Presidency Makes Changes To Airport Ceremonies.

Monday, December 17, 2018

The Public is hereby informed that effective January 1st, 2019, His Excellency, President Adama Barrow would like to excuse members of the public from attending the usual airport ceremonies anytime he travels. Going forward, seeing off the President at the Banjul International Airport shall be limited only to the following officials:

1.         Speaker of the National Assembly

2.         The Chief Justice

3.         Cabinet Members

4.         The Chief of Defense Staff and other Service Chiefs

5.         The Dean of the Diplomatic Corps 

While President Barrow would like to express gratitude to all and sundry that take personal initiative to accompany him to the airport, the public is kindly urged to adhere to this measure.   

www.thepoint.gm

Darboe demands respect for his position

www.thepoint.gm, Thursday, December 27, 2018

Vice President Ousainou Darboe has demanded that his position as vice president and minister of Women’s Affairs be respected.

“Let us respect our elders. Whoever does not respect Ousainou Darboe, respect his position because the position is something that should be respected. If you don’t respect me but respect the position,” he said on Sunday at a Kunkujang village political rally.

Mr. Darboe, the leader of United Democratic Party (UDP) has also stated that no one can claim ownership of the government.

“We should understand that the government of today has been formed by various political parties.”

“The government of today is formed by PDOIS, NRP, GMC, UDP, GDPD, NCP and an independent candidate. Therefore, this is a government of the people and no one should take credit or ownership. This government belongs to everyone; it does not belong to single person,” he told his party supporters“ UDP will not allow anyone to short-change our well-fought struggle for political expediency. This is a Coalition government. UDP is a major stakeholder in this government,” Mr. Darboe added.

UDP leaders are considered as “wives” to the party. “If you are with us, you cannot date another person. That is a red-line. You will be divorced. No one will use us for a ride,” he said, although it’s not clear whether Mr. Darboe was referring to President Adama Barrow; as the two men are believed to be in a state of animosity in recent times.

UDP as a political party, he added, has sacrificed a lot over years, which has contributed to political change. Darboe challenged the UDP youths to follow the lead of their elders. “We will hand over the mantle of leadership to you at the right time. But we will not allow anyone to impose himself on the party. We will not accept it,” he said.

President Barrow was a member of the UDP before resigning to lead a coalition in which he won a race to become the nation’s 3rd president, but recent gossip has it that he’s on the verge of breaking away from the UDP to form his own political party.  

Mr. Darboe said UDP could emerge as the ANC of South Africa, if the young ones respect the party elders.

Darboe described UDP is a man that marries women and those women become the leaders, referring him to his deputy and to the last chairman. He added that they are all married to UDP.

“If a woman is married to her husband and if you are not straightforward to your husband and you are not doing what he wants, what will find you there is divorce,” he said.

“We will not be a party to anyone that wants to destroy the country. Anything that we did in the country is for the development of The Gambia and until the day I answer to the Almighty Allah, we will continue on it.”

He said position is something that God gives to someone and the day God says it will finish, it will finish and it’s not something that one should be ashamed of. “What should make you feel ashamed is when you lose your position with a reason. Therefore, it is something that one should be careful of,” he stated.

He called on his party supporters to be careful of what to say especially on the forums.

“We don’t want the international community to give back to the country. If we the political leaders are not careful of what to say, the international communities will lose confidence in this country and they will go back. We will not want our struggle to go in vain. We did not go to jail for nothing. We fought against misuse and abuse of government resources.”

Author: Momodou Jawo

UDP leader likens party to a jealous husband

By Omar Bah

UDP leader, Ousainu Darboe, has likened his party to a jealous husband and that its leaders are its wives. “If you are with us, you cannot date another person. That is a red line. You will be divorced. No one will use us for a ride,” Darboe admonished while addressing a rally at Kunkujang Keitaya, Kombo North, over the weekend.
Darboe who is also the vice president of the country, said the UDP will not allow anyone to short-change its well fought struggle in the name of political expediency, argued: “It doesn’t matter whether you are a minister, NAM or whatever; if you go against what the UDP stands for, we will divorce you. UDP leaders are considered as wives to the party. The UDP will divorce any leader bent on undermining its mission.”
Mr Darboe’s warnings come following a public spat between factions in the party over the establishment of the Barrow Youth Movement, which some regard as an attempt by supporters of the president to set up a rival political organisation.
Using another analogy, he said the UDP is a tree and it will not allow any other leech-like tree to align itself to it, to grow.
“We are armed with a hoe. We will cut the roots of any tree that tries to align itself with the UDP main tree to grow. We will not allow anyone to use the UDP as a smokescreen to grow your tree. We will cut the roots of such a tree into pieces,” Darboe vowed.

Leadership
Mr Darboe also clarified that his selection as the party leader does not mean he will lead the UDP in the 2021 presidential election, saying the position is open to all Gambians.
“I want people to understand that my selection as the leader and secretary general of the UDP does not make me the presidential candidate… When the time comes for the presidential candidate to be selected, we expect many people to apply and we want to encourage people to do so,” Darboe told his supporters.
Darboe also called on the younger members of the party to follow their elders. “We are not greedy. We will hand over the mantle of leadership to you at the right time. But we will not allow anyone to impose himself on the party. We will not accept it,” he said.
“Even in South Africa, the ANC leadership old guards led the party for sometime before handing over the mantle to the younger ones. The UDP can emerge as the ANC, provided that the party membership respects the elders of the party,” he stressed.

