Aja Sumbundu of Nema Alikali, a village near Wellingara, Kanifing Municipality, who was one of the patients in the Infertility Treatment Programme of President Alhaji Dr Yahya Jammeh, on Sunday, gave birth to a bouncing baby girl. The baby is named after the vice-president, Aja Dr Isatou Njie-Saidy.

Speaking to journalists at the naming ceremony held at the village, the joyous Aja Sumbundu expressed gratitude to Allah for giving the president knowledge to treat infertility.

“I drank so many medicines after so many years of marriage, but to no avail. When I heard of the the president’s infertility treatment, I was opportuned to be one of the lucky ones who were put on the treatment.  I must thank the president for curing my infertility. The treatment is a reality. I was without a child for so many years,’’ said the mother of baby Isatou.

Fatoumata Sumbundu, a sister to Aja, said when her sister gave birth, they balloted names, including that of the First Lady, Zineb Yahya Jammeh, vice-president, among other public figures and it happened that the vice-president’s name came out.

“We pray to Allah to bless the president. We also thank Dr Tamsir Mbowe, Alhaji Momodou Sanyang and the entire staff of the Presidential Medical Treatment Programme for their help and encouragement, which has resulted to joy and pride for all of us,” she said.

For his part, Dr Tamsir Mbowe, the director general of the Presidential Treatment Programme, said they are expecting more delivery of babies, as 63 other patients who participated in the infertility treatment have been confirmed pregnant, according to their HCG and abdominal ultra sound report.

’’It is an indication of the efficacy of the presidential treatment that the patients who have histories of 5-17 years of infertility have conceived after taking the president’s herb,’ he declared’.

Dr Mbowe observed that the treatment of infertility is one of the most expensive and the most tedious in the treatment programme. He urged patients to go by the rules of the treatment programme.

Editor,

Please allow me space in your widely read newspaper to applaud the National Road Authority (NRA) on the recent development currently taking place on our feeder roads, within the Kanifing Municipality. Take for example the Latrikunda German road, right inside Serrekunda Market, heading towards Bundung Highway. These development, if continued without any delay, will contribute towards the social advancement of our dear mother land as it will ease the pressure on our roads by commuters and drivers plying these highways.

The development of our country surely depends on the sons and daughters of the land. Therefore, the future of the country rests on our own individual contribution. The country is blessed with a visionary and sound-minded leadership, whose contribution towards our nation have paid dividend, and will go down in the history books of this great nation of ours. Before I put my pen down, once again, I wish to thank you, NRA, for making life easy, while urging you to keep up the good work.

Editor,

Kindly allow me a space to comment on the wonderful initiative the Observer newspaper is doing for its large readership. You complement every article on the editorial page and sometimes welcoming contributions and opinions from the general public.

Firstly, I want to use this opportunity and audience to say a very big thank you to the editor-in-chief, the management and staff for enlightening their numerous readers with first class information and educative news reports. Even the word "Observer" speaks knowledge truly in practical terms, as the name itself implies, a noun to be precise.

Vision 2020: The quest in the attainment of the Silicon Valley by the year 2020 must be well spelt out practically and it needs more awareness. This is where practical methods to realizing this worthy cause should be made visible based on true knowledge.

The important role of a newspaper house or media house could contribute and foster greatly in raising awareness and educating the wider audience to attain this great vision of a gifted President H.E Yahya AJJ Jammeh.

Looking forward to a delighted response and comments on your reputable newspaper, notable recommendations and opinions from the public could really serve as a vital contribution towards realising what Mr President has already begun to make, Vision 2020 a dream-come-through.

Again, bravo and well done Daily Observer, keep on the good work.

Muhammed P. Agofure

U.K.

Editor’s Note:

Thank you Sir, we do our best. As you may know, much of the innovation is recent, but the monthly readership on the internet hit 80,000 this week! We are humbled and will keep try to mprove.

Editor,

Please allow me a small apace in your widely read paper to say a few words of thanks on behalf of the people of Baddibou Kerewan and on my own humble behalf. I wish to register our sincere thanks and appreciations to Alh. Jawara of Bakau Newtown and to all citizens of  Kerewan who provided the labour force, for the reconstruction of the central mosque of Kerewan.

