting the opposite.
It is against this backdrop that our actions should be guided by positive attitudes under all circumstances, while at all time insist being reduced into ego-centrism, which might not necessarily bear fruitions, but subject us under extreme circumstances in our collective struggle for the better. In reality, this is what it means to be united in respect, love, mutual understanding and development.
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GAMBIA TOURISM AUTHORITY PRESS RELEASE
In view of the potentials of the Swedish market and cognizant of the need to consolidate the gains made over the years in this very important traditional market, the GTA participated in the International Travel and Tourism Fair in Gothenburg, Sweden from 17 to 20 March 2005; This is in line with the GTA’s market penetration and diversification strategies currently being implemented.
The participation in the International Travel and Tourism Fair TUR- 2005 in Gothenburg, Sweden accorded The Gambian delegation the golden opportunity to promote and showcase various tourism products to the oldest market and also to familiarize out- bound Tour operators in Sweden about the positive developments in - country in the area of product development and improvement.
The delegation which was led by Mr. Kaliba Senghore - Director General GTA and included Mr. Abdourahman Jobe -DPS -DOSTC, Mr. Sheikh Tijan Nyang -Master Plan Study Coordinator, Mr. Lamin Saho Marketing Manager, GTA as well as Balla Musa Krubally, Corporate Services Officer of GTA. Also in attendance was Mr. Fansu Bojang -Commercial Director as well as Mr. Assan Jallow - Finance Director of GCM respectively.
This is the third time in a row that the GTA has participated in this very important fair. The TUR is the biggest and most important Scandinavian Tourism Fair, it attracted 1745 exhibitors from 92 countries, and 16600 visitors were attracted to the various stands. This is a 7% increase in visitors compared to the previous year.
The delegation had fruitful discussions with various out -bound Tour operators as well as key travel writers in Sweden. This included the editor of The Reflex & Travel Trade News- a leading travel magazine. Mr. Sune Pettersson, who had accepted the invitation to visit The Gambia on a press trip with a view to expose The Gambia to a wider audience in Scandinavia,
Similar discussion were held with representatives of My Travel Group, who were briefed about the tourism product developments in The Gambia and Mrs. Barbro Holmberg, Product Manager promised to visit The Gambia and gave assurances that their Gambia Programme will continue.
In a similar vein the GTA Director General had a fruitful discussion with Mr. Goran Blomquist, the Commercial Manager of SN Brussels Airlines in Sweden to strengthen our partnership with the airline in Sweden. The possibility of organizing a FAM trip to feature travel writers from Sweden in collaboration with SN BRUSSELS Airlines was also discussed and Mr. Blomquist expressed their readiness to facilitate this programme.
The delegation also seized the opportunity in Sweden to drum up support and brief various visitors and Gambians resident about plans for the forth - coming Roots festival slated for 3 -10 June 2006.
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GLOBAL ACTION WEEK 2005 -24th -30th
EDUCATE TO END POVERTY
The Education f or All (EFA) Campaign Network The Gambia, w ill join the Global Campaign on Education (GCE) to celebrate the 6th Global Action Week (GAW) from the 24-30 April 2005 to help millions o f children a round the world to claim their right t o education. GAW aims at mobilizing public opinion to exert pressure on governments and intergovernmental agencies to provide free quality Education for All. GAW is always organised in April, to recall the commitment made by 185 Governments in April 2000, at the World Education Forum, to provide Education for All by the year 2015.
The 2005 GAW is of special importance as it coincides with the date for the achievement of the first Millennium Development Goal on gender parity in primary education. This goal will not be achieved. In The Gambia while tremendous strides have been made in increasing access to basic education the indicators are that we are still off track t o achieve the gender parity goal. At the lower basic the gender parity is 1% at the upper basic cycle 6% and at the secondary level 13%.
To close this gap the Network will embark on social mobilisation and behaviour change communication activities to intensify efforts to get e very child into school where they c an acquire quality education. It is a well-known fact that education is the key to ending poverty. The latest Household Poverty Survey conducted in 1998 revealed a high incidence of poverty in The Gambia with an increasing proportion of the population living below the poverty line over the past decade.
The elimination of poverty and progress towards sustainable development will only take place with increased and improved levels of education. The commitment of government and the international community to poverty eradication is undisputed but it remains a daunting challenge.