Position and honour
In an apparent vague reference to the possibility of his ejection from cabinet, Darboe said positions are decreed by Allah and one should not be ashamed or perturbed by losing position.
“The only thing that should give you sleepless nights if you lose your job is if you lose it due to anything that is discrediting. We should all be very careful of that. The way we are brought up and what we desired for the country is to avoid anything that is shameful. Be it me, or you the NAMs. We should avoid doing or saying anything that will bring shame to the UDP. The same applies to our supporters; let us watch our tongues especially in the [social media] forums, because whatever you put in the air, you cannot control anymore,” he added

Standard.gm,   December 27, 2018

NAM says Kiang ‘disappointed’ with new gov’t

By Juldeh Njie

 The National Assembly Member for Kiang West, Fakebba Colley, has said that the people of Kiang “are really disappointed” with the Barrow government for neglecting Kiang, two years into office.
Speaking in a Standard exclusive, Colley queried: “The people of Kiang suffered so much to bring about change and defeat Yahya Jammeh. After 22 years of neglect, we were with the hope that Kiang West will have development, unfortunately this is not the case. The people of Kiang are really disappointed with the new government.
“I am very disappointed. After all the promises we have been given by the Coalition government that Kiang will be given the first priority in terms of development, nothing has not happened.”
He said during the UDP stand-off with the para-military police at Fass Njaga Choi in April 2015, Kiang deployed 18 young people to help them.

He explained: “We [the UDP] faced the PIU for five days. They were with guns and we were with stones and everybody was scared because there was going to be war and having heard about our clash, the people of Kiang deployed 18 young people to join us to die with us because we were going to die if a fight should erupt there, all in anticipation of change in this country”.
He also said “quite a good number of people” who were arrested at the 14 April 2006 protest at Westfield came from Kiang West.

“After all the struggle, we were of the belief that the new government was going to give us priority. In the presidential election, we had 76% votes highest in The Gambia, in the National Assembly election, I have 86%, the highest in The Gambia. All these show that the people of Kiang are interested in change and we have got the change but it hasn’t benefitted us”, he lamented.

“Our roads are not good. Our health facilities are poor, and there is a lack of clean drinking water. I cannot say that they [the government] will not do anything for Kiang, but as at now they really failed us. I was in prison during the election. We were promised that immediately after the election, Kiang West was going to be given the first priority because we were neglected for 22 years. But nothing.”
But after rehashing his complaints, Honourable Colley urged his people to exercise patience “because things might change”.

http://standard.gm, December 27, 2018

Gambia: Ecomig Forces Allegedly Shoot Protesters, Kill One and Injure Nine At Kanilai

By Momodou Jawo

In what started as a peaceful demonstration at Kanilai, the home village of former President Yahya Jammeh by the communities of Foni in the West Coast Region (WCR) has turned violent, as over 9 protesters were allegedly shot by the ECOMIG Forces stationed at Kanilai.

The villagers on Friday thronged the streets of Kanilai marching towards the Kanfenda Junction at the main Brikama-Soma highway with their banners and placards that reads; "Let the Soldiers Leave the Whole of Foni, Leave, Leave, Leave", "A Call for Concern, Foni Should Not Be Left Out or Intimidated for Any Reason. I Love Foni!! I Love Gambia!!" "Salifu Corr Out", among others that demanded for the ECOMIG Forces and Gambia soldiers to be removed from the Fonis, claiming their lives are being threatened.

Our reporter who visited the scene has seen burning tyres and road blockage by the protesters who were matching towards Kanfenda Junction. According to the protesters, the ECOMIG Forces stopped them as they marched towards the Kanfenda Junction where they supposed to hold their protest.

Some of the protesters who were shot by the ECOMIG Forces sustained injuries on their legs, stomachs, and elbows. The victims were: Ebou Tamba, Omar Jarju, Sainey Gibba, Musa Badgie, Alpha Jatta, Bakary Sanyang and Mustapha Tamba, some of whom were taken to Bwaim Hospital for medical attention but were later discharged.

Haruna Jatta, Amadou Jammeh and Buba Jammeh were wounded seriously until they were referred to the Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital in Banjul where Haruna Jatta was pronounced death on Saturday morning.

The late Haruna Jatta was married, survived with a wife, son and two adopted daughters.

Voices of the Protesters

Some of the protesters who spoke to the Daily Observer's Momodou Jawo disclosed that the ECOMIG Forces used live bullets on them whiles they were demanding for their removal out of Kanilai. According to them, another reason (s) for their peaceful demonstration was that when their livestock enter the camp of the ECOMIG forces they would detain the animals and if the owners come for them they would as well detain the owners of the animals, which they said was not fair.

The protesters further accused one Major Salifu Corr of The Gambia Armed Forces (GAF) for instructing the ECOMIG Forces to shoot them, as Major Corr believed that some rebels from Casamace were involved in the protest, which protesters denied as unfounded.

