Issue No. 92/05, 1- 4 December, 2005
 

Editorial
 

STOP AIDS. KEEP THE PROMISE

"Stop AIDS. Keep The Promise." This is the theme for World AIDS Day 2005, which is celebrated worldwide on 1 December each year. An international day of action on HIV and AIDS, the main drive of the day is to raise awareness of AIDS in society both locally and globally. It was initiated following a unique summit of health ministers who met in London in January 1988.

HIV is one of the biggest social, economic and health challenges in the world. It claims 8000 lives a day or 5 lives every minute. There are currently 40.3 million people living with HHIV/AIDS around the world. There are 4.9 million new cases of HIV in 2005, 700,000 of which were in children aged under 15. The number of deaths from AIDS in 2005 stands at 3.1 million. The total up to date is 23.1 million. It is clear that the statistics are staggering.

When the situation on the ground is examined, enormous social, economic and health problems become apparent. Ignorance and poverty are two twin partners of HIV and AIDS and need to be addressed in the fight against AIDS.

Poverty can motivate an individual to act against his/her will and therefore make such person vulnerable to HIV infection.

Ignorance leads to uninformed choice which in turn makes a person vulnerable to HIV infection. Awareness building is a fundamental way out in the fight against HIV/AIDS. With awareness, protection against HIV infection is enhanced.

Public awareness is also needed to properly relate with people with HIV/AIDS. Stigma and discrimination should be discouraged. We should overcome our prejudices. We should not see people living with HIV/AIDS as outcasts, moral inept or even victims. We should give them all the moral support and encouragement they need to live a normal life, to become ambassadors in the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Huge resources are required in the treatment of AIDS. Anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs are expensive. Moreover, ARV patients need enough good food without which the ARVs cannot work properly.

It is more than appropriate then that the theme for this year's World AIDS Day be "Keep the Promise" to maintain the commitment that many countries around the world have made to increase the resources for education about the treatment of HIV/AIDS. The theme aims to refocus governments, organisations and individuals to meet the goals for eradicating the disease that they have been set over the course of the epidemic. 

The World AIDS Campaign released a report to correspond with World AIDS Day that suggests that many of the United Nations goals outlined in the 2000 Declaration of Commitment have not yet been met, and that greater attention and resources must be given to this disease that currently afflicts 40 million people worldwide.

 

 

MAYOR CONTEH GRANTED BAIL
The Mayor of the Kanifing Municipal Council, Abdoulie Conteh, was on Thursday granted bail in the sum of one hundred thousand dalasi by the Banjul High Court with two Gambian sureties. 

The Mayor was granted bail before a crowded courtroom. He was represented by the following counsels: Antouman Gaye, Combeh Gaye, Sagarr Jahateh, Lamin Camara and Badou Conteh. The state was represented by Mrs Marley Wood and two other counsels. His well wishers and family members were very happy after the bail was granted. Former nominated member, Ramsi Diab and APRC "Yai Compin", Mberry Sowe were present. See next issue of FOROYAA for a detailed report on the issue.  

 

 

CHIEF OF DEFENCE STAFF SACKED
The Chief of Defence Staff Colonel Assan Sarr, was on Tuesday (November 29) relieved of his duties and discharged from the Gambia Armed Forces.

According to the press release issued by the Office of the President, Mr. Sarr, was relieved of his responsibilities and discharged from the Army with immediate effect for the following reasons: degrading, humiliating and abusive treatment of Soldiers on guard including physical assault, use of abusive profane and insulting language against senior officers. The release added that Sarr engaged on conduct inimical to the defined etiquette of the Military which will not be tolerated in the Gambia Armed Forces.

The release stated that the Armed Forces is disciplined with high a degree of respect and a strict code of conduct which is always enforced and safe guarded by the Military high command and a violation of this role at such a senior level is tantamount to subverting discipline and Military decency which will not be tolerated in our Armed Forces.

The release said it is on the basis of these violations of the Military code of conduct that Col. Assan Sarr has been relieved of his command responsibilities and discharged from the armed forces with immediate effect.

LT. Colonel Ndure Cham who was commanding the Gambia National Guards is promoted to the rank of Colonel and appointed as Chief of the Defence Staff with immediate effect.