As one of his continuous generosity and magnanimity, Alh. Jawara has recently embarked upon sponsoring the reconstruction and transformation of the Kerewan mosque from a 1966 building into a beautiful, bigger, magnificent and modern mosque.

This laudable project was made possible through the selfless collective efforts of our good residents, who physically contributed their skilled and unskilled labour to accomplish this giant project.

This new impressive mosque does not only provide bigger space to accommodate worshippers but also hugely enhanced improved the image of the Muslim ‘Ummah’ in the area.

To Alh. Jawara therefore, I say thank you for your generous philanthropy in the course of Allah, and to our selfless residents whose tirelessly physical efforts and contribution accomplished the project, I say thank you for a job well-done. I would have said more than a mere thank you but please do accept. May God the Almighty reward every one for their efforts and contributions. May God bless our nation and the entire Muslim ‘Ummah’ and guide us onto the right path.

Yayha Ceesay, London

Editor’s Note: I stopped at Kerewan on my recent trip from Kotu to Koina and I must say I was very impressed by all the development taking place around your home town. Well done all and keep up the effort.

President Jammeh’s Post-AU Summit Speech: "Gambia is a super power"

"First of all, I want to thank the Almighty Allah for making it possible. Secondly, I want to thank the Gambian people, friends of the Gambia and all Africans and none Africans who made the summit a great success. The Gambia is the smallest country in Africa and is described as one of the poorest countries in Africa and also one of the smallest countries in terms of population and land-size. These are facts that cannot be disputed but one thing is certain and I will repeat.

Today The Gambia is a super-power. I always tell you that The Gambia is a super-power but people wonder how can  little Gambia be a super-power. The Gambia is a super-power, not on military terms or its ability to bully other nations, but in its ability to provide comfort, solace and inspiration to all humanity for the benefit of mankind. The Gambia therefore, is a super-power in the service of humanity.

I dare say The Gambia is among few countries where you are not antagonised by its citizens - by virtue of where you come from, religion, or your race. When I look around, it makes me very proud to be an African, but it makes me very grateful to the Almighty Allah for being a Gambian. When you look around, you see our brothers and sisters from Ghana, brother and sisters from Mauritania, brothers and sisters from Guinea Conakry, brothers and sister from Senegal, brothers and sisters from Mali, brothers and sisters from Cote d’Voire, brothers and sisters from Sierre Leone. You think that is the end of the list? There are others to it. Today, every country in Africa is represented by its citizens, living peacefully in this country (An Ethio-Kenyan too!)

I want to thank every human being who in one way or the other has contributed to the success of the African Union Summit. For patriotic Gambians, especially the youth and women, I can’t thank you enough. I stand before you full of emotion. That is why I am wearing sun glasses. I can’t thank you enough but one thing I know and I am certain of is that if I have to take my blood to make you happy I will do it. You have made me very proud. There are also good friends of The Gambia who have been with us throughout.

Open your eyes because this African Union Summit has proven to you who your true and genuine friends are - certain governments, foreigners. There is a particular nation whose citizens have been exceptional throughout and I will reward you accordingly. As from today, the citizens of that country in The Gambia will pay only taxes that Gambians pay because you have shown to us that you love this country as much as patriotic Gambians love this country.

I must say that certain governments have been exceptional to the Republic of The Gambia and I am very grateful that at least one of the ambassadors representing that country is here with me. I want to thank the government and the people of the Republic of Taiwan, through their Ambassador for their extra-ordinary and unprecedented generosity and contribution to the African Union Summit.

Mr Ambassador when you talk to your President tell him that President Jammeh is saying if there is anything that is beyond  "shai shai" tell him "shai shai" and more "shai shai".  I also want to thank the government and people of Turkey. Before the African Union Summit, you must have seen on TV security personnel graduating from their training session, the government of Turkey provided training expert in the fields of counter terrorism and special forces operation.

