Honourable Sheriff Gomez, secretary of state for Youth and Sports, has urged the  local organising committee (LOC) of North Bank Region for the 2008 biannual National Youth Conference and Festival to work extra hard to be sure of the successful implementation of this years youth gathering which is due to take place from 16th to 24th December.

Honourable Gomez made this call as he spoke in Farafenni, the host for the youth gathering, last Tuesday. The meeting was part of a tour embarked upon purposely to gauge the level of preparedness of the local organising committees set by the national organising committee.

According to him, as the host of the seven regions of the country and the President of the Republic, Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh,  the people of North Bank Region need massive preparation. He however urged Gambians to view NAYCONF equally national development. 

“It is no doubt that the gathering will give the youth the platform to discuss on issues affecting their own lives,” he said.

He told the people of NRB that the NAYCONF national organising committee was only in place to ensure that all regions were facilitated to join the youth, but that ensuring its successful implementation was entirely on the host region.

Edward Seckan, governor of North Bank Region, assured the SoS and his entourage that his region was well prepared to host the gathering. According to him, they had already formed their respective sub-committees, members of which are working vigorously. Governor Seckan thanked the SoS and his delegation for the visit, describing it as a manifestation of good leadership.

 The hunger fee campaign caravan is continuing its tour of regions in the country. The caravan, which started at the West Field Junction on Wednesday 15th October 2008, has series of brief meetings along the route. The hunger free campaign caravan officials includes staff from Action Aid, NAYAFS, ADWAC, NAWFA, journalists, National Assembly Members and international participants. The caravan is being led by a police escort throughout the tour and had its first regional meeting in Kerewan in the North Bank Region.

Addressing the meeting, Mrs. Jainaba Nyang Njie, Action Aid Women’s Right’s Manager, said that Action Aid had observed that women in The Gambia are hard working but face serious constraints in having access to land and farm inputs. She expressed the need for women to have access to enough land and own it permanently.

For his part, Eduwarr Seckan, Governor North Bank Region, assured women in the region of enough farmland. He however encouraged them to develop the lands whenever given.

Aji Konteh Sanneh, Aji Say Panneh and Aji Wuri Bah of Fass Chawo, Ker Gumbo and Waya Woto respectively lamented the numerous challenges faced by women in accessing land and in developing them. They appealed for more fertilizer, tractors and other farm implements.

Meanwhile, on the same day a brief meeting was held in Farafenni were women farmers expressed similar sentiments.

On Thursday, day two of the tour took the caravan to Central River Region where a series brief meetings was held along the route before another regional meeting in Was CRR.

Speaking at the Was meeting, team leader Mrs. Jainaba Nyang Njie informed the gathering that the campaign is a global one which is aimed at creating awareness to reduce world hunger by half by 2015. According to her, over 20 countries around the world are taking part in the campaign.

Lamin Darboe, Deputy Governor CRR, hailed Gambian women for their hard work. He also reassured them of his office’s support and co-operation.

Sima Sonko, president of NAWFA, stressed the need for women to have legal ownership over land.

For his part, Hon. Momodou Touray, National Assembly Member for Central Baddibu, assured women of the national assembly’s full support.

Jainaba Jabby, women’s leader from Kuntaur, said that women are hard working but lack the necessary support they need. She said that when given enough support they can end food crises in the country.

On Friday 17th October the Caravan reached Basse where another regional meeting was held. There too the Regional Governor Alh. Omar Khan applauded Gambian women for their hard work and reaffirmed government’s commitment to empowering them. On the issue of land, the URR governor assured women of more land farm inputs.

Other speakers included Mrs. Mariama Jaw Councilor Basse Ward.

Regional Governors, Chiefs, women as well as other local authorities across the country are signing a petition banner which calls for women to have access to land and have legal ownership over them permanently and be given more support among other things. According to officials, this will be handed over to the speaker of the national assembly on the 21st of this month at a ceremony to be attended by the vice president and several other dignitaries.

Being the most popular tournament organised by almost all regions in The Gambia during the summer, Nawettan is taking center stage in various organising committees and among the most recent is the Sere kunda West Sports Committee .

The 2008 Nawettan of the Serrekunda West has started with its traditional qualifying round which kicked off yesterday with 32 teams vying for a place in this years tournament.

The Sectary General of (SWESO), Pa Sulay Jobe, told Pointsports that, “We have registered 32 teams for the qualification rounds these teams will be playing in a knock out stage. The best four teams will be meeting with last year’s four teams that were relegated from the Nawettan proper.”

He said  Dippa Kunda United, Sankung Sillah, Manjai United and SK Central will be waiting for the first four teams that  will emerge victorious from the 32 participating  teams in the qualifying round. They will then take part in a playoff match in which only four teams will qualify for the Nawettan competition.

Justice Abdou Karim Savage, Chief Justice of The Gambia, will on Thursday April 4th, 2008 embark on a five-day nationwide-tour.

The tour will accord the Chief Justice of the Gambia, the opportunity to visit all regions of the country and hold meetings with Presidents (the Chiefs), members and officials of the District Tribunals as well as the Regional Governors. His Lordship will also meet the Regional Judges, Magistrates, Cadis and judicial officials in the Regions and in the Greater Banjul Area.

According to reports from the Office of the Chief Justice in Banjul, during the familiarization tour, Chief Justice Savage will inspect the court premises, buildings, official residences and judicial facilities in the country.

The report indicated that the Chief Justice’s tour commence in Basse on 5th April 2008 with a meeting with the the Chiefs, Tribunal members and officials of the Basse Regional High Court and the Magistrate Court. The Chief Justice will thereafter inspect on-going refurbishment works undertaken by the Department of State for Works Communications and Infrastructure at the Basse High Court.

His Lordship will be accompanied by Haruna Jaiteh, acting Judicial Secretary, Seyfo Alhaji Demba Sanyang, the Paramount Chief, and Abdou Conteh, Principal Register of High Court.

The Tour is an annual exercise through which His Lordship the Chief Justice gathers first hand information abut the situation and operations of the courts nation wide.

The tour will end in the Greater Banjul Area with visits to, and meetings at all Magistrates and Cadi Muslims Courts, the Children’s Court and Industrial Tribunals.