Among the events in 2005 will be a "send my friend to school operation." Children and adult learners around the world will make life size cut-outs, which will symbolize the 105 million out-of-school, and 860 million illiterate adults. In The Gambia we are modifying the operation and instead are using broomsticks to represent the friends. The aim is to confront politicians and leaders with as many of these "friends" as possible and ask them to sign a personal pledge to take specific action in 2005 to work towards the achievement of the ETA goals.
These representations of the children and adults and the demands made by them will be sent to the 08 Summit t o be held in early July in Scotland. Some of these will also be sent to UN Millennium Development Goals (MDG) Summit in New York, September 2005. We will all be wearing white wristbands as a symbolic action to support the MDG. We urge you all to support the EFA Network during this campaign.
The Chairperson
EFA Campaign Network -The Gambia
EFAnet [log in to unmask]
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Colour Blues in Monkeyland
by Baba Galleh Jallow
Red Monkeyland was a famous suburb in our little town. Therein lived the rich red monkeys and some few black, yellow and brown monkeys, some of whom were rich and some not so rich.
The dominant group though, was the red monkeys who had the biggest and tallest houses, ran the most lucrative businesses, controlled the biggest scientific labs and drove the most expensive cars. There were admittedly a few poor red monkeys but in general, Red Monkeyland was a wealthy suburb, a land of great opportunities.
Which explains why thousands of other monkeys from less endowed parts of our little town flocked to Red Monkeyland in search of the proverbial greener pastures. Yellow, brown and black monkeys streamed into Red Monkeyland in droves to seek ways of improving their lives and helping their relatives back home make ends meet. Some of these poorer monkeys came purely in search of greener pastures while some came to attend the better equipped schools in that part of our little town. By some strange twist of fate, schools in Red Monkeyland were generally better equipped and better endowed with educational resources than schools in other parts of our little town. Which was why folks from Black, Brown and Yellow monkeylands in need of education came to Red Monkeyland. Some of them were driven by the violent civil strive and bullying by stronger monkeys, mostly the chiefs among them, to seek refuge in Red Monkeyland.
But all brown, black and yellow monkeys who came to Red Monkeyland soon realized that things were not what they seemed. Yes, there were the opportunities in abundance and if you were lucky, you could make some litle money, help your relatives back home and generally become as well-off as some of the red monkeys. Yes, the schools were superior and once you got in, the sky was the limit depending on what you could do. And yes, in general, Red Monkeyland was a great place to be; a land of opportunities. But…
But there were also shocking problems in Red Monkeyland. For one thing, Red Monkeyland authorities had some very stringent measures in place designed to keep as many alien monkeys as possible out of their well-endowed suburb. So monkeys from other suburbs often had to overcome serious difficulties before they entered Red Monkeyland and once they were in, found it almost impossible to get the documents required for employment eligibility. A good number of alien monkeys eventually get these all-important documents. A good number of them never come around to getting these documents and often ended up doing menial jobs, which, in any case, brought them better income than they would otherwise get in their own suburbs. And so they stayed indefinitely on because once they got out of Red Monkeyland, they could never get back in.
But the most serious problem faced by alien monkeys in Red Monkeyland was the problem of color - the color blues - as it came to be known. Most red monkeys, it turned out, were extremely color sensitive and averse to any color that was not red. There were a good number of red monkeys that welcomed alien monkeys with open arms, mingled freely and joyfully with them, and often fell in love with them and even married them. But the great majority of red monkeys hated monkeys with different colors. Their slogan was - all monkeys are equal; but red monkeys are more equal than others. And so they went all out to demonstrate their superior monkeyhood. In the process, they engaged in often quite hilarious antics that did not fail to catch the eye of any keen observer.
For instance, walking in the streets and encountering a black monkey - who particularly stood out in the monkey crowd - a red monkey would stiffen up in his back legs, straighten his arms, assume a stiff gait, wear an iron face with a distant look in his eyes, and as he swished noiselessly past, proudly pretending that he was walking in the air and did not belong to the planet of the monkeys. This behavior was replicated in various ways according to the time, place, circumstance and disposition of the red monkey involved. They assumed such a great air of superiority that all the buildings smiled and nodded, and said, hmmn, that’s a real great monkey there! And then to prove their superiority, the red monkey would start talking through his nose, his head tilted sideways, a distant look in his eyes.