I also want to thank the government and people of Algeria for they have been true brothers of The Gambia. I also want to thank the government and the people of the Arab Republic of Egypt. Everyone is saying that the organisation is unprecedented, thanks to the professionalism of the Egyptian instructors who trained our beautiful ushers.

Special thanks and gratitude also goes to my brother, my friend, the Emir of Qatar, and the government and the people of Qatar for their unprecedented logistical and financial support. Of course, the government of Taiwan and some countries provided logistic support. Some provided technical support but Qatar provided both logistic and financial support.

The Republic of Taiwan provided assistance in all the areas that you can think of. I want to thank the government and the people of the Republic of South Africa for providing financial support to The Gambia.  I also want to thank His Majesty, the King of Morocco and the people of the Kingdom of Morocco - they have provided logistic, financial and technical support.

You will be wondering why there was no black out. They provided generators as well as personnel to operate on those generators 24hrs.  I also want to thank the government and people of India for providing all the computers and IT equipment that facilitated communication during the process. I also want to thank the government and people of South Korea.  I also want to thank a very special person our honorary Consul General in Milan, Italy, Prof Francesco Cristina. On his own he provided two generators, and provided fuel for 10 days.

I also want to thank our neighbours because Senegal is our second home and The Gambia is a second home for all Senegalese. So when you are thanking people, you thank your family last. They are not the least. I want to thank the government and the people of Senegal for providing financial support.

I also want to thank the government and the people of the Kingdom of Spain for providing very valuable assistance to The Gambia. I also want to thank the government and people of the Kingdom of Thailand, especially the Prime Minister and The King.

The Prime Minister loves The Gambia so much that he sent his deputy Prime Minister to come and attend this African Union Summit in Banjul. Finally, I want to thank all Heads of State and their representatives for attending the African Union Summit, making it unprecedented.

I also want to thank the Nigerian community through the Ambassador.

When we did the last Operation Clean the Nation just before the AU Summit, I saw a group of people ahead of where I was going to. What attracted my attention is the number of men, who participated in the cleaning exercise.

I knew that was not a Gambian group. Gambian men would not like what I am coming to say, but I will be very happy to tell you, if the Nigerian community in The Gambia, led by their distinguished High Commissioner who is a true friend and sister to The Gambia can fully participate in the cleaning exercise, what are the Gambian men doing? These were the comments I hear from the men: "hey the country is very clean, and this should continue."

They had the guts to drive past me, and wave at me, while I was cleaning. If you are not going to participate don’t drive past me to show me that you have a beautiful car. If I as the President cleans the street I don’t know who you are that you cannot clean the street, and you are saying let it continue.
 
If it was not Gambian girls, women and youth, this AU Summit would have been a failure. Each time I go out to participate in a cleaning exercise 99 per cent of all the participants are female gender. Where are the male gender? Do you know why I put women in key positions? If Gambian men continue with these kinds of behaviour and attitude that is detrimental to development, I can say you will be endangered species in my government because you will be so few, and I don’t mind to giving all the cabinet portfolios to the women of this country.

If you are not participating in Operation Clean the Nation, you should stay at home. In fact, you know that it is an offence to drive around whilst we are cleaning the nation. The next Operation Clean the Nation, I will deploy the NIA and the police to see how many civil servants participate. Cleaning the nation is not for the benefit of any individual, but for the benefit of our children and ourselves.

There is no civil servant who is higher than the President, next time if you do not participate in the cleaning exercise you will be looking for a job elsewhere. There is nothing political about cleaning the country. Yet you sit down and say this has to continue. Do you think you are better than anyone of those cleaning the country? They are better than you, because they are showing you that they are better people to develop this country.

I want to thank our brothers and sisters from Ghana, and the cultural troupe of Ghana. I also want to thank my cousins, the hunters from Mali. There are certain groups in The Gambia, who only went to the Airport to welcome their presidents. But the groups I mentioned were there throughout.

I want to thank every Gambian youth and woman for the welcome. There were few men, but it has been successful. Those men who have not participated, what does this tell you? Whether you participate or not, Yahya Jammeh, backed by Gambian women and Gambian youth, will make this country a heaven.

