Sorry the original message was truncated.

Here is the continuation of Issue No. 97/2004


--------------
ON THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE FOR EDUCATION
The member for Niamina Dankunku, Hon. Kebba B. Ngett raised the following
question regarding the building of teachers’ quarters: “Mr. Speaker, could
the Secretary of State for Education inform this august Assembly when the
Department of State for Education will build quarters for teachers in the
provinces?”
In response, SoS Fatou Lamin Faye pointed out that she wish to inform the
Hon. Member for Niamina Dankunku that the Department of State for
Education has already started the construction of quarters for teachers in
selected areas in five educational regions in the country, using resources
from the European Commission and the HIPC fund. The EC is funding those in
regions 3, 4, 5 and 6; Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa
(BADEA) is funding those in region 2. SoS Faye pointed out that part of
the HIPC funds will be concentrated in the most disadvantaged areas in
regions 5 and 6. She said funds from the ADB III Project, which have just
been declared effective, will also be used to build quarters in regions 3,
4, 5 and 6. “I am pleased to inform this august Assembly that some of our
partners like Future in Our Hands (FIOH) have indicated their interest to
join in the construction of teachers’ quarters,” she said. SoS Faye
pointed out that it is planned that the construction of staff quarters be
a continuous endeavour of the Department of State for Education.

The Paul Commission
Sitting of Wednesday 1st December 2004
TESTIMONY OF FAFA M. KUYATEH
Testifying before the Paul Commission, Mr. Fafa M. Kuyateh, Brikama Area
Council Finance Director, said in 1994 he was the Assistant Treasurer,
earning Grade 6.1. In 2002 he was promoted to Treasurer up to 2003 when
his position was designated Finance Director and he is currently receiving
D3, 888.00 net salaries monthly. He also said that he is receiving D350.00
as house allowance and D1, 000.00 as responsibility allowance. He was
asked to provide the commission with all the details of his salary
starting from when he was Assistant Treasurer to his current position.
Continuing his testimony, BAC Finance Director acknowledged having two (2)
properties at Lamin Village in 1994 and 1996. In 1994 he was given a
property at Brikama by the Alkalo at a time when he was a Revenue
Collector. He also said he started development of the said Brikama
property in 1995 through a loan of D25, 000.00 from BAC but could not
remember how much he has invested in that building as at now. In 1996 he
bought a property at D30, 000.00 and developed it in the same year with an
amount of D161, 000.00 he won from the National Lottery Jackpot in 1996.
Mr. Kuyateh admitted contributing 10 bags of cement equivalent to D1,
250.00 towards his spouse’s (wife’s) building project. He also admitted
having two (2) farmlands in his native village, Kuntaur Wassu in the
Central River Division (CRD). Mr. Kuyateh admitted paying rent for his
properties. In 2003 he started engaging in animal husbandry (sheep)
business during Tobaski with a capital of D20, 000.00. The BAC Finance
Director admitted that his brother has entrusted him one ‘Gele-Gele’
(commercial vehicle) BJL 478… plying from Brikama to Banjul and the
brother’s name is Mr. Kebba Kuyateh residing in Wassu. In 1991 he
purchased a Peugeot 505 at D30, 000.00. He explained that the source of
the vehicle is from a car loan of D25, 000.00 from Brikama Area Council
and he added another D5, 000.00.
The BAC Finance Director admitted having a savings account at the Trust
Bank since 2003 and also admitted receiving his salary over the counter.
Mr. Kuyateh claims that the monies put in his account was from his rams
sales and salary. He denied maintaining any insurance with any company and
no share in any bank or company. He also denied owing any bank,
institution or company apart from his Council’s D50, 000.00 building and
car loan he is servicing. He is not owing anybody.
Mr. Kuyateh said he never travelled outside the country. Mr. Kuyateh told
the commission that he only gives advice to his staff. He also said he
always direct all queries made during the auditor’s inquiry to his
immediate boss (CEO) of the Council for action to be taken. He promised to
furnish the commission all the details of queries made and whether those
involved in the auditor’s query have paid or have not paid to Council.