This, according to the protesters, prompted the ECOMIG to open fire with live bullets.

Another angry protester called on the authorities concerned to investigate about the shooting of the peaceful protesters by the ECOMIG Forces. According to him, the demonstration was as a result of the high presence of security forces at Kanilai and in the Fonis as a whole.

"If people are saying that the former president is working with the MFDC rebels, we don't know about it and it is false news. What I can tell you is that we are related with the people of Casamace and they are our brothers and sisters," he added.

He denied the allegation that rebels were involved in the protest, saying those are false allegation and that the demonstration comprises of only the people of Foni.

He made it clear that during the protest, none of them holds or carried weapons be it knife or a razor blade. So how can people say there are rebels in our group?

"Since the former president left the country, for almost five months, our children's cannot sleep comfortably. The Senegalese soldiers are the people that open fire and wounded our people, about three of our people are seriously wounded and were referred to Banjul," he stated.

"We are not happy about the incident because they hurt our children who embark on a peaceful demonstration with no intention of violence. Let the government take every Gambian as a Gambian, and treat every Gambian as a Gambian. Let the government put all this tribalism and segregation aside and put the interest of the country first in order for them to develop our beloved nation," he urged.

GAF's Reaction

When contacted, the public relations officer of The Gambia Armed Forces (GAF) Lieutenant Colonel Omar Bojang denied allegation that Major Salifu Corr ordered the shooting of the protesters. "Major Salifu Corr has soldiers under him, thus these are unfounded allegation that he ordered for the protesters to be fired," he said.

PRO Bojang added that the deployment of the members of the Armed Forces like any other deployment along our Foni settlements is because the situation of Foni before this has been very tense because of the activities of the MFDC rebels as they have been crossing our borders.

PRO Bojang recalled that in 2006 to 2007, they deployed their troops in Sibanor, Bullock and Kafuta and along Darsilameh boarders, adding that it is in the same line they have soldiers at Kanilai to protect the president and conduct patrol around the belt.

Immediately after the political impasse, he added that the soldiers were withdrawn when the president left thus there was a security vacuum in that area.

The GAF, he added, makes a reassessment on the security situation and felt the need to deploy the personnel of the Armed Forces to control along that access of the country thus the securities were there to exercise a national function.

"Investigation is ongoing and a join panel has been set-up to look at the matter as to what led to the demonstration. But people should be law abiding and understand that we have a duty to play in the country. Let them obey the rules and follow the rules and regulation that govern this country, because the country cannot be left un-governable by people. If you want to protest or demonstrate, there are rules to be followed," Bojang stated.

The deployment of the Armed Forces, he said, is key; saying we must remember were we come from. "The intention of the GAF and the government is to bring security to the doorsteps of Gambian thus the deployment of the Armed Forces is there to help the people, so lets people embrace them."

Daily Observer, Gambia , June 5th, 2017

Nassim Fish-Meal Factory Pipes Set Ablaze

By Madiba Singhateh and Hatab Nyang

Pipes laid from the Nassim fish-meal factory in Sanyang into the sea were on Wednesday, 5 December, 2018 set ablaze on the very day.

The pipes were meant to discharge the water from the treatment plant to the sea, when the factory resumes operations.

The National Environment Agency had earlier told the community that the factory, which had been closed, will resume operation upon meeting the necessary requirements.

The continued operation of the factory has attracted a lot of opposition from the community because of environmental effects.

Sanyang is a tourist destination and the owners of bars and restaurants are not pleased with what they have observed. According to them since this Nassim Fishmeal Factory started operations about three weeks ago the beach has been full of bad odour and some tourists even leave their food on the tables when the factory is operating.

Tourists who spoke to this paper too showed dissatisfaction and said if this factory continues operation there will be no tourists on the beach.

Employees in the tourism sector in the area also echoed their dissatisfaction concerning the operations of the fishmeal factory as they fear they will lose their jobs with the departure of tourists. They said more than 500 youths of Sanyang are engaged in the tourism industry.

The Alkalo said he did not ask the youths to burn the pipes and that those who did it did so on their own accord.

The VDC chairman said they did meet with the NEA on Friday of last week but there was no concrete agreement; so he is confused as to why they have laid the pipes, although he does not know who burnt the pipes.

Ousman Sayang the Secretary General of Youth Environment of Sanyang said some people from NEA told them that after completion of the water treatment plant by the company they will be given their licence to start operations.

He said the meeting was held last week Friday. Then on Monday and Tuesday the company started digging to lay the pipes which was  later  dug  out by some people.

He added that when the company laid the pipes again on Wednesday they were set ablaze.

Ousman said, later two Paramilitary trucks were dispatched to the scene to ease the situation.

He added that the company was operating without a water treatment plant before the previous closure and were discharging the water into nearby gardens then. He could not understand why they want to discharge the waste water into the sea if it is treated. An attempt by Foroyaa to see the treatment plant, which management promised to facilitate, was later unsuccessful.

Foroyaa visited the NEA office for clarification but was told that the media officer was not in.

It could be recalled that the Office of the President issued a directive to close down the Sanyany Fishmeal Factory. This was due to the complaints of the community and the National Environment Select Committee of the National Assembly, which raised eyebrows on the company’s operations.