Finally, I want to thank the organisers and participants to the Miss Africa Queen pageantry and all those who participated in the competition. There is always first, second and third and you call them winners. But in the case of the AU pageantry in The Gambia, every participant is a winner, because you have demonstrated what a beautiful continent we would have been if we are all united.

Well I vowed not to throw any bomb. I can stop here, but I will tell you, Gambians and friends of The Gambia that if there was any expression better than thank you, I will would have said it to you. But I can only say may Almighty Allah reward you abundantly. I want to thank the Secretariat, Ushers, Protocols, Drivers, Security, ‘Yai compins’, youths, Governors, Chiefs, cultural troupes and the last but not the least , I want to thank a special friend of The Gambia without whose full participation the AU would not have been held in The Gambia.

Whom am I talking about? It is the one who promised to make me proud and he has made me more than proud- Muhammed Kharaffi. Kharaffi and Sons have built one of the best conference centres in the whole world, not only in Africa. What he has done is unprecedented. Towards the end they were flying equipment by the DHL, because they did not want it to fail.

They are special group of investors that are exceptional and they have invested this much and gone to the extra-mile using the DHL planes to bring equipment to make sure that they complete on time before the summit. One thing I want Gambians to know is that any person I bring into this country, I bring him in your best national interest. When Kharrafi came here people in the system did everything possible to frustrate him. There was a false rumour that the company has a relationship with me. To those people, I tell you thank you, because today I stand a proud African and a proud Gambian.

I also want to thank the media in general for being so skeptical and negative. All what you said which is negative has contributed in facilitating Allah’s blessing so that I prove to the whole world what type of media we have in this country.

People have come and they have seen it for themselves. Allah has rewarded you accordingly by proving you wrong. I also want to thank the government and people of Venezuela and the government and the people of the Islamic Republic of Iran. I also want to thank our brothers and our true friends, the Islamic Republic of Mauritania. Last but not the least, I want to thank a special Serer Mustapha Njie and Taf construction and I also want to apologise to his family.

Editor’s note

Excellent speech – the opposition took the "Gambia is a super-power" statement completely out of context, possibly deliberately!

The Gambia international, Edrissa Sonko, is set to leave his English League One side, Walsall FC, after the club’s decision not to offer him a new contract.

Sonko is among other batch of players who will not be retained by the Saddlers after their failure to gain promotion to the top flight.

The former Real de Banjul, Anderlecht, Roda JC and Xanthi Skoda winger’s exit comes as big surprise to Walsall faithfuls. The 28-year-old forward, who was named the January Player of the Month winner for League One, has also won Player of Match award on many occasions during his one year spell with Walsall.

Also not to be offered new contracts are Darren Wrack and Ian Roper who together amassed well over 600 appearances for the Saddlers in the last decade.

Michael Dobson, Tommy Mooney, Bertrand Bossu, David McDermott, Stefan Moore and Senegalese striker, Alassane N’Dour, have also made the exit list.

Walsall chief executive Roy Whalley thanked the departing players for their service and admitted that, as always at the end of a season, difficult decisions had been made.

“We would like to thank all those players for their hard work and effort,” Whalley said.

“Some difficult decisions have been made as we look to develop a squad capable of making further progress at this level and build on the foundations that have already been laid.”

Approximately one hundred and thirty students from Nusrat management and accountancy training centre (NMATC) on Saturday held their graduation ceremony at Jama Hall, Kairaba beach hotel.

The out-going 2007 batch of graduating students in various fields such as accountancy, management and information technology in the professional studies unit of the institution, attracted on the occasion permanent secretary of basic and higher education, chief of defence staff and cross section of society.

Amir Baba Trawally, chairman board of governors of the institution, in his welcoming remarks at the occasion, thank the school administration on their professionalism adding that since the inception of the institution in 1971 Nusrat has been providing quality education and inculcates high moral values in all learners.

Amir Trawally further went on to urge all stakeholders of Nusrat Management and Accountancy Training Centre (NMATC) to continue working together as a family in order to consolidate the gains that have been made.

