Foroyaa Newspaper Burning Issue
Issue No. 102/2006, 20-21 November, 2006
Editorial
The Future Generation
What does the future hold for the future generation, our ambitious youth and
children who are ready to go against the tide and to scale all height in
order to make a living? What does the future hold for those would be sojourners
who risk their lives in order to become meaningful to their families? What
does the future hold for those proud and dignified young people who would
rather die than live in shame because they are being treated like thrash by their
families since they cannot contribute financially or economically to a family
that quite often lives from hand to mouth?
It is easy to make sweeping statements like “The youth are lazy,” or “
Gambians are lazy.” It is easy to blame Gambian youths for not taking advantage of
training facilities or productive ventures in order to get out of poverty.
But what is the reality?
The secondary or tertiary education of many youths is discontinued or
interrupted incessantly because of the inability of their parents or relatives to
pay expensive fees. How many parents can afford to pay fess like D2500 or
D3900 annually for their children’s secondary schooling? How many can afford to
pay D14,000 or D16,000 a year for University education? How many can afford to
pay D3000 to D4000 for skills training?
More than a hundred students approach our offices every year to complain of
being driven away for lack of payment of fees and to seek sponsorship.
On the other hand, many leave school only to roam the street endlessly
without any prospect of a job.
The reality is that many youths are leaving school just to join the pool of
unemployment because the net rate of unemployment is stagnant. There is need
for growth in the productive sectors in order to generate employment so that
the youth can be employed. Otherwise they will continue to head for Europe in
search of greener pastures. With the prevailing condition, this trend is
unstoppable. No amount of force or law can stop it. This is evident from
statements made by returnees.
IEC SETS DATE FOR NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ELECTION
A press release from the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), states that
National Assembly Elections will be held on 25th January 2007.
Below is the text of the release;
The Independent Electoral Commission, in exercise of its mandate under
Section 40 of the Elections Decree, wishes to inform the general public that
election of Members of the National Assembly of the Republic of The Gambia shall
take place on Thursday 25th January 2007.
Nomination of candidates for the election of members of the National
Assembly according to Section 42(1) of the Elections Decree shall take place from
Thursday 4th to 6th January 2007 between the hours of 8 0’ clock and 4 0’
clock in the afternoon in the offices of the Independent Electoral Commission
(IEC) in Banjul, Kanifing, Brikama, Kerewan, Mansakonko, Janjanbureh, and Basse,
respectively.
In exercise of its powers given in Section 85 of the Election Decree, the
IEC announce that the campaign period for the said election will be held from
Wednesday, 10th to Tuesday 23rd January 2007.
Nomination papers could be collected from the IEC regional offices
countrywide from Thursday 14th December 2006.
The general public is also hereby informed that there will be an exercise to
replace lost, destroyed or mutilated voters’ cards or the transfer of voting
cards from Thursday 14th to Friday 29th December 2006. This exercise will
take place in the IEC regional offices countrywide. A fee of D50.00 will be
levied on any transferred or replaced card.
BUNJA DARBOE AND CO TRIAL
JUSTICE AGIM RULES AGAINST CAMARA
By Fabakary B. Cessay
Medic Wharf, the Medical Officer at the mile two Central Prisons has
testified in the ongoing court martial at the Yundum Barracks on Saturday 11th
November 2006.
Medic Wharf told the court that, his name is Corporal Bakary ‘Wharf’ D
Kujabi. He said, he lived in Old Jeshwang. He said that he is an officer of the
Prison Service and is presently attached to the Medical Unit at Mile Two
Prison. Corporal Wharf pointed out that he never received any medical papers of
Wassa Camara nor has he given medical papers pertaining to Captain Wassa Camara
to anybody. At this Juncture, defense counsel Lamin Jobarteh urged the court
to allow the way book of the prison to be brought to court, to show whether
medical papers and medicine were received and signed by the accused person’s
brother. Medic Wharf said he is not in charge of the way book, but he can
bring his medical diary. He was urged to bring the diary in the next adjourned
date (on the 16th November). Going Further, medic Wharf said Captain Camara
had never visited any hospital and has never visited his clinic at the prison.