Since then the company remained closed until recently.

The police PRO said he is not aware of the incident and promised to get back to me.

Foroyaa.gm ,  December 7th, 2018

Who Is Alagie Barrow, The Alleged Gambian Attacker.

 March 6, 2015 editor  0 Comments

Young Alagie Barrow 

Kairabanews Exclusive: Ordinarily, we would not have profiled Barrow, because we found his role to be very miniscule and pedestrian. But the constant claims of heroism associated with him in the other online papers, thrust him into our radar for a second fiddle.To do justice to this sensitive subject, we had to deploy our superior investigative prowess to determine if indeed Alagie Barrow deserve the status of a hero or the strip of a stolen valor.Thanks to Barrow, our job has been made easy since he has littered the web with all the material we needed to tell this story.

Alagie’s family came from Jah Kunda, a hamlet located a few miles from Nyakoi, URD. This Editor had a brief stop over in Jah Kunda in 2001, during one of his provincial rendezvous. Barrow completed Nasir in 1993 and moved to the US in 1994. About ten years later in 2003, Alagie Barrow married Ajai L Johnson in Davidson county, Tennessee. He also naturalized the same year. He joined the National Guard in 2001 and was commissioned in 2008. Both Alagie and his 19 year old wife, registered as Independent voters in 2004. But three years after their marriage, Barrow and wife divorce in May 2006. The following month, Alagie remarried, this time to Fatou Sanneh and then went on to bring his mother to the US. In September of the same year, Alagie took a bank loan to buy a house in La Vergne, a city in the outskirt of Nashville, Tennessee. In January 2014, he was out of the military and went to work as account manager for REGAL-BELOIT

We will pick our investigations from 2006, because 3 major events featured prominently that year. He brought his mom to the US, He divorce Ajai Johnson, he re remarried to Fatou Sanneh and purchased a house in La Vergne, Tennessee.

Alagie Barrow, National Guard Name & ID Tag

Before he became an Officer in 2008, his main role in the army was to dress good, go around the shopping malls and entice young people to join the Army. This did not changed much after he became an officer. It was recruitment, recruitment, recruitment. Any insinuation of combat or heroism is totally ludacris. In fact the closest he came to combat was shortly after the Iraq war begun in 2003. Alagie and his unit were mobilized for Iraqi deployment. Some how, things did not panned out and they were not deployed. But this will not be his last lucky break from combat.

As it turned out, he will be lucky again on the night of December 30th. Alagie and co-conspirators traveled to the West African state of the Gambia primarily to overthrow the government of Yaya Jammeh. According to the FBI, Alagie received $125,000:00 from the operation’s chief sponsor. And all he did was clear the weapons from customs, placed them in a safe house, and obtained housing for fellow co-conspirators. Shortly after, he sneaked out of the country to a safe sanctuary in neighboring Senegal. His comrades endured a brutal defeat at the hands of Yaya Jammeh’s forces. Any attempt to blame Lamin Sanneh for changing the attack date rather than questioning Barrow’s AWOL status is merely a ploy to masquerade his cowardice. A Coup plot is a volatile proposition. Participants must be alert and in perpetual standby, ready to launch a preemptive strike when the need arises. For Barrow to be shuttling between Gambia and Senegal while the other co-conspirators remained anchored in one place in Gambia, tells a lot about Barrow. It reminds us about the Late LT Basiru Barrow. He was part of the July 22nd coup until he decided to withdraw his name the last minute apparently because he wanted the coup date to be extended and his comrades said its now or never.

Alagie Barrow, former member of the Tennessee National Guard

Far from the hero portrait painted, Alagie has been in financial distress for quite a while. Once an opportunity to make quick money presented itself, he capitalized. The FBI affidavit suggested that Alagie received a huge sum of $125,000:00. We know the other attackers were said to have received $4000:00 each. Surprisingly, Alagie’s wife Fatou Sanneh received $4000:00, same amount as those who went to Banjul to lay down their lives. Something is not right here. Where is the rest of the money? We know he bought some weapons and a few body armor and night vision goggles. Did he bought the guys all what they needed to take Jammeh’s loyalist out? We cannot tell nor do we care. Let cherno Njie deal with that. It was clear that Alagie had enough money to Buy a ticket to UK and wait it there until things have quietened down. Whose money was he spending in the UK? Again, we could careless about it. But the pattern unfolding here is very troubling. Should this money hungry man, be remotely close to power and wealth? That we will answer in the next paragraph.

To understand the depth of Alagie barrow’s financial mess, you would have to go back to 2006 again. We pointed out earlier that Barrow Bought a house in September 2006 shortly after he married Fatou Sanneh. But then could not pay back the bank which loaned him the money for the house. By 2011, the bank was fed up with Alagie and kicked him and the family out of his house at 101 Dreville Drive, La Vergne, Tennessee 37086. The bank went on to auction the property in July of the same year to the highest bidder. When Barrow was kicked him out of his house, the Bank promised not to come after Barrow if it makes less than the $124,800.00 he owes. This means any outstanding money after the auction will not be the responsibility of Alagie. Another lucky break for Alagie.