He finally took the opportunity to congratulate the graduands, nothing that education is an on-going process. “Continue to work hard in life and remain disciplined in everything that you do for the school”, he advised.

Karamo Bojang, in his report said the professional wing of Nusrat (NMATC) was established seven years ago adding that their vision is to transform Nusrat into a college.

According to him, they aim to is not only to make it possible for WASSCE students to have access to tertiary education,but also to opportunities.

He further stated that, institutions got the man power and resources to incorporate them into the school campus.

He finally thanked the president for the enabling environment, noting that the Gambia witnessed similar unprecedented changes in all sectors of life.

For his part, the guest speaker at the occasion, managing director, Ecobank, Fitzgerald Odonkor, who spoke on the theme “The Pursuit of Excellence” said in the quest for excellence, one must have a can do mentality and must refuse to give up even in the midst of adverse circumstances.

According to him, excellence cannot be achieve without hard work adding that it is important for the new graduands and all of us to constantly be abreast with developments in our fields of study.

He urged the out-going students to always pursue excellence noting that the victories of yesterday are nothing, compared to the challenges of today.

He finally expressed his company’s commitment to a continuing partnership with the institution in the pursuit of excellence. The ceremony was chaired by  the Director of studies JS Kemo Kai

Madam Sia Myama Koroma, the First Lady of the Republic of Sierra Leaone on Friday met Dr Aji Isatou Njie-Saidy, Vice President and secretary of state for Women’s Affairs at her office at State House, Banjul.

Madam Koroma who was accompanied to State House by Madam Kadija Sam-Sumaha, wife of the Sierra Leonean Vice President, was led to State House by Mohammed Foday Yumkella, the Sierra Leonean High Commissioner in The Gambia. Speaking to journalist soon after her audience with Vice President Njie-Saidy, Madam Koroma said she was in The Gambia to thank citizen for the tumultuous welcome accorded to her husband and what every Gambia did for him during his recent state visit to The Gambia.

She noted that, she has also discussed with Vice President Njie-Saidy, issues relating to The Gambia-Sierra Leone relations, women’s issue, child rights, human rights, development among other things. She then expressed hope that the two countries will forge partnership on women and child rights to ensure that the objectives set are achieved.

Ms. Ndey Tapha Sosseh

Dear Madam,

Thank you for your letter informing us of your activities, which will be graced, you say, by the Secretary of State. Thank you also for referring to us at the Daily Observer as your "partners".

As far as the Hon. Secretary of State is concerned, you will recall that while your "partners" in the internet media fraternity were disgracefully attacking her honour and integrity, we at the Daily Observer came out in her defence. The abusers, or "journalists", then turned against us with unbridled venom. You, Ms. Ndey Tapha Sosseh, have done interview after interview since you replaced your boss Madi Ceesay as GPU President. Can I ask if you are on record, in any interview or letter-to-the-editor, condemning the disgraceful manner in which so-called Gambian "journalists" attacked the Hon. SoS, a decent and respectable woman like yourself, simply because she had been appointed to serve in President Jammeh’s cabinet?

Secondly, I have been personally vilified and attacked simply because I was appointed as MD & Editor-in-Chief of the Daily Observer. Did you, and your honourable journalism "partners", at any point put pen to paper in defence of journalistic decency? No. You are, on the contrary, on record for attacking the Daily Observer, as they do, in your speech at the GPU congress in March 2008. Why? Because, according to you, we have not said anything about certain matters which have to do with state security! With respect, Ms. Ndey Tapha Sosseh, naivety of these so-called journalists is shocking! Journalists in USA and UK are also restricted on matters to do with state security. Our government is criticised by your lot because security agents give evidence in camera. Again this is standard practice in USA and UK where state security agents do regularly give evidence in camera. And what about the Muslims who have been locked up for 5 years in Guantanamo Bay and British prisons, without trial, for being security threats? With no evidence whatsoever being given to their lawyers or any court?

