It is with great delight that we welcome the governments initiative in leasing a plot of land measuring 265 hectares to the Gambia Investment Promotion and Free Zone Agency (GIPFZA) for investment opportunities.

Of the total number of 265 hectares situated between Pirang and Kuloro, 200 has been allocated to makfood company, a joint venture between M.A Kharafi and Farm fruits of the Netherlands to embark on agricultural projects specifically in onion and Irish potato cultivation.

This is an example of forward planning and shows there is some attempt at least to tackle the issue of food self sufficiency. Many in the country are desperately worried about the rising cost of rice so a move towards potato cultivation is the way forward. Unlike rice, potatoes have in the past been described as natures perfect food. It is possible for a person to survive on potatoes alone as they provide all the vitamins and minerals needed for a human being to survive. While this wonder food will no doubt prove to be an answer to many of our food problems, if the current plan is followed and extended in time, we must be careful not to allow the population to become overly dependant on one food source. This has happened with rice and look at the situation we now find ourselves in.

Along with land allocation of the kind mentioned above we must be careful to ensure that farmers are protected against pests. The biggest crop in the world can be decimated if it is not properly protected against pests. We read of the plight of women farmers in Sanyang who have suffered a major loss of onion output simply because they were not properly protected against pests.  An holistic approach is what will save our people. This has been shown with this latest project. Along with producing food it is expected that the project will create employment opportunities for the youths within the communities of Pirang and Kuloro. This is certainly a much-needed boost to the area and one that should be welcomed by all. What is imperative now is that the government doesn’t lose focus. This type of initiative must be continued all over the country and scientific knowledge must be put to good use to see what crops will best benefit the people in any given area. This is a good start but it is still only the starting point on the long hard road to self-sufficiency.

“Food is an important part of a balanced diet.”

- Fran Lebowitz

Magistrate John Njie of the Brikama Magistrates Court recently gave two weeks ultimate to the police prosecutor in the trial involving the Kombo East UDP candidate to bring his witnesses to court or else the case would be struck out.

Magistrate Njie gave this ultimatum in response to a plea made by the UDP candidate for Kombo East, Mr. Lamin R. Darboe, who expressed dissatisfaction over the delay in his case. Mr. Darboe alleged that the police prosecutor, Corporal 413 Sanyang has been responsible for the cause of the delay in his case, charging that he believed the delay is a deliberate plot to prejudice his chances in the case.

Mr. Darboe further told the court that it was in May 2006 that Cpl. 413 Sanyang approached him at the Brikama Car Park, telling him that he was under arrest for repeatedly failing to appear in court. He said that he there and then responded that he objected to the arrest.

He urged the magistrate to make a decision on the case in order for him to know his fate. “I have been coming to court on every adjournment but the case is always adjourned at the instance of the police prosecutor.”

Responding to Mr. Darboe’s statement, Magistrate Njie assured the court that the case would proceed as soon as possible, declaring that he gave two week ultimatum to the police prosecutor to produce his witnesses in court.

Messrs. Lamin R. Darboe, Buba Darboe, Kassa Jatta, Jerreh Fatty and Mrs. Maimuna Jobarteh have all been standing trial for assault. 

A civil suit filed by Abdul Majid Mayan, a Sudanese against Mr John Derivicend, a Briton, was on Wednesday called before the Brikama Magistrate’s Court, presided over by Magistrate EF M’Bai.

Abdul Majid Maya, the complainant told the court that the defendant, Mr Derivicend owes him D200,000 as the balance left from a D500,000 contract they (the complainant and the defendant) had agreed for the finishing touches of the defendant’s house.

According to Mr Mayan, barely seven years ago, Mr Derivicend explained to him that he wanted to buy a piece of land at Busumbala Village. He told the court that it was later purchased from one Ismaila Yabo at Busumbala but, both his and Mr Yabo’s names were on the ownership document. Mr Mayan went on to say that he approached the accused for clarification concerning the plot as the ownership document contained two names.

“I told him that was not the correct procedure”, he explained.

He further indicated that he requested that the document should be changed into his name.

“After the changing of the document, Mr Derivicend promised to appoint me as the supervisor for the laying of the foundation stone of his house on the said piece of land, while he appointed one Sereign Kanyi as the contractor,” Mr Mayan added.

Mr Mayan told the court that before the defendant left for the UK after the completion of the foundation, he terminated Mr Kanyi’s services and handed his job over to Ismaila Yabo, the one he purchased the piece of land from, in order to complete the whole building. He said in 2004, when he came back from the UK and told him that he was not satisfied with Mr Yabo’s work and that he would sack him and call back the first contractor, Sereign Kanyi. “When Mr Kanyi came, the building was completed within the period of one year, eight months after the defendant’s second trip to the UK”, Mr Mayan said.

Mr Mayan finally told the court that it was after this that he and the defendant had the D500,000 contract for the finishing touches of the house. He said he was given D250,000 by the defendant as  advance payment before he left for the UK for the third time. Then the new contract continued, and when he returned back from the UK he gave him another advance payment of D50,000. “After sometime, he demanded that I complete the work. I reacted to this by asking him to effect the payment of the D200,000 balance”, he concluded.

At this juncture, the Presiding Magistrate decided to adjourn the case to September 4, 2007.