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  By Alimatou S Bajinka   The Gambia component of the West Africa Competitiveness Programme (WACOMP-GM), is participating in the 15th edition of the Gambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) International Trade Fair at Bijilo. The trade fair, which attracted over 450 participants from the ECOWAS region, Europe and Asia, began on the 26th February and is expected to conclude on the 27th March 2022. With the theme “Accelerating Intra-Africa Trade for the realisation of AFCFTA through innovation”, the platform availed participants the opportunity to network and promote their goods and services. With the support from the European Union, WACOMP-GM is implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) and United Purpose (UP). The project is increasing The Gambia’s competitiveness through enhanced quality compliance along the onion value chain by improving the performance, growth and contribution to industry, regional trade and exports of onion and other hortic

  By Amadou Manjang On the Institutional hearings of the National Intelligence Agency (NIA), the Truth Commission has recommended the prosecution of NIA top officials for various human rights violations they carried out in their deparment. The recommendations details on the Truth Commission report, volume 13 recommends the prosecution of the following individuals. “Yankuba Badjie, the former Director General of the NIA and Sheikh Omar Jeng be prosecuted for their complicity in the unlawful detention and torture of Tumani Jallow and Abdoulie Gaye at the NIA and for their roles in handing over Tumani Jallow and Abdoulie Gaye to the Junglers knowing reasonably well that they were highly likely to be tortured and killed.  Badjie, Sheik Omar Jeng and Tamba Masireh be prosecuted for their role in the torture against Solo Sandeng and the April 14th 2016 UDP demonstrators at the NIA.  Edrissa Jobe (Alagie Morr) be prosecuted for the torture against Lamin Karbou and others at the NIA.  Lamin Da

  By Amadou Manjang  Lyndon B. Johnson an independent candidate for Banjul Central constituency told journalists that Banjul is turning into a store city; vowed to protect the residents if elected into the National Assembly. He made these remarks after submitting his nomination papers to the Independent Electoral Commission Returning Officer in Banjul, ahead of the Parliamentary election.  “If you look at Banjul, everywhere is constructed into a store. People don’t have where to stay so most of the people are going to kombo,” he lamented. Johnson said that property developers in Banjul are constructing stores that are causing residents of the city to loss their homes. This according to him, is depopulating Banjul. “We have seen that the city is going on the drain in the sense that wherever a property is sold in Banjul, people tend to loss their houses.  And all of sudden (they) won’t have nowhere to go or (they would have to) move to kombo,” he said.  He further added that there should

  By Sheriff Saidykhan The Gambia Association of Local Government Authorities (GALGA) called on the government of President Adama Barrow to rescind its decision for the allocation of stalls at the newly constructed Basse market, in the Upper River Region (URR).  Landing B. Sanneh, the President of Gambia Association of Local Government Authorities said the pronouncement of the President is contrary to the dictates of the Local Government Act 2002. He made these remarks at a press briefing held on Thursday 17 March 2022, at its main office in Tabokoto. “We the Local Government Authorities of The Gambia, comprising Chairmen and Mayor's of all the eight Area, Municipal and City Council's, have considered this announcement by the President as contrary to the dictates of the Local Government Act, 2022 and the powers vested on Basse Area Councils by the Act. The announcement has the potential of destabilizing and compromising smooth relations between the URR Regional Governor's O

  By Amadou Manjang The Truth Commission report that was submitted to the government months back has recommended that the government of The Gambia to repeal all repressive media laws and ensure the safety of journalists’.  “The government should with immediate effect, repeal all repressive legislation, including legislation that does not comply with international and regional human rights law, particularly the Information and Communication (Amendment) Act 2013 and Criminal Code (Amendment) Act 2013; being criminal libel and defamation,” the report stated. The report further stated that the government should take all necessary steps to ensure that all journalists are able to freely exercise their right to freedom of expression without fear of arrest, detention, intimidation or harassment. “To ensure media and freedom of expression provisions contained within the Constitution comply with international standards, as outlined under article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Poli

  By Amadou Manjang The Truth Commission recommended that former President, Yahya Jammeh should be investigated and prosecuted for the murder of Deyda Hydara, the disappearance of Chief Ebrima Manneh, the arson attacks on Radio 1 FM and The Independent newspaper as well as torture on journalists’.  The commission's report stated that an investigation be carried out for the purpose of prosecuting the Junglers who participated in the murder of Deyda Hydara, arson attack on Radio 1 FM, attacks on The Independent newspaper and torture of the journalists and other persons mentioned in relation to the Freedom Online Newspaper issue. The commission has uncovered the killing, torture, disappearance of journalists and other Gambians for expressing their freedom of speech. “A study be carried out on the Criminal Code and the Criminal Offenses Bill 2020 and the Criminal Procedure Bill 2019 with a view to removing/repealing or amending any provisions contained in it that are repressive or undu

Lawyer Lamin J Darbo He is a towering intellectual and first rate orator, served simultaneously as Secretary General and Minister of Presidential Affairs under His Excellency Sheikh Professor Alhagie Dr Yahya A. J. Jammeh (the Professor). In that role he met all stripes of leaders domestic and international and participated in the great public dramas of the day at the policy councils of the Gambian state. Allowing for the authoritarian vagaries of the system installed by the Professor, Momodou Sabally (Sabally) was for a year the great supervisor of the Public Service, sounding board of the President, his preeminent confidant, and primus among the Ministers. Having presided, or somewhat participated over the hiring and firing of senior government figures, including some cabinet colleagues, he knows a thing or two about policy and its implementation. After all, he is the Gambia’s Pen and vigorously expresses his enlightening and entertaining perspective on the burning public questions o