When contacted, the PRO stated that Ndure Cham is yet to take over command because he is yet to effect his handing over as Commander (GNG) of the Gambia National Guards.

Col. Ndure Cham was enlisted in the Gambia National Army in 1983. After his recruiting, he was sent to Sanhurst for training .He was later promoted to the rank of Sub-Lieutenant. He was in the Engineering Unit of the GNA for more than ten years.

 

 

MASS DISMISSAL OF CIVIL SERVANTS IN JARRA
During the campaign for the recent by-election in Jarra West NADD supporters and their relatives were threatened with dismissal if they continued supporting the NADD candidate. Now nearly two months after the by-elections the services of at least nine civil servants have been terminated. No reasons were stated in their letters of dismissal. 

Those affected include Mr Sheriff Darboe (Livestock), Kejera Kinteh (GPF), Mr Karamo Darboe (DTS), Mrs Fatou Njie (DTS), Talibeh Sanyang (DTS), Kajali Dibba (DTS), Afang Kebba Jobe (Health), Alpha Jobe (Veterinary) and Seedy Tunkara (State House). These people are now consulting their lawyers for possible court action.

In a separate development, Mrs Khaddy Koi Saidykhan, the NADD Chairwoman in Kani Kunda, was arrested together with her daughter-in-law, last Monday by the security forces in Mansakonko. According to relatives, the police came to her home when she was in the rice field. Reports have it that the daughter-in-law was at home when the security forces went there in search of Khaddy Koi. The security personnel asked for the whereabouts of Khaddy Koi and she told them that she was out. According to my source, the security personnel then entered Khaddy's house, broke her suitcases and when they came out they arrested the daughter-in-law. Khaddy's son who is a PIU personnel was also arrested. They were both released on bail on Tuesday.

According to Khaddy's relatives, during the by-election campaign Commissioner Manneh, Musa Saidykhan and the PIU inspector confronted Khaddy's son to persuade her mother to join APRC or face possible dismissal.

 

 

EX-CHIEF OF FONI BINTANG IN COURT
The ex-chief of Foni Bintang Karanai, Mr. Tombong Ceesay, appeared before Magistrate Sheriff .B. Tabally on the 23rd November 2005, on charges of stealing by a public servant, contrary to Sections 252 and 254 of criminal code of the Gambia, cap. 10 vol. 3; 

That on or around the years 2003 and 2004 at Sibanor Village in the Republic of The Gambia, being an employee of the Government of The Gambia as Head Chief of Foni Bintang Karanai, he stole an amount of (D34, 050.00) thirty four thousand and fifty dalasis, being court fines paid by Siaka Fatajo, Nfansu Badjie Omar Sanyang, Bala Sanyang, Fabakary Sanyang, Njundou Sanyang, Tombong Sanyang, Jerreh Sanyang and Mami Sanyang; that the said amount is aid to be property of the Gambia.

The accused pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The case was adjourned to the 14th of December 2005.

For the benefit of the reader Mr. Tombong Ceesay was removed as head Chief of Bintang Karanai sometime in the year 2004. He was said to have absconded to Cassamance in the Republic of Senegal. However, he was arrested upon his return to The Gambia by the Police at Sibanor and charged with stealing. He chief of Foni Bintang Karanai, alongside with the chief of Foni Kansala, was convicted and fined twenty thousand dalasis. The years 2004 and 2005 have been hot years for the chief of Western Division. Whilst ex-chief Eric Tundeh Janneh was dismissed, the chief of Kombo East has just been acquitted and discharged on stealing charges after being dismissed as chief of his district.