Incredibly, this financially constrained man made such a compelling case to Cherno that Cherno decided to hand him a huge amount. How can someone who owed the Bank $124,800:00, receive free money in the same amount, decide to endanger himself. Alagie had no intention of fighting Jammeh’s guards. He smell money and fell for it period. That means he had to do the little things to deflect everyone’s attention from the huge money bag of $125,000:00. That’s the definition of a con man. So this nonsense war hero thing must cease. Because it amounts to a stolen valor. Forget about hero talk, Alagie’s money problems is the sole motivator and not freedom fighting.

In 2012, Alagie was busted in TN for driving with a suspended license. We are curious to know why was his license suspended in the first place? Alagie is a Muslim so we immediately rule out driving while drunk or intoxicated. That leaves us with one very plausible explanation Dollars and Dimes. This means failure to carry vehicle insurance. Knowing Alagie as someone who would allow himself and family to be kicked out from their house for the lack of mortgage payment, it is not inconceivable to suggest that he had fail to pay his insurance premium and thus resulting in the suspension of his driver’s license. We feel bad for his lawyer who don’t seem to have a clue about the man he is defending. The lawyer’s claim that Alagie has never had a ticket before, borders on incompetence or a deliberate effort to mislead the court or appease the handful of Gambians in the courtroom. Either way, driving with a suspended license is a traffic infraction. Call it what u may its a violation of the traffic code. Unlike a traffic ticket, this is worse. Because you are not allowed to drive anywhere in the US
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GAMBIA: BREAKING NEWS: FORMER BARROW AIDE DROPS A BOMBSHELL; AS MODOU GAYE EXPOSES ALLEGED CORRUPTION AT THE STATE HOUSE!

Freedom Newspaper  December 3, 2018

Atlanta based Gambian businessman has demanded an apology from President Adama Barrow of The Gambia. Modou Gaye, a former close aide of Mr. Barrow, felt being defamed by The Gambian leader. He said he is a victim of blackmail. That some officials close to Mr. Barrow lied against him just to sever his ties with the rookie President. Gaye thinks that Barrow had acted on an unsubstantiated allegation against him without verifying its veracity.

Gaye is a native of Banjul. He said he got to know Barrow, when he and his parents were renting at the home of the late Modou Musa Njie. Barrow was at the time charged with the responsibility of collecting rent for the late Mr. Njie.

When Gambia’s change of government happened in December of 2016, Gaye said, he received a phone call from one Lamin Cham, a Sukuta born native and also a former Elton Gas station Station Manager. Cham told him that he was needed in Dakar, Senegal, by the then President elect Adama Barrow. Barrow briefly settled in Senegal, during Gambia’s month long political impasse before returning to Banjul.

Gaye is very connected in Senegal. He first met with President Sall before meeting Barrow. He said President Sall welcomed him with an open arms when he flooded the idea of wanting to contribute his quota to nation building in Senegal. His parents are originally from Senegal. Though, Gaye was born and raised in Banjul, The Gambia 

Gaye met President Barrow, Coalition leaders such Mai Ahmed Fatty, Amie Bojang Sissoho, Barrow’s Press Secretary, among other officials, who traveled with Barrow to Dakar during the impasse. He also met Muhammed Bazzi, a Lebanese businessman indicted by the US Treasury Department on terrorism related financing and money laundering, some Gambian businessmen, including former Jammeh Cabinet Ministers and officials who fled the country in the wake of the political impasse at the hotel, where Barrow was hosted.

Gaye said some questionable behind the scenes transactions occurred in Dakar, as Jammeh former aides and close business associates, including Muhammed Bazzi,  thronged the hotel, where Barrow was hosted. He will not disclose what kind of mishap or irregularity transpired at the hotel, but he was quick to say that Mai Fatty’s claims of Jammeh looting the Central Bank couldn’t pass a smell test—adding that he is a living witness to what happened in Dakar

Gaye said the time for him to tell the world about what actually transpired in Dakar hasn’t come yet. But he said, he will one day tell his story. He added that the names of some of the businessmen and former government officials he met in Dakar, came up in the Janneh Commission, but up till now, none of the folks he met appeared before the Commission.

Mr. Gaye was among the entourage, who flew with Barrow to Banjul shortly after Jammeh had left the country for Equatorial Guinea for exile. He was allocated a room and a vehicle by President Barrow, as soon as they arrived in Banjul. He moved his family from Atlanta to Banjul, to begin a new life, where he stayed for one year, before parting company with Mr. Barrow. He has traveled with Barrow to different countries; attended meetings; and in some occasions carried out business errands for the President.

Mr. Gaye’s relationship with Barrow went south, when the President was told that Gaye was in talks with dictator Jammeh’s loyalists in the country. An Army Captain one Saidykhan, reportedly told Barrow that Gaye was seen hanging out with Jammeh’s loyalists in town. He was confronted, but he denied having any ties to Yahya Jammeh and his supporters.

Gaye told Freedom Radio Gambia in an interview that he knew Ebrima Colley, a former State House driver, Wandifa Barrow, Jammeh’s ADC, and others prior to Barrow becoming a President. He said his association with Barrow will not make him to abandon people he knew in the past. He also said he never hide his interactions with Ebrima Colley.