Thursday 2nd December 2004
TESTIMONY OF TAMSIR JASSEY
Testifying before the Paul Commission the former Director General of
Immigration, Mr. Tamsir Momodou Jassey said in July 1st 1999 he returned
to The Gambia to take the position of Police Adviser. On July 1st 2002 he
was appointed Deputy Director of Immigration. In 2003 he was appointed
Acting Director of Immigration. On October 7th, 2004 he was the Director
of Immigration. As a Police Adviser he was receiving D3, 000.00 plus net
monthly salary. As Acting Director he cannot remember how much he was
earning per month, but does know that as Deputy Director the grade is D54,
000.00 per annum. He also admitted being a board member of the Hajj
Committee and the Disaster Relief Committee at the Vice President’s Office
and receives D500.00 per sitting. He denied having any rental property
neither did he sell any property. He also denied having any farm,
adding, “I cannot farm.” The former Immigration Director admitted
benefiting from a loan of D50, 000.00 at the Standard Chartered Bank.
Continuing his testimony, the former Immigration boss admitted traveling
four (4) times including a Dakar (Senegal) cancelled trip where he was
sharing with his other two (2) colleagues namely the current Immigration
Director General, Mr. Mboob and one Major Cham out of his 90 Pounds per
diem in a hotel for four (4) days. He also said that out of his four
mentioned trips, in 2002 he was delegated by his Director General to go
and collect Gambian citizens who were deported to Mali (Bamako) and he was
given D70, 000.00 imprest and he used D14, 000.00 as transport and came
back with D56, 000.00 which was retired as imprest at the Vice President’s
Office who is the Chairperson of the Board of the Disaster Relief
Committee. He denied purchasing any property during his tenure, but
admitted being officially allocated one property in Bijilo in 2003 which
is undeveloped. Mr. Jassey said when he was in office he did not buy any
private vehicle, but was using his official vehicle. Mr. Jassey revealed
to the commission that all his children are in the USA and they are
citizens of the USA, enjoying free education there, that is why he is not
paying their school fees; adding that in The Gambia he is maintaining one
of his children’s education and he was given a piece of paper by state
counsel, Mr. Emmanuel Fagbenle to write the children’s name, school
attending and fee paid per term.
Further testifying, Mr. Jassey acknowledged opening a cheque account with
his wife at the Standard Chartered Bank and a personal cheque account at
the Trust Bank in 1999 respectively, stating that the source of his
Standard Chartered Bank account was his Dollar currency he changed to
Dalasi when he returned, because he was working in the United States for
eighteen (18) years and that earned him such money.
Mr. Jassey said in 2002 he manned two (2) positions at the British High
Commission and the Gambia government (Immigration) concurrently.
Mr. Jassey was asked by Mr. Fagbenle to furnish the commission his wife’s
vehicle document. Mr. Jassey replied, “I cannot. Why?” “Because she is
your wife and she is under you.” “She is my wife and liberal and may I
tell you sir that she is not under me. We are partners and she is free to
do anything on her own. Because before we got married she was liberal and
still is a liberal person,” Mr. Jassey replied.
He admitted calling the Auditor General’s office to the Immigration
Department because the monies collected from the alien identify cards were
not audited. Mr. Jassey tendered two (2) documents being receipts of
payment made by two (2) immigration officers who were involved in the
mismanagement of immigration funds after the auditor’s queried in an oral
report, but pointed out that no written auditor’s query report was
submitted up the time he was leaving office.
 TESTIMONY OF AMADOU MUKHTARR JALLOW
 The other witness to testify was the Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC)
Finance Director, Mr. Amadou Muktarr Jallow. He said that he was appointed
Finance Director in April 1998. In 1996 he was the Assistant Treasurer.
Mr. Jallow said as Assistant Treasurer he was earning D3, 000.00. As
Treasurer and Finance Director he is earning D7, 600.00 net salary per
month and he also receives D250.00 as sitting allowance from the Council’s
Finance Committee and D150.00 per month when it was changed to a monthly
sitting. He also receives D12, 000.00 from the Gamworks board. He denied
receiving any rent income and dividend. He also admitted selling a Renault
vehicle which he bought in 1996 at D13, 000.00. Mr. Jallow further
admitted being a shareholder of a landed property business. In 1999 he
invested D25, 000.00 in this business. He described the business as a real
estate agency. From 2000 – 2004 he received an average of D100, 000.00 per
annum.
Continuing his testimony, the KMC Finance boss invested in Trust Bank
share for one of his child at D7000.00 and receives D1, 000.00 as share
since then. He denied having any fixed deposit account. He also admitted
benefiting from a car loan from the Council at D225, 000.00. Mr. Jallow
revealed that he does make savings from his per diem and used it for his
personal expenses / matters. He denied maintaining anybody outside The
Gambia, but has a four year old daughter who is going to school in The
Gambia. Mr. Jallow told the commission that from 1996 to date he has built
a property at Bakoteh which was given to him by his mother and he finished
the building in 1999. He said when he returned from the UK in 1995 he came
with 5, 000 Pounds. He also said he cannot remember how much he had spent
on the building and estimated it at D300, 000.00 on average. In 2002 he
was allocated a property at Tanji. He further said that he bought a
property from the Alkalo of Nema Fula Kunda at D4, 000.00. Mr. Jallow said
he has acquired a property at Tujereng from his partnership for D4, 000.00.
Mr. Jallow further told the commission that he is having both current and
savings account at the Standard Chartered where he receives his salary,
adding that he is also operating current and savings accounts at the Trust
Bank and the International Bank for Commerce (IBC). The daughter also has
an account at the Trust Bank. Mr. Jallow admitted supervising a family and
friend’s compound in Tallinding and a building in Bijilo for one Mrs.
Fatou Mendy whom he described as his friend’s wife.
Mr. Jallow went on to say that he had received two (2) audit reports
between 2000 and now. He denied having been queried officially. He also
denied buying goods or services for the Council, because there is a
Procurement Officer or Contracts Committee which is responsible for those
matters.

