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Countdown to Nianija by-election

Wed, 05 Nov 2008 08:04:54 GMT

Wednesday, November 05, 2008

APRC national mobilizer speaks..

Speaking ahead of the December 18 National Assembly by-election in Nianija, Yankuba Touray, the secretary of state for Fisheries, Water Resources and National Assembly Matters, who doubles as the ruling APRC’s national mobiliser, has stated confidently of his party’s unshakeable stance in as far as the coming election in that constituency is concerned.

The National mobiliser of the APRC party told Daily Observer that opposition parties pose no threat to the APRC, stressing that the said constituency had always been a stronghold of his party.

Secretary Touray made these remarks, yesterday, at his office in Banjul, in an exclusive interview with this paper.

"Going by the statistics of the 2007 National Assembly elections, my party had over 2000 votes, which constituted over 60% of the total votes. The opposition coalition of the National Reconciliation Party and the United Democratic Party only pulled half of our percentage. This shows that the opposition parties are no threat to the APRC in this by-election," Secretary Touray argued.

The APRC National mobiliser further told the Daily Observer that they were currently on the selection process, assuring that the wining candidate would soon be known to the general public.

Hon Touray also urged his party’s militants to ensure a violence-free election.

"The important thing is that when you are winning, you are not supposed to be violent, so we don’t expect any form of political violence from APRC militants", he said. He urged opposition militants to maintain peace and tranquility, calling on them to promote politics of issues and avoid politics of castigation, abuse and violence.

Author: by Hatab Fadera

Assembly sends journalists for training abroad

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 10:05:35 GMT

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Friday, October 31, 2008

The National Assembly of The Gambia, through its United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Capacity Building Development Project, is sponsoring five journalists, from both the print and electronic media, to undertake a three-week training course on parliamentary reporting, at the Ghana Institute of Journalism, in Ghana.

The group of lucky Journalists, which includes Alhagie Jobe, a deputy editor-in-chief of the Daily Observer; Abba Gibba, a sub- editor at The Point Newspaper; Famara Fofana, Mama Jaye and Nuha Badjie of GRTS radio and television, are expected to leave Banjul for Ghana on Sunday, November 2, 2008.

Among the subjects of their course would be legal and ethical implications of media coverage, investigative reporting, techniques of interviews, amongst others.

This Assembly-UNDP facilitated training was the first of it’s kind in the history of The Gambia’s legislature, and it greatly symbolises the importance the National Assembly, under the present government, attaches to the immense role of the media in its socio-economic development strives.

In a farewell speech to the departing journalists, yesterday, at the National Assembly Chambers in Banjul, Hon. Fatoumata Jahumpa-Ceesay, speaker of the National Assembly, expressed delight over the fruitful partnership between the Assembly and the UNDP country office. She noted the provision of this training would avail the National Assembly correspondents the skills to report effectively and accurately, not only during parliamentary proceedings but also on various assignments of their respective media houses.

According to the speaker, training National Assembly Correspondents had been a priority; otherwise, she said, the resources could have been diverted to other ventures. She however noted that the move would go a long way in maintaining the good governance process The Gambia continue to cherished.

Speaker Jahumpa also told the departing journalists that they were expected to serve as worthy ambassadors of The Gambia, noting that the institution chosen for them in Ghana was one of the best in the sub-region.

"Ghana Institute of Journalism has ever been graduating the best journalists in the world. So I will strongly urge you to make the best use of this opportunity," Speaker Jahumpa urged journalists, while warning them that the three-week course would be very intensive.

She challenged media outfits in the country to ensure that their journalists specialized in various fields of reporting, emphasizing that one needed to be a specialist in any field of profession if they were to succeed. While commending the UNDP for a fruitful partnership with the Assembly, which has resulted to this significant development, Speaker Jahumpa-Ceesay expressed hope that upon return of the journalists, they would continue to report for the National Assembly.

Sira Ndow, program analyst of the UNDP Country Office, noted that their partnership with the Assembly dated back to last year, when they felt the need to cooperate with the new Assembly members, who were more than 50% new comers.