The situation gets even more tricky when some of the black monkeys, who were born and bred in Red Monkeyland, try to ape the behavior of the red monkeys. They often would have their flat nose cut off and a plastic nose fixed in his place, following the example of the great singer Maatei Jarrfii. Then, like the red monkeys, they will stiffen their legs and walk so fast that you think they are running. And then they too would try to speak through their noses, but they make such a fearful noise that you almost dash into hiding. Their words would come out thick and sticky, as if they were blowing on some strange pipe. And, to top it all, some of them would roundly tell you that in fact, they are actually red monkeys and not as black as you imagine them to be.
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LOC, O.B Conateh Donate To Sports Journalist Association
by Sainabou Kujabi
In a bid to support the good initiative of The Gambia Sports Journalists Association, GSJA, to produce a daily newspaper during the Africa U-17 tournament, the local organising committee (LOC) of The Gambia 2005 U-17 championship and Alhagie O.B Conateh, honorary life president of The Gambia Football Association and adviser to the local organising committee has pledged to donated GSJA a total of D30, 000.
At a recent meeting, the LOC pledged donate D20, 000 to GSJA while Alhagie O.B Conateh made a personal contribution of D10, 000.
These donations came following an appeal made by GSJA through the local organising committee committee and media and publicity sub-committee. The rationale is to create an avenue for better sensitization and dessimination of information before, during and after the Africa U-17 football championship scheduled to take place in The Gambia from 7th to 22nd May, 2005.
Upon recieving the news, the president of GSJA, Namory Trawally thanked Alhagie O.B Conateh for a good gesture. He promised that the money would be used wisely.
"This would contribute immensely to the promotion of the first-ever continental football tournament to be host in The Gambia," he said.
Mr Trawally added that GSJA want to start the publication of the paper since March 21st, 2005 but because of financial constraints that was not possible.
GSJA president pointed out that the total cost of producing a daily paper before, during and after the tournament, stands at D400, 000 (Four Hundred thousand dalasis). This is due to the high cost of printing cost and materials in the country at the moment.
Mr. Trawally however appealed to public and private institutions and individuals to come forward and support this noble cause that will add colour, meaning and flavour to the successful hosting of the championship.
In its quest to raise additional funds, President Trawally disclosed, his association will on May 1st stage a musical jamboree with the famous Jaliba Kuyateh and the Kumareh Band. He invited companies to sponsor the show so that their goods and services would be advertised on the daily publication for two weeks.
ICC Assessment Officer Visits The Gambia
Mr Olisa Egwuatu, a Nigerian national and assessment officer of the International Cricket Council (ICC) was in The Gambia to assess the international cricket council sponsored cricket coaching course organised by The Gambia cricket association, which also witnessed the assessment of Mr. Johnny Gomez vice president of GCA on an ICC level one coaching.
Speaking at a recent cricket coaching courses in The Gambia, Mr. Olisa said The Gambia has been known to have been a cricket playing nation since the 50s and therefore his task as an ICC representative in the country will only be to guide and assess what he saw based on topics being deliberated.
"I am very impressed with the Gambia cricket association in its efforts to receive the game by using school," he stressed.
He noted that in the past the international cricket council was not interested in The Gambia but developments in the last six years had lured them to the country. He described this as encouraging, especially its affiliation to the world cricket council. He continued, "In terms of organization, The Gambia is far ahead of Ghana, Sierra Leone and other west African countries," he disclosed.
Mr Olisa Egwuatu is one of the few international cricket council level III coaches in West Africa.
Commenting on the general performance of participants, ICC assessment officer was full of hope that the future holds bright for cricket in The Gambia. He asked participants to remain in the game with dedication, as this will enrich their future.
At the end of the course, the president of The Gambia Cricket Association, Sonny Manly Rolling, commended Mr. Olisa, Johnny Gomez and participants for who working hard to make the course a success. He said training ranks high on GCA agenda and that they intend to organise inter-school league. He therefore urged participating teachers to impart the knowledge they gain to their students.