He explained that they normally visit detainees and convicts on daily basis
to examine them and to check there complains. He noted that if their complains
are necessary to be referred to the hospital, they will be escorted by the
medical officers to the RVTH. He said after the procedures, the medical papers
are handed over to the medical officer at Mile Two. He narrated that on one
of his daily routines from cell to cell at the main yard to the security wing
on the 21st April, Captain Wassa Camara complained to him about, headache,
fever, dizziness and joint pains. He said he saw marks on the head of Wassa
and asked, ‘Sir what about those marks on your head and he told me those are
marks he got from an accident.’ I asked him, when did the accident happen? And
he told me, in 2000. Medic Wharf admitted that he had treated Wassa and
recorded it in a diary. He said he recorded every thing pertaining to his duties,
but that did not include prescribed drugs.
On Thursday 16th November, medic Wharf told the court that he had brought
his medical diary to the court. Then defense counsel Lamin Jobarteh asked the
court to give him at least ten (10) minutes stand down to study the diary so
as to ask questions pertaining to it’s Contents from the 21st April to the end
of April.
He said he wanted to use the diary to enable him to lead his witness. At
this juncture, the prosecutor, Emmanuel Fagbenle objected to the application and
said the diary is a public document, even though it is before the court. He
said the counsels can look at it only under the direction of the witness. ‘It
is not only the privacy of the accused person but it also contained the
privacy of other people, the diary can be admitted only for the witness to assist
the counsel in the presence of the court,’ he emphasized.
The defense argued that hence the document is before the court; the issue of
privacy cannot arise any more. ‘I therefore need to satisfy myself to the
portion of the diary that is relevant to examine the witness under this
circumstances, I therefore want a short time to study the diary, so as to examine my
witness in a proper way’, he lamented. The judge advocate, Justice Agim,
said the defense did not lay the fact before the court to study the document
before it can be tendered, since form the 9th to 16th November. He also agreed
with the prosecution that the diary contains other people’s privacy. Justice
Agim asked the witness when he arrived at the court, the witness replied that
he arrived at 9:45am. Agim said the defense should have studied the document
before the sitting commences because the witness told the court that he
arrived by 9:45am. Counsel Jobarteh dismissed that the witness has arrived at the
court at the said time. He said that he had arrived earlier and was looking
for Wharf so as to check the diary before the sitting commence. He said even
the prosecutor was assisting him to locate the witness. ‘I have to study the
diary so as to guide the witness, the witness cannot tell me where is
relevant to check’, he emphasized. At this juncture, he was granted chance to check
the relevant portion of the diary so as to lead his witness. Jobarteh then
informed the court that he wanted to tender the entire diary. The diary was
tendered as a sick record book and mark TWT exhibit four (4). The DPP argued
that they can extract the portion from the book hence the witness said that they
are still using the book. Jobarteh said the relevant portion can be copied
and the book can be returned to mile two. He said the witness was lying under
oath. He said he wanted to take the witness as a hostile witness and will
prove to the court that he was not telling the truth. Mr. Jobarteh pointed out
that the witness is not worthy to be given credits because he has given
contradictory statements and the statements were only intended to mislead the
court. There is no iota of truth in his statement, the particular document he
should have brought is not this one’. Justice Agim then granted the defense the
opportunity to treat the witness as a hostile witness. Mr. Jobarteh asked the
witness whether it is true that the entry in their book starts at January and
end at December, he replied no. Medic Wharf indicated that he couldn’t
remember when they began using the diary. He also said that the closed date of
2005 to the start date of 2006 is in another book, which is filled up. Jobarteh
asked him why he did not bring that book, Wharf said the other book has
nothing to do with the accused person because he was arrested in March. Medic
Wharf said the first entry date in the diary begins 4th April 2006 and all of
them (medical officers) do the recordings. He added that they work on shift
duties on weekly basis but that not all of them signed in the diary. Wharf noted
that from the 5th April to 8th April, four (4) different persons did the
recordings but they did not record the hours. He said he first saw the accused
person on 21st April and on 2nd July 2006. He added that they don’t have record
of the complaints of the accused persons. At this juncture, Jobarteh asked
him where he was trained as a nurse. He replied that he had his training at
RVTH and has worked at the out patient unit of the hospital. He said that at
RVTH, they record the complaints of the patients.