Gaye’s car was seized. His friend Ebrima Jarju was also arrested. Both him and Colley were processed at the Kairaba police station, where he met Turo Jawneh, Ambassador at large Jagana and other close aides of Barrow.

Gaye gradually began to lose access to President Barrow. He used to have direct access to Barrow. He was told that if he wants to meet with the President, he got to go through the Protocol. He said he was not in the good books of Barrow’s Chief Protocol officer Alhagie Ousman Ceesay.

Gaye had to return to the United States with his family, following his strained relationship with the President. He went back to the daily grind, while at the same time trying to comfort his sick mum.

When President Barrow visited the United States this past September to attend the UN General Assembly Summit, Gaye made an arraignment to meet with President Barrow. He said he was told by Barrow that some people informed him (Barrow) that he (Gaye) has trust issues. That Barrow told him that he was not happy when he heard from some unnamed people that he (Gaye) was telling them that he used to handle and deliver Barrow’s personal briefcase into his hotel room.

Barrow wouldn’t tell Gaye the people who turned him in. Though, he informed Gaye that he will no longer allow him around his entourage.

Gaye left New York for Atlanta with shock and disbelief. He said he was disappointed by the way Barrow treated him.

Modou Gaye, has a Facebook page named “ SENE GAMBIA.” He has blamed Lamin Cham for severing his ties with the President. He said one of the reasons why he was booted out of the State House, was because of his refusal to be part of any corruption scheme.

He recalled having a one and one meeting with President Barrow in his office, where he told Barrow that one of his close aides had allegedly received a bribe of $35,000 dollars from some investors. He said Dodou Sannoh, a Presidential Youth Adviser abruptly walked into Barrow’s office and interrupted their conversation. Sannoh made a remark that the President has an appointment, and it was time for him to leave the office.

Gaye also said he was tasked by President Barrow to work on a crude oil deal from Nigeria, but the project he said, was impeded by corrupt and dishonest officials. He said it was through him that some Nigerian oil refinery investors came to the country. He said he once introduced the Nigerians to Fatou Ceesay and co, but he later lost contacts with the Nigerians. He said the Nigerians met Fatou Ceesay, and one Mr. Darboe, the son of Balla Musa Darboe. Darboe had an office along the Kairaba Avenue.

Gaye also called out Yankuba Saidy, the former Director of Investment at the State House. He has accused Saidy of killing investment in The Gambia. He said Saidy’s bureaucratic red tape attitude towards investors had frustrated many investors to leave the country. He said backroom deals is killing Gambia’s Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).

He recalled bringing some Brazilian investors into the country. The Brazilians wanted to invest in rice cultivation. He even took them to the former Minister of Agriculture Omar Amadou Jallow (OJ). OJ was very accommodative to Gaye and his Brazilian investor friends.

OJ welcomed the proposal and even wanted them to start with the Bakau gardens, but the project, according to Gaye, suffered a premature death. He said under Barrow’s rule, investors are required to go through the State House, before they are granted permit to invest in the country

Gaye also talked about Jammeh’s cars being used by Lamin Cham and the UDP. He said unless he received an apology from President Barrow, he will not rest in his quest to clear his name.

“I haven’t done anything wrong to warrant these people to lie against me to the President. President Barrow is a good man, but he has been surrounded by folks with ulterior motives. If he doesn’t disassociate himself from Lamin Cham, he will soon find himself in a hole that he cannot remove himself,” he said.

The Barrow State House could not be reached for immediate comment.

Written By Pa Nderry M’Bai

GAMBIA: BREAKING NEWS: PRESIDENT BARROW BRAGS ABOUT HAVING THE BACKING OF ECOMIG, GAMBIAN SECURITY FORCES, INCLUDING DICTATOR JAMMEH’S FEARED NIA TO SILENCE HIS OPPONENTS!

Gambian President Adama Barrow has been bragging and boasting about the power might currently at his disposal, which he says, is more powerful than the one that his predecessor dictator Yahya Jammeh, was using for twenty-two years to silence his opponents. Mr. Barrow, was addressing a delegation of supporters from the West Coast region over the weekend. He contends that the ECOMIG forces currently on the ground, including The Gambian security forces have outnumbered Jammeh’s trigger happy forces, which were reputed to be indiscriminately maiming and killing Gambians at will for over a decade. Barrow cited the presence of Jammeh’s most feared National Intelligence Agency (NIA)—now renamed as the State Intelligence Services (SIS), The Gambia Armed Forces and the West African troops deployed in Banjul, under the command of ECOMIG, whom he says are here to protect his government.

“Gambians were afraid of Yahya Jammeh because of the power force that was behind him. Almost everyone was scared of him because of the security forces. Gambians were afraid of Jammeh because he had the police, the army, and the State Intelligence Agency (SIS). Today, I have more power than Jammeh because I have the police, the army, SIS, and ECOMIG forces here in The Gambia,” Barrow remarked.

It is not clear what must have occasioned Barrow’s veil threats against The Gambian population, but his statement came in the wake of an internal rift within the United Democratic Party (UDP). The UDP leadership had rallied support behind Ousainou Darboe, in the upcoming UDP Congress. They want Mr. Darboe to lead the party. Darboe is Gambia’s Vice President and Minister of Women’s Affairs.

