The newly formed Village Development Committee (VDC) of Gunjur has given out its first public report on its activities for the past six months.

Speaking at a village meeting held in the village over the weekend, Mr. Eliman Touray, Assistant Secretary General of the committee, said the committee, six months after taking over, has spent a total amount of D21, 526 in filling potholes within the streets of Gunjur. The money, he added, was collected from individuals.

For his part, Mr. Abdou K. Touray, chairman of the VDC, said his committee has proven beyond reasonable doubt that they are capable and deserved the opportunity to serve in their village development committee.

He said despite all the oppositions, the committee has and will continue to deliver beyond expectation. Mr. Touray called the youths to participate in development programmes for the progress of the village. He also called on Islamic scholars to always talk to the public about issues that will not take the development of the village forward.

The United Nations has published its third annual report on the partnership with the EU, particularly the European Commission, detailing joint achievements for 2007 with a focus on human rights and the Millennium Development Goals. 

Titled “Improving Lives”, the report coincides with the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and describes the partnership’s endeavor to help countries build the necessary capacities, structures and knowledge to enable people to exercise their rights and achieve the Millennium Development Goals.

In 2007, the UN and the Commission have worked together in over 100 countries around the world. The report captures an impressive array of results achieved under the leadership of these countries. For instance, it shows that the United Nations-European Commission have helped to:

•    Provide food assistance for  48 million people in developing countries, including 26 million children;
•    Register 80 million voters in 11 countries in Africa, Asia and Central America;
•    Clear 50 million square meters of land from mines, thus granting access to productive land and social infrastructure to 2 million people;
•    Provide education opportunities in post-crisis countries such as Iraq, where 9 million text books were delivered to 6 million children;
•    Support the fight against polio in 27 countries through the administration of 2.3 billion doses of oral polio vaccines to 400 million children under the age of five;
•    Support agriculture and rural development, for instance by purchasing 150,000 metric tons of food aid on local markets in 21 African, Asian and Latin American countries.

Human rights and the Millennium Development Goals have the common objective of promoting human dignity and well-being for all.

The full report can be viewed here>>>

UNDP 

The National Planning Commission (NPC) in collaboration with stakeholders will today, Wednesday 27th August 2008, review and authenticate the draft of the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP) Annual Progress Report for 2007 at the Paradise Suite Hotel in Kololi.

The preparation of PRSP Annual Report forms part of the mandate of the National Planning Commission and as agreed with the country’s development partners, to regularly report on the status of implementation of PRSP II. Thus, it is mandatory on government to submit an Annual Progress Report (APR) highlighting the achievements, failures, constraints and lessons learnt during the implementation.

The PRSP II is a framework that defines principles for government planning and budget execution for achieving meaningful poverty reduction, and its implementation is being overseen by the National Planning Commission (NPC), established by an Act of parliament in 2006 and put in place in 2007.

This is the first progress report covering the period of PRSP II implementation, from January to December 2007.

The report provides information and analysis regarding the achievements and shortfalls experienced between January and December 2007 with respect to the poverty targets, priority public actions, and the monitoring and evaluation systems put in place for the PRSP II. It further highlights recommendations on important changes necessary in the strategy as appropriate in light of implementation experience to date, and data needs to enhance analysis and measurement of progress made in reducing poverty and its dimensions.

As the main government report on the status of implementation of the national development agenda, the progress report informed and involved domestic stakeholders and partners on all issues regarding implementation in order to build support for smooth implementation of PRSP II.

The information in this report will further contribute to focusing government’s budgetary allocation and pro-poor policies on key issues in fighting poverty and making PRSP II a reality.

It is likewise hoped that the report will help both government and partners to become responsive and focused on their promises and anticipation actions as evident in PRSP II priority areas as well as rally all development partners around PRSP II in the spirit of Paris Declaration principles.

The country’s first conjoined twins, who were admitted at the country’s main referral hospital, share a liver, according to an RVTH medical report transmitted by Dr Tamsir Mbowe, the director of Health and Medical Services.

A CT scan conducted at the RVTH indicated that the twins share a liver at the lower base. However, the medical report added that the Jallow twins have separate hearts, lungs and sternum, intestines, kidneys and genital organs. But the gall bladders could not visualised. There is a congenital cardiac defect in the right twin.

The report strongly recommended that the omphaloplagus conjoined twins require further investigation and assessment by a multidisciplinary paediatric surgical team with experience in this field. “This is not available in The Gambia,” the report stated.

Medical details

The twins were born at term by elective caesarean section at the Gambia Family Planning Clinic. An ultrasound scan done two days previously showed conjoined twins. The apgar scores were 10 at 1+5 minutes. Mother received antenatal care but no regular scans. There was no maternal illness or medications taken during pregnancy.  Birth weight was 6.4 kg.

“Mother is 28 yrs old and Fula tribe. The parents are non consaguineously married.  The father works as a petty trader. They have three children aged 7yrs, 4yrs, 1/2 yrs - who are all well. Since admission to the neonatal unit they were stabilized on oxygen and IV fluids,” the report stated.

On day three, the report continued, they developed fever and are currently being treated for neonatal sepsis. “The right sided twin has had persistent low oxygen saturations and respiratory distress since birth and we are suspecting a congenital cardiac malformation. At present, the right twin is in oxygen and is tolerating feeds of 30 ml 2 hourly and is afebrile. The left twin is in air and also tolerating feeds with lactogen and is afebrile at present,” the report added.