 

 

THE TRUTH IS LIKE A HOT KNIFE ON BUTTER
President Jammeh's allegations against the opposition in the Gambia during his address to the Muslim religious leaders at State House on Koriteh day, and broadcast live over GRTS, has surprised Gambians, especially his supporters. For some of his supporters, it is unconceivable how the opposition, in pursuit of power, could go to the level of pitching Senegal against their own motherland to create a war situation. Since the allegations were made before religious elders on such an important occasion and was broadcast over the national media, such minds could not but entertain doubts about their validity and whether they could be substantiated by the president. Those of his supporters and sympathizers with critical minds know that their man is just fighting a lost battle, by resorting to such indecent tactics, in order to give their own explanation of what he meant, just to cover up. For the opposition supporters and sympathizers, they were surprised that the President could resort to such tactics as a means to retain power. They have no doubt in their minds that all the allegations he made against the opposition were false; that there is no iota of truth in them and can never be substantiated by him. All were however eager to know what will be the response of the opposition to the allegations and the Presidents reactions to that. The expectation by all was that when the opposition responded, the President would come with material evidence which he claimed he had to substantiate his allegations, and expose them as power hungry unpatriotic traitors of the Nation.

It was not long when the opposition responded and dismissed all the allegations of the President as unintelligent fabrications which did not contain an iota of truth, geared towards creating a bad impression about them and further went on to challenge him to provide evidence to back his allegations or apologise, failing which they would call a press conference and denounce him; that they would also call for his resignation or impeachment. 

Instead of President Jammeh coming out with evidence to prove that he has spoken the truth when he made the allegations that the opposition have been sending e-mail messages, faxes, reports and copies of Government documents to the Senegalese authorities in order to generate conflict between the Senegalese Government and his regime, or call on Abdoulie Wade to speak out to prove him right, the whole nation in particular and the world, in general, was taken aback when they heard a press release from the Department of State for Interior on GRTS that Hamat .N.K Bah and Omar Jallow Alias O.J, all members of the Executive Committee of NADD, were arrested and are helping the Police in their investigations on subversive activities against the State, and that the third suspect, Honourable Halifa Sallah was at large. This announcement was made at a time when Halifa was working in his office at the People's Centre, the location of which is not unknown to the officers who were sent to arrest him. The irony was that even after Halifa himself called the GRTS from his office to inform them of the falsity of the information that they were broadcasting, GRTS continued to broadcast the same statement about him even the next day. One wonders whether those people will also do that if they owned their minds.

Again the day they were brought to Court, the whole world was expecting that they were to be charged with subversion as was indicated in the press release, but to the dismay of every one, they were charged with sedition which is uttering seditious statements and for being in possession of an official document. These charges are not related at all to the allegations President Jammeh made on Koriteh day, which the opposition dismissed as unfounded. Now that the President has failed to provide evidence to back his allegations, and, since no such charges as subversion was made against the people arrested, who should we believe as truthful, the opposition or President Jammeh?

The President has refused to realize that NADD was and is established on truth, which cannot be crushed with evil designs. The truth is a sword, which cuts like hot knife on butter. Whoever wishes to combat NADD must do it on the basis of truth, otherwise all his or her attempts will be in vain and in the end, he will be put to shame. What was planned is not a new thing but an old tool used by tyrants whose ends are near, to eliminate their opponents. But the members and supporters of NADD are not ignorant of that. The womb of history is abounding with such happenings or ploys, the essence of which is to draw lessons from them. A brave and courageous person is not one who is easily carried away by one's emotions but one who stays calm and carefully utilizes his mind, instead of his heart, to contain the event that arouses his emotions. A coward does the contrary. There is never regret in a decision made following a proper utilization of the mind. But a decision made after the utilisation of the heart is always regrettable. That is why cowards always live to regret their actions.

The President must stop leaving in a dream world. He must realized that the country does not belong to him alone, where the rest are his tenants or slaves, but it belongs to all of us who happen to inhabit this land. So he must regard his country men and country women as equals. He is no better than anyone of us. He is not God but a human being like us who gets hungry and eats, sleeps and does everything that a human being does. So he can have no greater rights over us for what belongs to us all. Those who established NADD are also citizens of this country. They are not his enemies. They have the same rights as he has over this land. If he could administer the affairs of this country for eleven years now, those people could also equally administer the affairs of this country if the people will it. What matters is that the people will it. After all, was it not Yahya Jammeh who was shouting the slogan "Power to the people" at the top of his voice when he came to power in 1994? Could he say he doesn't know what that means? When people are empowered, they decide what is in their best interest. No sincere person who is interested in the empowerment of the people interferes with their decision by inducement, intimidation, misinformation or provocation. 