According to Ms Ndow, the UNDP felt the need to build capacity in the country’s media, to enable them effectively disseminate National Assembly proceedings to the masses. She expressed gratitude to the Ghana Institute of Journalism for accepting the five journalists, further expressing hope that the move was the start of a partnership with the said institution.

"As we plan for the follow-up project, we envisaged that we will be doing more training for the media practitioners and the National Assembly Members," she assured the journalists, while challenging them to live up to expectations.

The National Assembly member for Basse Constituency, Hon. Sellu Bah, said that the media fraternity should be sincerely thankful for the simple fact that they were been shown the light to the Assembly.

While emphasising the need for the media fraternity to work hand in glove with the Assembly, the Basse NAM used the opportunity to salute Speaker Jahumpa-Ceesay for her foresight and passion for the initiative. He then challenged the journalists to be worthy ambassadors of The Gambia during their stay in Ghana.

Kebba Dibba, senior television manager at the Gambia Radio and Television Services, who spoke on behalf of the awarded journalists, hailed the steadfastness of the Speaker and the UNDP in championing a cause vital to the enhancement of journalism in the country.

He noted that for journalists to report accurately and effectively, the need for capacity building such as this could not be questioned. Mr Dibba then challenged the UNDP to offer more training of this nature to Gambian journalists.

At the end of the historic farewell ceremony, the more-than-delightful and grateful journalists spoke to the Daily Observer about how they feel about this rare opportunity.

Alhagie Jobe: A deputy editor-in-chief at Daily Observer
This training is yet another plus for the entire media fraternity. As a reporter attached to the National Assembly for a good number of years now, it will greatly boost my morale and avail me the opportunity to report more effectively and accurately, not only National Assembly affairs, but other issues as well, as indicated in the course itinerary. Hopefully, we will live up to expectations.

At this point, I will like to thank the National Assembly under the visionary leadership of Speaker Fatoumatta Jahumpa-Ceesay for this laudable move.

I also salute the UNDP for funding the training and I wish to assure both institutions that we will excel. I am also appreciative of the management of the Daily Observer, for giving me the opportunity to take part in the program.

Abba AS Gibba: A sub-editor at The Point newspaper
This is a rare opportunity to me as a journalist, which in turn is a major boost to The Gambia’s media fraternity. Like any other field, journalists also deserve to have the vital ingredients in a bid to enable us do our work easily and effectively. I thank the National Assembly and the UNDP for such a timely training, and I therefore urge other public and private institutions to emulate the Assembly.

Ms Mama Jaye: GRTS
This training means a lot for me as a journalist. This is a step in my career, which would go a long way in further developing my capacity. For the fact that I am a National Assembly reporter, it will enable me to ensure effective parliamentary reporting.

So I am appealing to stakeholders to emulate the National Assembly and the UNDP so as to boost the capacity of journalists.

Nuha Badjie: Radio Gambia
This is an opportunity that will enable me to further develop my capacity as a journalist. It is necessary for us to be trained in a bid to enable us do our work effectively.

So I want to use this opportunity to call on other institutions to emulate the move and venture into training of journalists. So, training us means a lot since we are the 4th estate of government.

Famara Fofana: GRTS
This training is indeed laudable and a very important step in the right direction, giving the fact that Assembly reporting is such a challenging one. It will go a long way in developing and enhancing our skills to ensure effective and efficient Assembly reporting, as well as other media reporting in general.

So I am appealing to both public and private institutions to emulate the National Assembly and the UNDP to ensure vibrant journalism. I therefore commend the sponsors for such a timely and needed training.

Author: by Hatab Fadera

2 military police officers sacked

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 09:44:18 GMT

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Reliable sources reaching the Daily Observer revealed that two Military Police Officers (MPs) of the Gambia Armed Forces (GAF) attached to the Yundum Barracks in Yundum, Western Region, on Monday October 20th received their marching orders..