Darboe presided over a UDP fundraising drive over the weekend ahead of the party’s Congress. Private companies, private citizens, and supporters of the UDP donated handsomely to the party.

The following day, Barrow received ten thousand residents of the West Coast Region, who paid a courtesy call on him to rally their support for Mr. Barrow. Barrow used the occasion to announce his intention to run for a second term in office. He even thrown shades at the UDP by saying that “this is my congress, and I am sure no congress would be bigger.”

Mr. Barrow is a former official of the United Democratic Party (UDP). He resigned from the party to contest the 2016 Presidential elections as an independent President. He was backed by seven opposition parties and one Independent Candidate.

The Cold War between Barrow’s team and the UDP is reaching its peak. Mr. Barrow is finalizing the process of registering a political party. Saturday is the scheduled date to finalize the talks.

Addressing his followers at the State House, Barrow said, his re-election for a second term, would be determined by the number of developmental projects and economic advancement he has accomplished during his first term in office. He said, that decision to re-elect him in office, would be determined by The Gambian electorate. He called for nation building and citizens to avoid divisive vices that will derail national development.

The rookie President also condescendingly took a swipe at the opposition. He called out the PPP for not been able to beat Jammeh in the past elections. He said so many efforts have been made by the opposition to dislodge Jammeh from power, but without much success. Therefore, he says, those eyeing for his seat, should have faith in God and understand that his Presidency was ordained by God.

Barrow also talked about folks, who are bent on derailing his Presidency. He said their goals is to bring him down, so that they can be voted into office. But he warned that The Gambian electorate are not fools to be hoodwinked by such selfish politicians.

Barrow has promised to construct 40 roads in the Kombos ahead of the OIC Summit. He also said similar projects will be launched in Basse later this month.

Barrow said his administration will not discriminate at communities because of their opposition to his rule. He referenced Foni, a predominantly opposition stronghold. He said his government will ensure that Foni benefits from present and future projects geared towards national development.

Written By Pa Nderry M’Bai

Freedom Newspaper  December 3, 2018

Email: panderrymbai@gmail.com

NEA, Geology directors suspended over Faraba incident

The Point Newpaper:  Thursday, November 29, 2018

The executive director of National Environment Agency (NEA) Momodou Suwareh and the director of Geology Department Abdoulie M. Cham have both been suspended for six months without salaries as government accepts the Faraba Banta report.

The secretary general and head of civil service revealed this at a press conference held at the Justice Ministry in Banjul.

The Faraba report indicated that there was no proper Environmental Impact Assessment conducted in the area to be mined as required by the law before the granting of the mining license to Julakay Ltd. nor were there sufficient safeguards to ensure restoration of the mining area by Julakay Ltd. after completion of mining activities as required by the law.

It is said that both the NEA and Geology Department disregarded the concerns of the Village Development Committee (VDC) and the residents regarding the potential adverse effects that commercial and mechanical sand mining might have on the environment and livelihood, especially rice cultivation and gardens in the affected areas.

The report further highlighted that NEA and the GD did not clearly demarcate the mining area under the license granted to Julakay Ltd. or communicate this demarcated area to the VDC or the villagers.  

On the 18th of June 2018, there was a tense standoff between the Police Intervention Unit (PIU) and some residents of Faraba Banta village in the West Coast Region of The Gambia regarding sand mining activities in the village by Julakay Quarry and Mining Ltd., a private company.

The standoff led to an eruption of violence between the said residents and PIU resulting in the death of three civilians and injury of some PIU personnel and also the destruction of properties at the village.

In accordance with Section 200 of the Constitution of the Republic of The Gambia, 1997 and the Commission of Inquiry Act Cap 30:01 Vol. 5 of the laws of The Gambia, President Adama Barrow was mandated to establish a Commission of Inquiry on 1st of July 2018 to bring perpetrators to justice.

EU gives €55M budgetary support for Gambia’s Good Governance process

European Union (EU) has approved and given a new programme of budgetary support amounting to 55 million Euros to the government of The Gambia to help country’s sustainable and inclusive growth and good governance process. The state and resilience building contract will support the democratic transition period.

The financing is expected to contribute in improving governance, public financial management and service delivery. The new programme will provide two years budget support and three years technical assistance.

With the transition to a democratic regime, the EU opened a new chapter in its relationship with The Gambia, following the change of government. Since then, there is a broad and intensive political dialogue between the two sides.

The Union’s immediate priority in The Gambia is to contribute to stabilising the political, security and financial situation to guarantee that democracy takes its roots and to show to the most vulnerable groups of the population the democratic dividends of the transition.

The new programme intends to provide predictability of funding, at the time the government needs fiscal space to finance basic public services delivery and the costs of the transition related to the most urgent reforms needed to consolidate democracy, rule of law and public governance in a still constrained fiscal environment.

European Union policy dialogue associated to the budget support operations is considered a valuable input to monitor the overall ownership of the government towards the state building objectives and more globally to its transition and reform agenda that it intends to support.  “With this programme of budget support, the EU should simultaneously and swiftly contribute to the short-term stabilisation of the public finances and support the announced political reforms’’ Attila Lajos, the Union’s Ambassador and head of delegation in The Gambia said.