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Gamtel/ Gamcel Inter-Departmental Tourney Kicks Off
by Buya Jammeh
The inter-departmental tournament between Gamtel and Gamcel last Saturday kicked off at The Gambia Technical Training Institute (GTTI) football field in Old Jeshwang.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, the managing director of Gamtel, Omar Ndow said "This is a clear testimony that we have potential staff, who possess potentials not only in telecommunications but in sports as well. Mr Ndow further said the tournament would continue to foster a better relationship between the two sister companies. He thanked the staff of both institutions for their collective participation in the tournament.
Speaking to The Independent Sports, Mr. Lamin Jagne, the director of quality services at Gamtel who hailed that the initiative is to create a cordial relationship between the staff and management of the two institutions. At least 14 teams are participating in the tournament. The inter-departmental tournament, according to organisers, will be staged annually.
During the opening match encounter, senior management of Gamtel won Gamcel 2-1. Subsequently, the female team of Gamtel also won Gamcel one nil.
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GPA Out From The Red Zone
by Namory Trawally
The Gambia Ports Authority FC made one of their best appearances last Sunday since the 2004-2005 first division league season kick off. The team beat Hawks FC 2-0 in Box Bar mini-stadium, Brikama.
The victory gave GPA FC 12 points in eleven league games and they are now out of the Red Zone in which they found themselves since the beginning of the league on the 7th January 2005, when they first lost to Sait Matty 1-0 in the GFA league week one.
Despite having more than four players in the national U-17 team who are now training in Egypt, GPA Coach Ebou Faye managed to put together a formidable team whose performance was above board in the past weeks.
On Sunday, Steve Biko bounced back to top the league after mauling Armed Forces 2-0.
Africell-Sait Matty beat the New Jeshwang boys Kaira Silo while Real de Banjul beat Gamtel 1-0 on Saturday. The victory was the second in a row for Real to down
And on Friday, the defending champions, Wallidan drew 1-1 with Bakau United.
Today Hawks faces league leaders, Steve Biko at Brikama Box Bar mini-stadium. The two met on March 5th, when Steve Biko had an edge over Hawks 1-0 at full time.
Today’s game is nothing short of a revenge for coach Sang Ndong's boys. On Saturday, GPA entertains Kaira Silo of New Jeshwang. The two teams settled for a 1-1 draw during the early stages of the league season. The second game is between the two Bakau teams - Sait Matty and Bakau United.
The two brother teams earlier settled for a zero apiece.
On Sunday at 3pm Armed Forces takes on Gamtel. Armed Forces emerged victorious in the first round by 1-0.
The last game of week 12 is the fight of titans. It is between Wallidan and Real de Banjul - archirivals in the anals of Gambian soccer.
In the first round matches, the two had a tough encounter, which ended in a stalemate. But Wallidan's Lamaran Jallow and Yankuba Ceesay were shown the red cards.
Latdior, Young African Frustration Deepen
Two Gambian second division teams, Latdior FC of Bakau and Young African of Banjul are facing their most difficult seasons mainly due to administrative lapses of Gambia Football Association, GFA.
The two teams, who were scheduled to face each other last Monday for a replay of their cancelled league some four weeks back, were surprised to see their game again being cancelled due to lack of football ground , despite being informed by GFA that the said match would be played at the Bakau mini-stadium on Monday, April 4th 2005.
Having arrived at the gate, the two highly spirited teams were dumbfounded to find the gates to the stadium locked. And to add salt to injury, there were no officials from either GFA or Bakau Zonal Sports Committee to explain the reasons for the cancellation. They were not present to assist teams and referees as well.
After waiting outside the pitch until 6 pm, the president of Bakau Zonal Sports Committee, Ebrima Jallow arrived but was told that it was too late to play the said match, which would be against the football rules and regulations.
Speaking to The Independent Sports after the cancellation of the game, the manager of Latdior FC, Mafugi Jatta said the problem blamed both GFA and Bakau Zonal Sports Committee. "The GFA should have sent a representative before the opening of the pitch," he said.
He added that the cancellation without genuine reasons has deepened their frustration, as the second division teams do not have enough resources to fend for themselves. "If this continues, the teams would continue to face serious problem.
Jatta called on GFA to put their house in order because they need to shoulder their responsibilities.
For the coach of Young African, Ousainou Darboe, the cancellation of the match connotes lost of resources for their team and that GFA will not compensate them for the cost they incurred.
He described the development as sad for Gambian football.
He said his club would write to GFA demanding their money back. He asked why emphasis should be made on only first division. Darboe.