According to our sources the sacked officers; Sgt Balla Musa Saidy and Sgt Modou Lamin Bah, were spotted at the Banjul Police Headquarters on Tuesday afternoon, where they were reported to have been charged by the Police prosecution unit and are expected to appear in court.

When contacted for confirmation, 2nd Lt Omar B Bojang, the public relations officer of The Gambia Armed Forces (GAF), confirmed the story. The military spokesperson Bojang also told the Daily Observer that the officers were sacked on disciplinary grounds but he could not further elaborate on the charge levelled against them.

He explained that the case is now in the hands of the police.

Author: by Assan Sallah

Business & Finance: A Partnership of Giants

Thu, 23 Oct 2008 07:14:13 GMT

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Thursday, October 23, 2008

This week, we are pleased to announce the birth of a new partnership between the Daily Observer and Oceanic Bank Gambia Limited. Oceanic Bank are now the official sponsors of the Business and Finance column.

This new partnership is in every sense a partnership of giants, as both establishments have considerable clout in their respective areas of operation. The Daily Observer is the leading newspaper in the country. It has a wider circulation than any other paper.

Such is the paper’s popularity and professionalism that it has become not only a household name but a byword for a newspaper.

Oceanic Bank, though a new name in The Gambia, is also a force to be reckoned with. It is one of the three largest banks in Nigeria.

Oceanic Bank was incorporated on March 26, 1990 as a private limited liability company with 100% equity ownership by Nigerian citizens, and licensed on April 10, 1990 to carry on commercial banking.

The bank commenced business on June 12, 1990 at the Waterfront Plaza, Plot 270, Ozumba Mbadiwe Avenue, Victoria Island, Lagos. It was listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange on June 25, 2004.

The bank has branches in other African countries, as well as in Europe and Asia. The Oceanic Bank team in The Gambia is led by Olumuyiwa Eleazar Ogunmilade. The bank currently has one branch in Kololi, but there are more in the pipeline.

We hope that this new partnership will grow from strength to strength. And to our new partners, Business and Finance says “Welcome”.

Author: by Kojo

Opinion: The reorientation component of the APRC

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 09:02:55 GMT

Friday, October 17, 2008

It has been a long time since I wrote for the Daily Observer and for my dearest & beloved president and head of state, Alhaji Yahya AJJ Jammeh, for the way he is steering the affairs of the state to the present standards, quality of life and progressiveness. When a person talks about the exploits and achievements of President Jammeh, some people think that one is just being another griot for him. But the facts are obvious, blatant and so conspicuous that even a blind man can see them.

Yahya Jammeh’s leadership is insurmountable, unbreakable, assuring and comforting in that he has been able to put in place the very structures that concretize and secure these conditions, not only for Gambians, but also for all others who seek and desire to live a peaceful and deserving life.

However, successful and assuring as his regime has been for the past 14 years, there are still a lot of people who shamelessly castigate and continue to pollute people’s minds about this government. These people have not been able, despite all attempts, to stop President Jammeh from moving on with his determined objective to bring about development and advancement to our beloved country, but there are instances when I hold my head in my left hand and wonder.

These worries are founded in a lot of reasoning, particularly in the attitude of the youths of this country, who continue to be dependent on their unguided desire to leave the country to seek greener pastures abroad. This is a key concern of the Jammeh government. Every time I hear him lament over the attitude of the youths of this country, I get a feeling that this is the next area that deserves priority.

When my brother and friend, Alhaji Axi Gaye, was newly appointed as SoS for Youth and Sports, it seemed to me that the President mentioned "Youth orientation" as a component of his portfolio. Orientation is not a little thing. It is not something that could be done as part of an assignment. It has a fundamental cultural perspective that deserves a macro-operational and political dimension. The SoS for Youth & Sports needs to take up youth orientation more seriously and give it a priority.