Jobarteh told him to look at where it is written, in the diary Captain Wassa
Camara, at the last column, what was written against his (Wassa) name. Wharf
replied that the writing was ‘drugs’ Jobarteh asked him whether it is the
drugs that were prescribed for Wassa. Wharf said those are drugs that were
issued by them for Wassa’s health. ‘Am putting it to you that you are the most
unfaithful witness that I have ever seen’. Wharf said, ‘am saying nothing
but the truth’. “Am also putting it to you that the reason you did not bring
that other book is that you are hiding the truth and that you are not the only
medic that has seen the accused person,” Jobarteh said. Medic Wharf said he
was saying the truth but agreed that he was not the only medic who has seen
Wassa Camara. During cross- examination by the DPP, medic Wharf said he has on
record the medical entries of the treatment that was given to captain Wassa
Camara. He told the court that he treated Captain Camara on the 21st April
and 2nd July 2006. He denied attending Wassa on any other date other than the
mention dates. He admitted that the way they keep their records at Mile Two
Prisons is different from that of RVTH.
The Judge advocate, Justice Agim, has ruled that the prosecution has proved
beyond reasonable doubt that the accused has made his statement voluntarily
in the presence of the independent witness and the officer investigating the
matter. He also indicated that the independent witness, Babou Loum, was
present when the statements were recorded. Agim also believed that TWT 1, 2 and 3
are unshakable on the basis of their evidence, noting that the statements were
made voluntarily. Justice Agim said that the accused testified that he was
forced, threatened and beaten to make and signed his statement. Agim pointed
out that he did not believed in the evidence of the defense that the accused
has made his statement under duress and sustained injuries. ‘When we
cross-examined the body of the accused, there are lots of scars on his head, but no
scars on his chest. There are also many scars on his legs, which he attributed
to the accident he had,’ said Agim. Justice Agim also ruled that when the
accused was visited by his wife at Mile Two, he complained to her about,
dizziness, fever and pains on his sides. ‘If there was another wound on him, he
would have informed her about it, there is no medical evidence to support the
statement of the accused person.’ Justice Agim ruled that the cautionary
statement made by the accused on the 22nd, 24th and 28th March were made voluntarily.
“OUR COFFERS ARE EMPTY”
By Modou Nyang
“Our coffers are empty”. Said Omar Sallah, chairman of the National Sports
Council, when confronted with the issue of government funding of national
sporting associations”. All the funds we receive from government go to pay for
salaries”. “Our coffers are empty” he openly put to the delegates of the
affiliate members of the Gambia National Olympic Committee, GNOC.
Sallah indicated that since the banning of cigarette advertisement by the
National Assembly the council has been left with no other source of funding. We
used to have the cigarette levy which was put in a fund for sports
development but it was not even fort coming and since it has been outlawed we are now
left with no other source, he lamented.
The chairman of the national sport council indicated that unless another
source of funding is explored, funding for associations will continue to be a
problem. He however called on sporting associations to collaborate with the
council to raise funds and that they should not wait till the last minute before
asking for funding for their national engagements.
STRAINING THE GAMBIAN TAX PAYER
By Modou Nyang
Hosting of sessions of the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights
by the Government of the Gambia is a strain on the Gambian taxpayer, said Dr.
Henry D.R Carrol acting Solicitor General at the Department of State for
Justice.
Dr. Carrol made this statement at the opening ceremony of the 40th ordinary
session of the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights ACHPR, while
deputising for the Vice President Dr. Aja Isatou Njie Saidy, at the Kairaba
beach hotel.