Examination

“Joined thorax to umbilicus, female twins facing each other.  No dysmorphism. Weight today is 5.5 kg. Right twin (1) - OFC 34.1 cm, pulse 160 RR 60.  Sp02 93% in oxygen, 85% in air.  Active precordium with soft grade 2 systolic murmur. Lung fields clear, No sc / ic recession. Abdomen soft and no masses/ organomegaly. Normal tone and movement of all limbs. Left twin (2) - OFC 34.0 cm, pulse 15 RR 58 SPO2 98% in air.  Normal heart sounds and lung fields.  Abdomen soft and no masses / organomegaly. Normal tone and movement of all limbs.”

Medications

Ceftriaxone iv 50 mg/kg BD - 2 days, Flucloxacillin iv 25 mg/kg, TDS - 2 days, Gentamicin iv 2.5 mg/kg bd - 4 days (Echocardiography: Not available at present).

The survey aimed at finding empirical evidence on the school attendance to facilitate advocacy activities in schools for the improvement in school attendance and quality of education in general.

YAP will tomorrow commence the validation of the report at the Regional Education Office, Region Two, Brikama. The two-day forum is targeting respondents from different schools as well as stakeholders.

Reports reaching this paper from North Bank Region of The Gambia intimate that a tumultuous reception awaits President Jammeh in the region later today as he embarks upon his Dialogue With People tour.

Speaking in a mobile phone interview with this medium on the line from North Bank Region (NBR), the APRC Desk Officer for the region, Hon. Alhaji Ablie Suku Singhateh, revealed that the people of North Bank Region have already marshalled themselves to accord President Jammeh and retinue a reception that’s never witnessed in the 13-year APRC rule.

According to Desk Officer Singhateh, the people of his region are so impressed with the level of development in their region over the last 13 years that they’re poised to give the President and entourage a welcome that will be unprecedented in the history of the APRC party.

“ The people have already rallied themselves to give the leader a reception befitting his station. It will be all fanfare and razzmatazz. It will be colourful, rapturous, tumultuous and entertaining,” said Hon. Singhateh.

For the regional desk officer, the determination and the energy shown by the people of North Bank to welcome President Jammeh in grand-style could be justified by the ‘limitless development’ that the President and his party has brought and continue to bring to their living-rooms.

‘ The rural electrification programme, provision of safe drinking water, the faultless road network, the APRC General Hospital in Farefenni, schools and many more social amenities that I need not mention are glaring indication of the Head of State’s love for the people of North Bank and we’re poised to reciprocate,”  he added.

Meanwhile, the Gambian President and delegation will later today cross River Gambia to the other bank of the river. The President and delegation will cross over to Barra as day one of his Dialogue With the People tour gears into motion.

The Gambian leader is expected to be engaged in a series of activities such as a visit to Amdallai, a ground-swelling rally in Kerewan and a mouth-watering victory celebration in Farafenni.

“As you know the UN peacekeeping mission (UNMIL) has begun the first phase of the draw down process. I wish to assure you that this draw down will proceed in a cautious and gradual manner that will not put at risk the gains that have been reached so far,” Ban said.

“The gradual withdrawal should allow the government sufficient time to assume full responsibility for the nation’s security,” he added.

UN peacekeepers have been on the ground in Liberia since September 2003. The Security Council authorised the establishment of UNMIL at the height of a civil war which had been ongoing in Liberia for 13 years.

In September 2006, the UN Secretary General recommended in a report to the Security Council that critical benchmarks on security, governance, the rule of law, economic revitalisation, and infrastructure and basic services should be met before the mission pulled out.

“The security benchmarks, including the training and deployment of the Armed Forces of Liberia and Liberian National Police, development by the government of a national security strategy and architecture, reintegration of ex-combatants and return and reintegration of refugees, are critical in determining the pace and timing of the drawdown and eventual withdrawal of the Mission,” the report outlined.

Ban said the Security Council is expected to review the implementation of those benchmarks in September 2008. The withdrawal of peacekeepers is expected to be finished by 2010, one year before Liberia is scheduled to hold its second post-war presidential elections.

Ban’s Special Representative in Liberia, Ellen Margrethe Loj, recently warned the UN Security Council that the country still faces some crucial challenges. “The hope and tranquillity we see today is tempered by a tenuous and fragile peace,” she said on 14 April, pointing to the UN police and military forces as still being key to stability.

“More progress is needed in reforming the legal and judicial systems and in extending the rule of law through out the country. More needs to be done in reintegrating populations affected by war and promoting reconciliation and national unity,” Ban said.

Efforts are ongoing for the rebuilding of Liberia’s new national army, but Liberian defence officials have told IRIN that they are “not certain” when a new 2,000-troop army being trained by the United States would be operational.

Mob violence is on the rise in some parts of the country, notably the rubber plantations and diamond mining areas, according to the UN. “Such incidents highlight the need for security sector reform in the country,” noted Loj in her 14 April report to the Security Council.

Many parts of Monrovia are no-go areas after dark. Some Liberians have expressed concerns about the planned UN pull-out.

Steve Nimely, a university lecturer, said it is “too early” for peacekeepers to scale down. “Liberia is still fragile. The police can not fight crimes and the army is not ready now to defend this country as they are still undergoing training. At least UNMIL must be the ground two years after our next elections,” he told IRIN.