What the Gambian people want and deserve are peace, stability, and development. The present position of the President and his Government on many issues, does not engender that desire of the people. Instead it runs contrary to that. This statement could be buttressed by his government's failure to sign the communiqué which will commit them to the African peer review mechanism, and his party's failure to sign the memorandum of under standing binding all political parties in the Gambia to international standards of best practices in democratic political conduct in a multiparty system, which is characterized by adherence to truth, fair play, tolerance and submission to the popular will, when expressed by the ballot. If the President and his Government are interested in peace, as he always claimed, then what is preventing them from making such Communiqué and Memorandum of Understanding? It is time all righteous people everywhere broke their silence and sincerely advised the President not to plunge our motherland into civil strife which only brings about deaths, abject poverty, disease and chaos.

The Gambia is greater than any individual. I pray that the great God of Nations will keep us ever true to Mother Gambia.

Fabakary Trawally

Baddibou Salikenni

 

 

 

LAI CONTEH ARRAIGNED
Appearing before Justice Haddy Roche of the Banjul High Court, on Monday, the 28th November 2005, the embattled mayor who has been expelled from the APRC has pleaded not guilty to three counts, ranging from economic crime, theft and resisting arrest.

When the case was called before a courtroom, which was virtually full, the Senior Registrar, Mr. Conteh who read the charges to the accused, Lai Conteh, indicated that Mr. Conteh is charged with the following offences: 

Count 1, Lai Conteh is charged under Section 5A of the Economic Crimes (Specified Offences) Decree 1994. It is alleged that Mr. Lai Conteh, in the Republic of The Gambia, while serving the Kanifing Municipal Council in his capacity as Mayor, defrauded the state in the sum of D48, 796.00 as per-diem, being property of K.M.C;

Count 2: Theft, contrary to Section 252 of the Criminal Code. The particulars are that Mr. Conteh stole the sum of D48, 796.00 from the KMC during his travels as per-diem;

Count 3: Mr. Conteh is charged with resisting arrest. The particulars are that Mr. Conteh on the 22nd December 2005 at the Banjul International Air Port resisted arrest to two Police Officers. The accused, Mr. Conteh, pealed not guilty to all the charges.

His counsel, Amie Joof Conteh, applied for bail on behalf of the accused. In making her verbal application Madam Conteh told the Court that all the charges against her client are bailable offences. She relied on sections 17, 19 and 37 of the constitution.

Counsel Conteh further submitted that Lai Conteh is a responsible man who has his family living with him and is therefore not in position of absconding. Thirdly, that Lai Conteh is still the legally elected Mayor of the K.M.C and therefore he will abide by the orders of the bail.

For her part Mrs. Marley Wood who is the head of the prosecution team objected to the bail on the grounds that investigations are on going and therefore any move to grant bail to the accused would hamper the investigation process. Madam Wood further submitted that the accused was arrested when he was suspected of committing certain offences that are yet to be fully investigated by the agency in charge. The leading state counsel then cited section 17 (2) of the Constitution. She argued that while the fundamental right of the accused should be guaranteed the Court should be mindful of the accused's right infringing on the right of others and the public interest. Madam Wood therefore urged the Court to uphold the states decision on the issue of bail pending the conclusion of the investigations by the investigating agency.

In her reply to the submission of the State, Amie Conteh said denial of bail would be a mockery of the constitution. She added that since his arrest the accused had been denied access to counsel contrary to the Constitution and Section 14 of Criminal Code. 

The trial Judge advised both the prosecution and the defence to work together as a team. She adjourned  the case till 1 December when the issue of bail would be considered.

Meanwhile, before his appearance in court, Mayor Conteh's counsel, Amie Joof Conteh, had filed a miscellaneous application for the state to produce the applicant (Mayor Conteh) in court and for the court to grant him bail. The application was made under sections 17, 19 and 37 of the constitution.

The presiding Judge adjourned the case on the grounds that the state was served at that very juncture and the state needed at least 48 hours to prepare their reply. She also informed counsels for the applicant that the state had charged and filed their case against her client. The case adjourned to 1st December 2005.

 

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