Gambia L,

Frankly, I do not know what kind of government we have in the Gambia. But
one thing I do know, for a fact, is that it is far from being transparent!!

I've been calling the Gambia, since last Friday, trying to find out more
information on the National Consultations on Governance Conference, but no
one in Government would confirm the convening of a National Conference in
the Gambia, next month.

It is a pity that I had to get the confirmation from the Commonwealth
Secretariat in London, and not from the Government itself. Anyway, a short
while ago, I contacted Dr Moses Anafu of the Political Affairs Division of
the Commonwealth Secretariat, to find out whether he was aware of the
holding of a National Conference in the Gambia, next month, but was told
that he was busy attending a meeting.

However, I was lucky to talk to Sandra Pepra of the Gambia Desk at the
Commonwealth Secretariat, and she confirmed that, as revealed by Dr Saine on
the L the other day, a National Consultations on Governance Conference will
be held in Banjul on March 15-16. She said the National Conference is being
organised by the Gambian Government in collaboration with the UNDP.

"We are not organising it, but we have been invited to it", she added. She
also confirmed that about a week or so ago, the Gambia Government sent a
"sensitization mission" to the Commonwealth Secretariat, in connection with
the forthcoming National Conference.

Omar Drammeh: Let me give you some information on the David
Beckham/Fergusson dispute. But before that, let me start with the
background.

For your information, before Princess Diana died, in that tragic car crash
in Paris in 1997, she was the most photographed person in the UK; and
whatever story the press wrote about Diana, or whenever Lady Diana's
photograph was in the newspapers, especially the Tabloids, the papers had
always sold out.

So Lady Diana was one person, whose story, or photograph, had always helped
sell the newspapers here, especially the Tabloids. You can therefore imagine
what the press and "paparazzis" were missing when Princess Diana died.

Consequently, they started to look for someone who will replace Diana. In
other words, they started to look for someone whose photograph, or story,
would sell their papers anytime they carry it, just like Princess Diana. And
yes, they have found it in Victoria Adams, David Beckham's wife.

Today, she is the most photographed person in the UK, and whenever she
appeared on the front pages of the Tabloids, the papers always sold out. As
a result, her every move now is being followed by the "Paparazzis" or the
Tabloid press core.

And, recently, she started to lose wait very seriously; and, in fact, it was
even reported that she was suffering from anorexia. So because of her
skeletal figure now, the press has been writing a lot about her new shape,
saying that she was no longer the beautiful Victoria Adams she was, because
she is/was too bony nowadays.

Now, in the wake of these stories, she reportedly told David Beckham that
she had had enough; and, as a result, she wanted to move abroad so that the
"paparazzis" would stop following her. Secondly, she also reportedly said
that in the meantime, she wanted to live in London, not Manchester. And
thirdly, she wanted David Beckham to spend more time with her and their son.

So it seems David Beckham is now in a state of quandary: on one hand, he
wants to satisfy his wife and son, and on the other hand, he also has to
fulfill his duties as a player of Manchester United. It is obvious that the
two are conflicting.

And, of late, he has been missing Manchester United's training and spending
more time with his family. Therefore, Alex Ferguson wanted to put a full
stop to it, and as such, confronted him (David) about his repeated absence
from United's training. And David Beckham, who is a very quick tempered
person, must have over reacted to Alex Fergusson's concerns.

As a result, Fergusson decided not to play him in their crucial match
against Leeds United the other day. So since then, the relationship between
the two is said to be "fragile". Meanwhile, Victoria Adams is insisting that
she definitely wants to move to London in the short term and abroad in the
medium or long term.

They have since bought a house in North London near Arsenal; and according
to Harry Harris of the Daily Mirror, Beckham wants to play for Arsenal and
not Tottenham. David is still on a long term contract with Manchester
United, but it is now being speculated here that Manchester United are
already resigned to losing him sooner rather than later.

So let's wait and see how it would go. But we - at Arsenal - are ready with
our cheque book for him. By the way, Gabriel Batistuta of Fiorentina wants a
move to Manchester, did you hear that?

Ebrima Ceesay

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