“Our official records clearly confirm that for the last three years the
Gambia hosted both ordinary sessions of the commission at the expense of the
Gambia Government, this is a strain on the Gambian tax payer” said Dr. Carrol. He
also outlined that out of the thirty six ordinary sessions organized by the
commission since its inception in 1989 nineteen were hosted and sponsored by
the Gambia. I am therefore strongly appealing to the member States of the
African Union to cooperate with the Gambia by readily accepting to host ordinary
sessions of the African commission he urged.
Citing the decision of the Assembly of Heads of States and Governments in
handing the hosting rights of the commission’s secretariat to the Gambia in
their May 1988 Ordinary Session in Addis Ababa, Carrol noted that the government
of the Gambia has always honoured its contractual obligation to the
satisfaction of the other party.
Dr. Carrol added that the ACHPR requested the Gambia Government to sponsor
the present session but as a result of economic constrains and the fact that
the Gambia sponsored the 39th session in May last year, it was unable to do
so.
LAMIN SANNEH IN MILE TWO
By Yaya Dampha
Reports have it that Mr. Lamin Sanneh, former Permanent Secretary Department
of State for Works, Construction and Infrastructure was arrested by security
agents and sent to Mile Two Central Prisons over one week ago.
According to reliable sources, Mr. Sanneh was arrested shortly after he was
sacked from his position as the Permanent Secretary; then briefly detained at
the NIA where he was questioned and later transferred to Mile Two. It is not
clear what Mr. Sanneh has been accused of.
Our information is that Mr. Sanneh’s arrest and detention are in connection
to some recently concluded road construction contracts that the President is
unhappy about.
In a separate development, the former Protocol to the Vice President, Mr.
Jobarteh was also reported to have been sacked two weeks ago. He too has been
arrested and detained at Mile Two.
Since the arrest there has been no official statement about him. This
reporter has been reliably informed that Mr. Jobarteh is not yet charged with any
crime.
According to another source, the Deputy Director of Immigration, Sako
Drammeh, was on Tuesday afternoon arrested by the security agents in his office,
but he has since been released.
KANIFING EAST DISASTER RELIEF COMMITTEE
RECEIVE DONATIONS
The Gambian people and particularly residents of the Kanifing Municipality
have positively responded to the call of supporting the Kanifing Disaster
Relief Committee following the tragedic fire incident that left 7 young men dead
and II others in critical conditions, states a press release from the
aforesaid committee.
The press release added that the committee also received donations from
institutions and individuals including President Jammeh.
The release have it that the Kanifing East Disaster Relief Committee has
opened an account at the Trust Bank and has deposited some of the funds so far
collected after spending a good amount on the above mentioned congregation
prayers.
Under the leadership of Imam Baba Muhtarr Leigh, members of the committee
have received generous donations at the Kanifing East Mosque On Tuesday 14th
November 2006. These were provided for by a number of institutions and
sentiments were expressed by all those who participated in the presentation ceremony.
On Friday 17th November 2006, the Bakoteh Housing Estate and Layout led by
Alhaji Jagne and community leaders including youths and women came to pay
their condolences. The delegation included both Muslims and Christians.
The objectives of the Kanifing Disaster Committee are to;
1. Raise sufficient funds that will enhance essential support for the
families of those who passed away;
2. Provide assistance to all those in the hospital including evacuation
abroad for treatment; and
3.Develop appropriate mechanisms to avoid the occurrence of such incidents
in the future
For further information and contribution, contact the following:
1. Alhaji Baba Muhtarr Leigh, Telephone 9969960
2. Alhaji Abdou Jarjusey, Telephone: 9964057
3. Alhaji Omar Mbye, Telephone: 9966686
4. Mr. Alieu Cham, Telephone: 7795340
Pay direct to this
Account
01111 01954501
Kanifing East Disaster Relief Fund
Trust Bank Gambia Ltd
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