The Taiwanese ambassador, recently, presented a cheque for US$70,000 to the Department of State for Basic and Secondary Education (DOSBSE) as part of his government’s support for the construction of a modern senior secondary school at Sifoe Village, Western Region.

Presenting the cheque, Ambassador Shih stressed the importance of education as an important pillar of development and reinforced his country’s desire to stand by The Gambia in this crucial area of national development.

Receiving the cheque on behalf of the contractor, Gambia Technical Training Institute (GTTI), Fatou Lamin Faye, the secretary of state for Basic and Secondary Education, thanked the government of Taiwan, through Ambassador Shih for its continued support to the project and The Gambia as a friend. She welcomed the gesture and expressed satisfaction with the progress of the project.

Fatou Mbye, the director of GTTI, thanked the Taiwanese Embassy for the trust and confidence bestowed on her institute to undertake the construction of the school and described the presentation of the cheque as timely.

Kunkung Jorbateh, the deputy permanent secretary at the Department of State for Basic and Secondary Education, who chaired the ceremony, also thanked the government for its continued support for The Gambia’s projects.

Musa Mbye, the executive director of the National Youth Service Scheme (NYSS), recently returned from the Songhai Centre of Porto-Novo, Benin, where he was for a week at the invitation of the ECOWAS Youth and Sports Development Centre.

In an interview with the Daily Observer, Mr Mbye said he was invited in order to allow him to gain experience from the said centre to better manage reforms that the NYSS is currently pursuing at the Nyaniberi farm to effectively host the ECOWAS training programme in 2009.

Quizzed about the differences and similarities between the Songhai Centre and the NYSS Nyaniberi farm, Mbye noted that Songhai is a private voluntary organisation that seeks to create viable socio-economic environments in Africa by developing human capacities for the empowerment of individuals and groups as active members of the society and also to develop a resilient integrated program that links agriculture with industry and commerce.

“Songhai Centre is an arena where Africans learn and put into practice the principles of self-determination by unleashing the creative potentials of its members and cultivating a strong sense of rational use of local resources.

Songhai’s primary activity is the training of young Africans by the transfer of technical skills through practical and human training, so that they become capable of creating and managing viable enterprises such as agriculture, processing of agricultural products and marketing, small construction industries (production of stabilized blocks, design and construction of low-cost housing) electrical and mechanical workshops and also community development,” the NYSS boss explained.

Mr. Ansumana Marena, better known as Julakay, Managing Director of Julakay Construction and Engineering Company Limited, is entangled in yet another theft case at the Kanifing Magistrates’ Court.

Mr. Marena is being arraigned for allegedly stealing 88 pairs of toilet tanks, 50 pairs of wash hand basins, 74 pairs of wash hand stands, 57 pieces of sheet covers, 14 rolls of conduits, 9 cartons of fluorescent (4F), 50 pieces of wash hand basins, 50 complete sets of toilet seats and 51 pieces of other fittings, valued at D4.5 million, the property of Julakay Construction and Engineering Company Limited, a charge he denied.

Meanwhile he was offered a court bail on the deposition of D4, 500, 000.00 or the provision of two Ganbian sureties, one of whom must have a landed property of that value, the title deed of which is to be deposited with the Assistant Registrar.

Julakay is also involved in two theft cases at the Banjul Magistrates’ Court charged with various criminal offences.

In the first case he was charged for allegedly stealing the sum of D13, 587, 782.41, the property of Julakay Construction and Engineering Company Limited whilst in the second case he is being charged on three counts of stealing, making false documents and uttering false documents.

In that particular case he is being accused of having stolen a motor vehicle (L200, Mitsubishi) valued at D600, 000, also the property of Julakay Construction and Engineering Company Limited, and fraudulently presenting a false document dated 18th January 2008 to the Licensing Authority with the intention that it will be acted upon as genuine. He is also alleged to have made a document, dated 18th January 2006, and addressed to the Inspector General of Police which he knew to be false or does not believe to be true.

He denied both charges. He was granted court bail of D500, 000.00 in each case.

Asumana Marena is said to own 30% shares of Julakay Construction and Engineering Company Limited, whilst jailed former Majority Leader, Baba Jobe, owns 40%, Foday Lang Sarr 15% and 15% in the name of the Company.

The Chairman of Basse Area Council, Mr Omar Sampo Ceesay, on Wednesday presented the sum of D100,000.00 to the Chairman of the Village Development Committee (VDC) of Numuyel,  Mr Momodou Camara, as BAC’s contribution towards the construction of the road between Sotuma and Numuyel in the Upper River Region. According to Chairman Ceesay, the presentation is meant for the construction of a six-kilometer stretch of road between the two villages.

The contract for the construction of the road has been awarded to Ballast Nedam Contruction company and is expected to last for three months.

He assured the community of Numuyel that the council’s profit would be ploughed back to the people for the development of the region.

He disclosed that the council would purchase two tractors for Basse and its satellite villages very soon. “All this is geared towards the improvement of the sanitary conditions in the region,” he stated.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Governor of Upper River Region, Alh. Omar Khan, advised the community to continue to be loyal to the government. He also urged them to pay their taxes on time in order to enable them to embark on other developmental projects in the region. He called on members of the beneficiary communities to make their contribution by way of providing labour towards the completion of the project.

Present at the ceremony were the Chief of Jimara, Alh. Hagi Kulay Camara, Deputy Governor Alh. M.S. Kah, among other dignitaries.

Gunjur Link Committee in conjunction with their counterparts from Marlborough group in England recently embarked on a massive building construction exercise at Gunjur Vocational Training Centre in Gunjur Kombo South, Western Region.

Speaking to The Point, Fabakary Touray, alias Boyo, a member of the Gunjur Link Committee, said that the aims and objectives of the committee include supplying the people of Gunjur with quality computer technology as well as improving and developing the village.

He stated that since the inception of the link between the people of Gunjur and Marlborough in Wiltshire in 1982, there have been a lot of development projects in Gunjur. These include a five-classroom block at Gunjur Lower Basic School, an orchard, a women’s vegetable garden and the establishment of a local NGO called the Trust Agency for Rural Development (TARUD). He further stated that the Gunjur Link Committee has made a significant contribution to the development of the village and expressed optimism that the vocational training would aid the citizens of the area.

“At the moment we are expecting 12 computers from England and more will come in the near future,” Mr. Touray said.

He finally called on students to take their education seriously and always make sure they produce good results that would allow them to earn a place at the Vocational Education Centre.

For his part, the youth leader Lamin Cham, commended Gunjur Link Committee for their initiative in establishing a vocational training centre which, he said, would aid the citizens of Gunjur in acquiring computer skills before going to other vocational training

Reports reaching this paper have indicated that Ansumana Marena, fondly called Julakay, the Managing Director of Julakay Engineering and Construction company, was on Monday arrested and taken to Mile II prisons.

The latest phase in Julakay’s apparent predicament follows the publication of a story last week that Mr. Marena was a guest of the police, who were said to be questioning him on financial matters. But when Mr. Marena was contacted later on, he said he was at the police headquarters to find out from one of his guys what the matter was. When further quizzed whether his visit to the police headquarters had anything to do with financial matters, he replied that the reason would be clear in due course.