But how could my brother and friend have had this foresight and scheme to bring about a more positive, a more patriotic and respectful acceptance of the youths for their nation and acquire the will and drive to work towards its betterment and their own pride of place in the world today? I do not see this as a little thing. It deserves a special place in "government priority" and in my opinion, the Department of State for Youth & Sports ought to be divided into two parts, one unique to sports and another to Youth Orientation.

A DoS for Youth Orientation would harbour such structures as the National Youth Service Scheme, the President’s Award Scheme, the Youth Council, the Youth Parliament, etc, that deal directly with youthful human resource development and turn them into orientation and political structures.

This DoS would also need help from Departments of State such as Education and Tourism & Culture because I believe that every nation in this world deserves its own political orientation despite the globalization and so called democratization that is being propagated by the more powerful nations of the world today.

As we live on in our present lives, we can see our culture and hopes for a better life being broken and shattered into bits and pieces that gradually metamorphose into a incomprehensible and unacceptable foreign conceptuality of a political jigsaw that means nothing but further domination and colonization by others. This trend has to come to a stop now or the development and advancement we aspire for will continue to be an unachievable dream as our youths continue to be confused and disorientated in their political and cultural understanding of this world.

The proper orientation and cultural education of the youthful human resources of a country are the foundations of a true and successful nation. These very important components of the development of a country should precede every other educational structure of a people or else they would continue to live as half-baked, hybridized, disgruntled and dominated citizens of this world.

Mao Tshe Tung began his revolution with a cultural reorientation of his people. China would not have gotten to this level of development if they had kept the culture and orientation of the Japanese colonialists. Lenin brought about a cultural revolution in Russia to bring that nation to what it is today.

The Romans could not keep their empire any longer, but as promised in the Holy Koran, their empire has risen again and now dominates and rules almost half of the world because they changed to a cultural empire. But most of all, the Holy Prophet Muhammed (PUBH) brought about a cultural revolution to not only control and govern his people but also many more peoples around the world.

The need for a Department of State responsible for the orientation of the youths of this country cannot be overemphasized. It was necessary yesterday, it is necessary today and shall be tomorrow as well. This is an absolute condition for the "Reorientation" component of the APRC and deserves all priority today.

Author: by Momodou Ngum

How comes?

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 07:21:09 GMT

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Editor,

Greetings and best wishes to you all at the Daily Observer. It has been a few days since The Gambia played against Senegal, which ended in a one all draw, earning The Gambia nine points.

After the match, I browsed through the F.I.F.A website and took a closer look at the table of qualifiers, and, to my surprise, The Gambia had been ruled out, leaving Mozambique, with eight points, and Sudan, to join the next round of qualifiers.

I therefore would like to know how this draw was made for the best losers. Kind regards.

Kofi

Author: DO

New Gunjur Alkalo meets WR governor

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 08:46:51 GMT

Wednesday, October 08, 2008

Alhagie Sulayman Touray, the newly appointed Alkalo of Gunjur, in the Kombo South District, on Monday paid a courtesy call on the governor of Western Region at his office in Brikama. The visit was meant to familiarize the newly appointed alkalo with the authorities in his region.

Speaking to the Daily Observer, governor Sanneh said former Alkalo Sabaki Touray’s resignation was neither a decision of the governor’s office nor a decision of the people of Gunjur. He disclosed that the former alkalo’s resignation was a decision from the public service regulation.

During the familiarization meeting, Governor Sanneh reaffirmed his office’s commitment to closely collaborate with the local authorities in his region. He urged the new Alkalo to live up to expectations in safeguarding the integrity of his village and The Gambia as a whole.

Other speakers included the Chief of Kombo South, Ajay Janneh and Lamin Bojang, the National Assembly Member for Kombo East.

The meet was attended by chiefs and National Assembly Members of the region as well as other local authorities.

It could be recalled that the former alkalo’s resignation came after some problems broke out within the people of the village, who demanded his immediate handing over of the Alkalorship.

