The National Youth Parliament (NYP) recently concluded a week-long leadership training course for young people at Essau Lower Basic School in the North Bank Region.

The forum brought together 50 young people from across the country.

According to Lamin Conteh of NYP, the forum provided an opportunity for young people to learn, interact, socialise and share experiences.

Among the topics discussed were leadership, public speaking, report writing, intergenerational dialogue, and popularising of the African Youth Charter and the Youth Act.

Other activities of the forum were cultural activities and site visits.

The National Union of Gambia Students will on Saturday August 30th hold its 2nd handing over ceremony of leadership at the Joint Officer’s Mess in Kotu, Youth Forum can confirm.

The National Union of Gambia Students is the umbrella body tasked with the responsibility of uniting and defending the interests of students at the tertiary level. Formed in 2005 with a view to inculcating knowledge, discipline and a spirit of hard work among students through collective and conscious means.

Saturday’s historic event will begin at 3pm.

The Federation of The Gambia Muslim Students Organisation (FEGAMSO) recently organised a two-day leadership workshop for over 30 young people.

The training, held at LatriKunda Sabiji Upper Basic School, dwelt on topics such as the role of youths in nation building, women in leadership, skills enhancement and self-development among others.

Speaking at the occasion, Abdul Aziz Jorbateh Fofana ex-president of FEGAMSO briefed the participants about the history of the organisation. According to him the organisation. It was founded in 1995 with the aim of promoting and propagating the teachings of Islam, to foster unity among Muslim brothers and sisters in the country and to help Muslim students organise themselves at institutional level by forming their own associations or strengthening the existing ones.

He advised the youths to be proactive in their religion, adding Islam needs young people.

He stated finance and commitment from members, mobility as some of the constraints facing the organisation.

Mustapha Barry, president of the organisation, said that FEGAMSO is the umbrella body tasked with the responsibility of co-ordinating the affairs of Muslim students and all school-based Islamic clubs and societies.

He said that over the years they have registered so many successes but much more needs to be done.

Two wins in two matches has given Waterman the mantle of leadership in the first edition of the eight -team Regional Gambia Football Association Female League.

The mighty Upper River Region side, Waterman, have proved beyond doubt that they will surely make it to the final from Group A with only a game to play against the Young Stars.They defeated Rising Stars 5-1 in the opening match of the league on Saturday July 12 2008 in Basse. And have also exercised their determination to win the title recently when they trashed Gam-com institute of Bansang 5-0 in week two of the championship in Mansanjang.

In the current standings, Jah Oil is leading group B on goal difference after leveling points with Tendaba United and Jalikasa all with three points each.

Chaku Bantang have a game in hand and Jalikasa are yet to grab a point.

Group A is led by Waterman with six points followed by Gam-com with three. Young Stars and Rising Stars, who lost in their opening matches, are expected to meet after failing to meet in week two matches.

Alhagi Maraong, coordinator of the Regional GFA League, speaking in an interview with Pointspoints, recently said at the end of the final matches the winner in group A will meet Group B leaders in the final.

Chaku Bantang and Jaliksa of Lower Nuimi’s week one encounter with Young Stars and Rising Stars week two game is rescheduled for this weekend.

In the upcoming encounters Gam-Com Institute will meet Rising Stars in Bansang.Young Star will meet Waterman and will travel to Kaur to take on Young Stars.

The top two teams in The  Gambia Football Association Second Division will clash today in the week 14 fixtures at Serrekunda East.

Brikama United, who are leading the table so far with 25 points, and their nearest contender Talinding United, at 24 points, are expected to put up a tough fight today. A win for Talinding will see them take over the leadership while Brikama might also have the opportunity to increase their lead.

Another interesting encounter will feature second to last position holders Ham Ham, on 15 points, who will take on mid table occupants the Young Africans who share the same points with Kaira Silo both are on 17 points.

Last evening as we went to press, Flamemins were taking on Serrekunda East, Jambanjelly and Kaira Silo were also locking horns at the Independence Stadium in Bakau.

 Starlight and Nema United also meet at the Serrekunda West.

Meanwhile, Pointsports has been reliably informed that the preliminaries for the  FA Cup Draw will take place on  Saturday July 19th 2008 at the Serrekunda Mini-Stadium.