THE FIGHT AGAINST LOCUSTS
The following is a Press Release issued by the Agriculture Communication
Unit:
Locusts invaded the country on the 30th of November 2004 and were sighted
at around Panchang and Njaw in Central River Division (CRD) North. By the
evening of 1st December 2004, the swarm of locusts crossed over River
Gambia to Gissadi in Niamina Dankunku area of CRD South
On 2nd December, 2004 the locusts were again sighted at around Kulayyia
and Sare Samba in CRD South and today 3rd December 2004 reports reaching
us from the intervention teams stated that the desert locusts are moving
westward towards Dalaba and Jaffai still in CRD South and the intervention
teams are already within that area scouting for them.
The Department of State for Agriculture (DOSA) in close collaboration with
the donor community has mobilized trained teams to pursue the invading
locusts. These teams comprise of staff from the Department of Agricultural
Services (DAS), farmer brigades and the army from Farafenni and Kudang. In
addition, the Commissioner of CRD, the Divisional Agricultural
Coordinators (DACs) and the District Chief of Panchang are still being
actively participating in the hot pursuit of the swarm of locusts in CRD
since the day of invasion. The Director of DAS and the Head of the
Agricultural Pest Management Unit of DAS also fully participated with the
spraying teams to combat the desert locusts. No serious crop damages were
so tar reported since most crops have already been harvested. The locusts
are mainly feeding on the natural vegetation. At Song kunda and Mally
kunda the intervention teams attacked the locusts feeding on the natural
vegetation and 50 hectares of land were treated and recovered.
 DOSA is pulling up all efforts to bring the situation under control by
sending fifteen intervention teams to CRD South and other parts of the
country in the event or any possible invasion by the swarm of locusts
The Government of The Gambia remains resolutely committed to combating the
menace of the invading locusts in order to eradicate or minimize their
debilitating impacts on both the crops and natural vegetation.

FOROYAA got in touch with the Permanent Secretary, Department of State for
Agriculture for clarification of some points of concern.
The Permanent Secretary of Agriculture has indicated to FOROYAA that the
measures taken as at now to fight9 the locusts are adequate. She said they
have the resources and are well prepared to contain the locusts. She said
they are working hand in glove with the Senegalese government to fight
this locust. She said aerial spraying is not necessary at the moment
because they are able to tackle the locust.

¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤
To unsubscribe/subscribe or view archives of postings, go to the Gambia-L Web interface
at: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/archives/gambia-l.html

To Search in the Gambia-L archives, go to: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/CGI/wa.exe?S1=gambia-l
To contact the List Management, please send an e-mail to:
[log in to unmask]
¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