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"Avert Genocide In Bissau"
by Bala Musa Jobarteh
A representative of Socialist Alliance of Guinea Bissau in The Gambia, ASG, Jose Abdoulie Mane has appealed to the international community to help regulate the political system in his country to avert genocide.
"If a minority of Bissau should allow ex-presidents, Kumba Yalla and Nino Vierra to context for the next elections, the country will be embroiled in endless turmoil. The late junta, Ansumana Mane has the guts to topple Vierra from power in 1998 simply because there were too much killings of innocent people. And Guinea Bissau had the highest level of corruption in the world at the time," Jose Mane stated.
He said supporters of both ex-presidents have inspired them to declare their candidacy. "How can these people come back to the stage, after all, they left their bad governance records in office. In fact, families of Ansumana Mane and many others have waited for Kumba Yalla government for justice to no avail."
He said supporters of these people term them as angels when they have caused irreparable loss to life and property in Bissau. "The international community must not sit back and allow these people to make a come back because otherwise the families they denied justice will stimulate rebellion," he charged.
Jose accused the government of President Kumba Yalla for owing Saudi Arabia 1, 500 air tickets in 2002. "This was done to woo voters for his political campaign but Saudi authorities are asking the government to pay since Yalla did it on behalf of the country."
Because of the embezzlement and mismanagement of the former rulers, he said, Guinea Bissau was unable to pay salaries of its civil servants for years. "The quality of school education is dwindling day in, day out, as teachers are not happy."
Mane finally appealed to the international community, in particular, the United States and European Union to bail out Guinea Bissau from its going into genocide or civil war. "I am asking them to come and monitor the elections, this will avoid vote rigging or fraud. I am also asking human rights organizations to investigate numberless human rights records in Bissau. Since 1974 Bissau Guineans had been crying for justice but to nobody responded.
Is it because there is no diamond in the country?" he asked.
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African Youth Conference In The Pipeline
by Alieu Darboe
In collaboration with Global Youth Network and ActionAid The Gambia, the National Youth Association for Food Security, NaYAFS, is beginning a week-long African youth conference against hunger in Banjul on Sunday.
The secretary to the media sub-committee, Lamin .J. Gassama said the primary role of the conference is to help African governments come close to achieving the goals stipulated in the millennium Development Goals, MDGs. "Particular emphasis will be made on the goal that aims to half the number of hungry people by 2015," Gassama said. He said the conference would also discuss mobilisation of youth participation in the five-year review of the MDGs in New York in September 2005. "The conference will develop action plants for the global call against poverty." Gassama disclosed that the conference would start with an awareness carnival procession through the streets of the Greater Banjul Area.
The chairman of the media sub-committee, Madi Ceesay who is also GPU president spoke about the significance of the forum, which youths from the entire Africa are expected to grace. "It will create understanding unity among participants. The conference is important because participants will receive lectures from experts and activists." The conference participants will be educated on MDGs, HIV/Aids, food security, education as a tool for poverty reduction, the role of media in food security, among others. At the end of the workshop, Mr. Ceesay said, participants will come up with some recommendations.
As part of the conference, Mr. Ceesay said, some participants will travel to the provinces to visit agricultural projects.
The director of NaYAFS, Alagie Kebbeh said over 300 participants is expected to participate in the conference.
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Gambia/Kuwaiti Fund Sign D300 Million Agreement
by Ahmed Carayol
The Gambia and Kuwaiti have signed a D300 million agreement for the construction of the Soma/Mandinaba road.
Mr. Abdul Wahad Aalbader, deputy director general of Kuwaiti Fund and SoS for Finance and Economic Affairs, Mrs. Magret Keita signed the agreement.
The total cost of the project is US$35 million (around D1.05 billion) of which BADEA, the Kuwaiti Fund and Saudi Fund have each pledged to contribute $10 US dollars.
The Gambia government and OPEC Fund will provide the remaining US $5 million while Abu Dhabi Fund is also expected to contribute towards the project.
The Kuwaiti Fund project is currently financing the Banjul International Airport extension project.
According to official sources, a Gambian delegation is expected in Kuwait in two weeks time to discuss and finalise funding for new projects in the country.
The next line of action, according to sources, is for Gambian authorities to double efforts in magnetizing Kuwaiti investor to explore The Gambia’s business-friendly initiatives.
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