Author: by Amadou Jallow

Daily Observer organises Iftar

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 03:09:25 GMT

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Monday, September 15, 2008

The management of the Daily Observer, the biggest and most widely read newspaper in the country, last Thursday organized an Iftar (a dining session at the end of a day’s fasting period), at its premises in Bakau. In the words of the managing director, Neneh Macdouall-Gaye, the Iftar was organised “to foster unity and cooperation among the staff.”

The session coincided with the send-off party of the departing acting editor-in-chief, Ebrima Manneh, commonly called Ebrima Jaw Manneh, who is leaving to take up a new assignment at the Embassy of the United States of America, in Banjul.

At the simple but memorable ceremony, colleagues of Mr Manneh took turns to recall their time with him, showering him with praises. Dedication, loyalty and hard work, were among a host of words used to describe the young man who, until now, had served as one of the youngest ever editors-in-chief of a credible newspaper in The Gambia.

Andrew DaCosta, the deputy managing director of the Observer Company, described the occasion as a special one. He said that although it was natural that people would feel sad in such situations, Ebrima Manneh’s departure should be taken with pride, as an institution like the American Embassy was tapping from the quality produce of the Daily Observer.

As one of the longest, if not the longest, serving members of staff, DaCosta was well placed to give a synopsis of Mr Manneh’s time at the company; from the status of a freelance journalist, ascending to the position of acting editor-in-chief, amid the usual stiff competition characteristic of a media institution like the Daily Observer.

Like the other speakers, he attributed Mr Manneh’s success to dedication and hard work.

For her part, the managing director of the Observer Company, Neneh Macdouall Gaye, told the gathering that it was with a mixture of happiness and sadness that the management decided to convene the “formal parting” ceremony with somebody who was not only a long serving member of the family, but also a dedicated, dynamic and determined person.

She called for unity among the general staff, citing the significance of the Month of Ramadan as a possible inspiration for change of attitude in “God-fearing” people. She assured them that “although Ebrima Jaw Manneh was a formidable pillar of the company, the quality of the paper would be maintained”.

Taking turns to make remarks about their relationship with their departing colleague, staff members of the company, from top to bottom, were unanimous in their endorsement of the model character of Mr Manneh.

Mr Ebrima Jaw Manneh himself was at a loss for words but managed to thank the management and the entire general staff for the gesture, describing it as memorable.

Comparing the status of the company under the current management as opposed to the previous one, he hailed the new MD for her tremendous efforts in transforming the company.

Jaw Manneh started work at the Daily Observer in November 2002, fresh from Gambia Senior Secondary School. Out of dedication and hard work, he cruised through the ranks to become a beacon in the night.
With his wealth of experience, many believe that he will shine in the diplomatic world just as he did in the media.

Author: by Kemo Cham

Prices of foodstuff: Cause for concern

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 03:55:54 GMT

Friday, September 12, 2008

Barely a week after the Muslim community in The Gambia started observing the holy month of Ramadan, the Daily Observer took it upon itself to sample the opinion of the general public on the state of the prices of basic food commodities in the market.

However, the paper has so far gathered that prices of basic food commodities continue to rise crescendo.

Prices fluctuation seem to be the favourite activity of unscrupulous retailers.
At the Serrekunda market, consumers have raised great concerns over the recent price hike of basic foodstuff.

In Latrikunda, a general mood of dissatisfaction with the trends prevailing in the market convinced this reporter that vendors needed to put their acts in order.

In speaking with some of the vendors, they informed he paper that the cost price of some foodstuff like rice is D820 and a bag of onion is D330. A bag of potatoe, sugar cost D440 and D575 respectively.

Author: DO

Justice Paul ‘not with the Judiciary’

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 11:42:29 GMT

Friday, August 22, 2008

Reliable sources close to the Judiciary have intimated that Justice MA Paul, a member of the Gambia Court of Appeal, is “no longer considered as working” with the Gambian Judiciary.

Sources also informed the Daily Observer that the judge’s salary had been stopped since May 2008.

Unconfirmed reports indicate that the judge is currently out of the country, with some reports suggesting that he has left for the United States, while others reveal that he has returned to his home country, Nigeria.

Author: DO