The Point Newspaper, Monday, November 19, 2018

Author: Fatou Dem

Senegal Finally Hit Oil

 CAPE TOWN // Along with the rest of the world’s energy producers, west Africa is being pummelled by the collapse of the oil price.
Senegal, however, although yet to produce its first barrel, may be the breakout story of the decade.
After nearly half a century of searching for oil off the country’s coastline and coming up empty, explorers are now increasingly confident that Senegal is going to be the next major energy play in coming years.
In mid-August the Scottish explorer Cairn Energy said it was to begin evaluation and a multi-well exploration and appraisal programme, which it hopes will reveal reserves of up to two billion barrels. The company has rights to nearly 7,500 square kilometres off the Atlantic coast of Senegal and last year announced it had made what could be one of the biggest discoveries of the year.
More than 140 offshore wells have been drilled since the 1950s off the Senegalese coast, by various explorers, with little to show for it – until now.
“Many of the original wells found petroleum in one form or another and demonstrated the potential for working hydrocarbon systems, but none of these were commercial,” says the Cairn chief executive Simon Thomson. All this changed in October 2014 when Cairn struck the first of two significant deposits about 100km from the coast.
“With new techniques and technology we are able to improve our understanding of the geology – and also our drilling ability – which has enabled us to make the two discoveries we made last year,” says Mr ­Thomson.
As is common in such projects, Cairn will not go it alone and will share the risk with other stakeholders. The UK explorer itself holds 40 per cent, with the US major Conoco Phillips owning a 35 per cent stake and Australia’s FAR 15 per cent. Senegal holds a share of 10 per cent through the state-owned energy firm Petrosen.
Speculation is that Senegal could be sitting on another Jubilee – the huge hydrocarbon-rich field discovered off Ghana in 2007. Mr Thomson is cautious on the comparison but says intital indications are looking good.
“It is too early to really be clear about the potential as we have only drilled two wells,” he says. “However, on our large acreage position it would seem unlikely if we had somehow managed to drill the only two wells that will discover oil.”
Jubilee now has reserves of about three billion barrels, with a target of 85,000 barrels per day.
Mr Thomson adds that the exploration and appraisal phase would drill up to six wells, increasing the scope of data on the resource.
The discovery is spilling over into neighbouring countries. The Gambia, a peculiar colonial construct that is almost entirely surrounded by Senegal save for a strip of coastline, is also now drawing the attention of explorers.
In July, Dubai’s Polarcus said it would begin seismic 3D surveying along a strip from Mauritania in the north, taking in Senegal, the Gambia and Guinea-Bissau, which the company says is “… subsequent to the recently announced dual well successes in Senegal”.
To some extent, the timing could not be better. The oil price is taking a beating and along with it the margins of companies that service the industry. Chris Bredenhann, the Africa oil and gas advisory leader for PricewaterhouseCoopers in Cape Town, says service providers were willing to make deals that would not have been contemplated even a few years earlier.
“There’s a lot of pressure on companies right now,” he says. “They are reducing their day rates between 30 and 40 per cent – they are prepared to put numbers on the table that will win them the business even if it means thinner margins.”
So cutthroat has the business become that there are signs some explorers are considering new seismic surveys in greenfield areas, because the contracting price has fallen so low, Mr Bredenhann says.
Many firms’ projects across the region had been conceived with an oil price of US$100-plus in mind and they are now desperately cutting costs to stay in business. “There’s been an overall significant decline in exploring off west Africa. Those that are still out there are doing very specific things, such as Cairn. They are doing work in areas with a high confidence of being successful,” Mr Bredenhann adds.
Countries hoping to cash in on newly discovered resources are finding that their ability to attract offshore money is also changing. “Competition for capital investments in the extractive sectors continues to heat up across west Africa, and indeed the entire sub-Saharan Africa,” says Manji Cheto, the vice president of Teneo Intelligence, a US corporate advisor and risk analysis company.
She says Senegal’s main competitive advantage lies with its status as a stable democracy, which has undertaken significant investor-friendly structural reforms. At the same time, the country has avoided the resource nationalism urge – the attempt to squeeze every last cent from its commodities to the point where investors pack up and leave.
This does not mean the country is invulnerable to such pressures. Like much of Africa, it has urgent development needs to fulfill. For instance, there is a growing distaste among oil producers on the continent for the export of raw crude, only to see tankers docking to offload value-added refined petroleum products.
“The current oil glut on the global markets increases the risk that newer oil and gas producers will impose export restrictions on production, potentially passing laws requiring companies to comply with domestic market obligations,” Ms Cheto notes. While Senegal had not indicated its intentions to tax crude exports, the possibility remains.
It is also a fairly cheap locale to do business in a corner of the world known for its high costs, adds Mr Thomson.
“These are relatively low-cost assets and have the potential to bring great benefits to the economy of Senegal, local communities and the government.”

 Gavin du Venage
 September 2, 2015
 https://www.thenational.ae/business/tide-may-turn-for-senegal-oil-1.135147