You want us to be your "partners" so that we practice your kind of naïve journalism to de-stabilise a hard-working and progressive African government for purely political reasons? Inspite of CNN and BBC propaganda, what is the difference between the 2000 elections in the USA and those in Zimbabwe and Kenya recently? The only difference is that Africans die rioting because they believe the propaganda - thanks to “journalists” like your lot. The first duty of any government anywhere is the security of the state. While this is accepted for Western countries, even at the expense of so-called "human-rights", why are African states undermined and weakened, as in Zimbabwe’s, case to the point of collapse? No, madam, we will never be your partners in what we consider to be treason against the development of Africa and the cause of Pan-Africanism. Call it "journalism" if you wish, but look for other "partners", not us.

Ms. Ndey Tapha Sosseh, what are we "partners" in/for? As you recall, many journalists asked that the three GPU top people during Madi Ceesay’s reign, i.e. Madi Ceesay, his no.2 Ndey Tapha Sosseh and his no. 3 Emile Touray, should resign to allow for an enquiry and fresh-start for the GPU. Instead a so-called election was engineered in which no. 1 resigned to be replaced by his loyal no.2 (your good self), while no. 3 moved up to no.2. And what was the first decision you, madam, made as no. 1? No enquiry into what went on at the GPU during the last 3 years! Surprise, surprise, it is a cover-up! So I ask you again: what do you want us to be "partners" in? At the recent GPU congress, you made sure that the two seasoned and senior Daily Observer journalists who went for GPU positions, Ebrima Jaw-Manneh and Lamin M Dibba, did not get elected. Instead you co-opted a Daily Observer free-lancer whose name I forget. Of course, I fired the free-lancer on the spot for disloyalty to his senior colleagues – just as my uncle Sheriff Bojang fired you, madam, from the Daily Observer a couple of years ago. As for your "partners" at FOROYAA, they even penned an editorial in which they visualised me in Mile 2 prison – I presume after "democratic" Mr. 2% comes to power!

Or do you want us to be your "partners" in your constant attack against President Jammeh’s hard working government, simply because the other lot happen to be your uncles, cousins, nephews and school-mates? No, as far as we are concerned, the GPU stands for Gambia Political Union and you are an opposition political party under the guise of "journalism". Of course, you are also funded from abroad by the same people who fund the MDC in Zimbabwe, under the guise of "journalism training" and "civil society empowerment" (The British and USA governments are stopping Saudi Arabia and other countries from doing exactly this in USA and UK by seizing such funds under the Anti-Terrorism Act! Books and videos on Islam and Hadith also get seized!). We say good luck to you. We don’t want any of your "journalism training" money and we don’t want your ready-made visas either.

Funny isn’t it – Daily Observer’s Ebrima Jaw-Manneh has honourably returned to work after four weeks in USA, while one of your lot has absconded after the US Embassy funded all his expenses to cover the US election campaign! Of course, we at the Daily Observer are enjoying the irony immensely, and I am sure the American Ambassador is none too pleased – but then again we could have told him about all these so-called "journalists". Mr. Ambassador, I will bet my compound that if, for example, Daily Observer’s Lamin M Dibba, is given a visa to the USA and asked to cover the US elections, he will return to The Gambia as agreed. But I digress.

Finally madam, if you want us to be partners with GPU, let the three top people under Madi Ceesay’s reign resign. Madi Ceesay has resigned. Ndey Tapha-Sossey and Emile Touray should also resign. Then hold an election in which bona-fide journalists are not barred from voting because "the GPU does not know who Ebrima Jaw-Manneh is"!! Then the GPU may become a Press Union, rather than the political opposition union that it is today. Otherwise? Otherwise we wish you well in your anti-government political activities (please stop calling yourself "journalists"!).

Your most respectful non-partner,

Dida Halake.

MD & Editor-in-Chief,

Daily Observer.

Post Scriptum: As you know, after your firing from the Daily Observer, you never visited until I became MD. As a Gambian and a respected lady, I say to you here that you are most welcome to visit the Daily Observer, and even share our Sunday Lunch with the staff (2p.m approx). But you are not welcome as President of the Gambia Political Union (GPU) for we are not "partners" with GPU as it is currently set-up.