Fixtures of the Second Division Week 15

Sat 19/07/08 Flamemins Vs Jambanjelly   S/k West

Sat 19/07/08   Star light Vs S/Kunda East  S/k East

Sat 19/07/08  T /United Vs Nema United Stadium

Sun 20/07/08  Brikama United Vs Young Africans  S/k  East

Sun 20/07/08  Ham Ham Vs Kaira Silo   S/k West

Banutu Business College (BBC) is an institution that has a particular distinction in offering skilled trades to its pupils in the form of learning and discipline. The college recently ended a week-long for members of various security units, civil servants and the commercial industry on leadership quality at its campus in Lamin.

The theme of the training was appreciative enquiry.

According to the organisers, this opportunity will allow the participants make better use of the positive things available to them at the community level, institutional level and departmental level to help develop this country.

Mr. Micheal Banutu Gomez, president Banutu Business College, posited that the workshop was geared towards helping Gambians start to appreciate themselves, their culture and their environment. Mr. Gomez maintained that the training will create an opportunity for dialogue, partnership and effective team work which will foster accountability, dedication and more responsibility.

Mr Gomez maintained that this kind of training will also quell the negative stereotyping whereby certain things are attributed to particular groups of people for our social ills and instead look for positive solutions for better a Gambia.

For his part, the facilitator of the training Dr. Berhe Habte Giorg, a professor at Rowan University U.S.A, acknowledged the fact that working with people closely in order to implement strategies requires much time. He further stated that the workshop is to train agents of change. Dr Berhe added that the success of the training would be measured by how participants begin to transform what they learn into practice.

Even after the signing of the Anti-littering Bill by the president of the Republic and the ensuing national debate on the significance of such legislation, the pattern of deception by enemies of progress remains unabated.

As if the pictures we all saw together on GRTS about frustrated residents worried about their well-being in the face of a series of intruding, illegal dump sites were not enough to touch the soul of these callous saboteurs.
 
What on earth will it take to do away with a destructive few bent on engaging on inclinations that threatens the peace of a majority? This question is for KMC and NEA.   

It is near impossibility to come across a single element that disapproves the bill signed by the president. In fact, the bill is a reflection of the will of the people, as it is their elected representatives who passed it into legislation. One is compelled to wonder why, in the face of all the talking and promises made by KMC and its NEA counterpart, not a single prosecution has taken place (as far as we know!), yet there are loads of evidences of illegal dumping and littering.

Well, as to who has the mandate to prosecute an offender among the two, we can not quite tell. But we are abundantly certain that both NEA and any of the municipal or local council authorities are largely responsible to safeguard a law concerning the health of the people in their region. In other words, they can instigate the prosecution of an offender. And since in this case our focus is on KMC, the subjects are naturally the latter and NEA. This is why we want an explanation from them, as to why not a single prosecution has been done.

Through our Roving Lens, we have a lot of evidence for the inspector general of police about acts directly contradicting this very bill. We happen to have come across some contractor who claimed to have gotten what he referred to as a contractual agreement with KMC to fill in portholes on the roads. That sounds quite interesting, as all his worn-out equipments were dumped on the road, making it all the more inaccessible.  
 
We have reiterated the need for collaboration among the entire populace to root out this irritating phenomenon, hence our resoluteness on the issue. You can imagine how we feel when we have seen all what had happened. It is within our power to help curb the situation.

We strongly accept, as we have indicated time and again, that the issue calls for urgent response and that in so doing we need strong and formidable leadership at all levels. In that regard, we harbor great admiration for the people of KMC for their choice of leadership. "Operation Clean the Municipality" is indeed quite timely.  Mayor Yankuba Colley and his team of wonderful men and women need to be commended for this laudable move.   

We re-emphasise that we harbor not a grain of doubt that this exercise, if the mayor’s resolve continues to receive the support it needs, will bear fruit. However, there are one or two issues that need to be reconsidered in the meantime.

This idea of curbing indiscriminate dumping is incredible. But don’t we think also that the idea of placing rubbish bins at select places sounds better conceived than KMC having to go from door to door, collecting rubbish? The latter idea sounds relieving for the people, but it certainly won’t take long before people start to dump their rubbishes in some dark, quite corners, which will take us back to square one. There is no policing system in the world that can stop that. Having to collect containers from selected places, and on a daily basis, is by far more reliable, sustainable, and economical for KMC.

People will have little interest in dumping indiscriminately if they have designated places to do so in dignity and in comfort.

Cleanliness is undoubtedly a virtue and it should be encouraged. Cleanliness is traditionally associated with good health, tidiness, and purity. We at the Daily Observer fully support "Operation Clean the Municipality"