Gambia slips in Ibrahim Index of African Governance

The 2008 Ibrahim Index of African Governance published on Monday by the Mo Ibrahim Foundation shows that between 2005 and 2006 Gambia’s overall score declined to 55.2 out of 100, as the country fell seven places to rank 27th out of sub-Saharan Africa’s 48 countries.

According to the Ibrahim Index’s comprehensive measures of governance performance, Gambia has improved in two out of the five categories of the Ibrahim Index, Sustainable Economic Opportunity and Human Development. Gambia’s score remained consistent in the category of Safety and Security. In the remaining two categories - Rule of Law, Transparency and Corruption and Participation and Human Rights - Gambia’s scores fell.

The most notable improvement was in Human Development, where Gambia’s score rose by 1.2 points. However Gambia’s score in Participation and Human Rights dropped by 6.1 points.

The 16 members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) demonstrated strong performance in the Ibrahim Index. ECOWAS provides three countries (Cape Verde, Ghana and Senegal) ranked within the top ten of the overall Ibrahim Index.

With respect to last year, ten members of ECOWAS improved their scores, four saw declining scores, and a further two saw no
change. Within ECOWAS, Gambia ranks eighth out of 16 countries. Only three members of ECOWAS (Gambia, Guinea and Mauritania) fell in both rank and score this year.

The Ibrahim Index indicates that two thirds of sub-Saharan African countries have improved their governance performance during the last year. Liberia, the fastest riser, ranks 38th with a change in score of 10.4 points to give a score this year of 48.7.

The Ibrahim Index of African Governance is a comprehensive ranking of sub-Saharan African nations according to governance quality.

The Ibrahim Index assesses national governance against 57 criteria. The criteria capture the quality of services provided to citizens by government. The focus is on the results that the people of a country
experience.

The criteria are divided into five over-arching categories which together make up the cornerstones of a government’s obligations to its citizens: safety and security, rule of law, Transparency and corruption, participation and human rights, sustainable economic opportunity and human development.

Colonial clue to the rise of HIV

BBC NEWS
The arrival of colonial cities in sub-Saharan Africa at the dawn of the 20th Century may have sparked the spread of HIV.

US experts analysed one of the earliest samples of the virus ever found, in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1959.

The study, published in the journal Nature, suggests the virus may have crossed from apes to humans between 1884 and 1924. They believe newly-built cities may have allowed the virus to thrive.

Aids, the illness caused by HIV, was first reported by doctors in 1981, but the virus had been around for many decades before that.

HIV is not a single virus - there are a number of different strains and subtypes of strains, some sharing the same "founder event" in history, in which a single human was infected.

Scientists believe that these "founder events" may have involved eating monkeys infected with a similar virus.

Research published last year found the viral ancestor of a subtype of HIV responsible for most modern cases in the US and Europe in a blood sample taken in Leopoldville, the capital of Belgian Congo - now Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Now the same team, from the University of Arizona at Tucson, has found another sample containing a different subtype in a 1960 sample from a different patient in the same city.

HIV ancestor

By analysing the genetic differences between the two viruses, and calculating the amount of time these differences would take to evolve, they now say that the two probably have a common ancestor dating from at least 50 years earlier.

Dr Michael Worobey, who led the research, said: "Now, for the first time, we have been able to compare two relatively ancient HIV strains.

"That helped us to calibrate how quickly the virus evolved and make some really robust inferences about when it crossed into humans, how the epidemic grew from that time, and what factors allowed the virus to enter and become a successful human pathogen."

HIV was and remains a "relatively poorly transmitted" virus, he said, so the key to the success of the virus was possibly the development of cities such as Leopoldville in the early 1900s.

The large numbers of people living in close proximity would have allowed more opportunity for new infections.

"I think the picture that has emerged here, is that changes the human population experienced may have opened to the door to the spread of HIV," he said.

Professor Paul Clark, a researcher into evolutionary history at the University of Edinburgh, said that while the finding was mainly of "historical interest", it might provide more clues about how the virus changed over time.

He suggested that it was likely that all of the early cases of "group M" HIV-1 - the strain causing 19 out of 20 modern infections - happened in the Leopoldville area.
He said: "We can now paint a remarkably detailed picture of the time and place of origin of HIV-1 group M viruses and their early diversification, and thus of the prehistory of the AIDS pandemic."

Gambia makes case for Cuba, Taiwan

by PK Jarju, Birmingham, UK
The Gambia has renewed its calls for an end to the economic embargo on Cuba and an inclusion of Taiwan in the United Nation's General Assembly.

Addressing the 63rd session of the UN General Assembly on September 27th in New York on behalf of Yahya Jammeh, Dr Omar Touray, the Gambian secretary of state for Foreign Affairs, said the sole object of the economic embargo on Cuba is to inflict unnecessary harm and suffering on a resolute people; and its unjust perpetuation has never made sense, does not make any sense today and has no place in our community of nations.

SoS Touray added: 'The General Assembly’s persistent call for its abolition only met with indifference. At their hour of need, when hurricane Ike and Gustav inflicted massive damage on the country, Cuba’s humanitarian call for the lifting of the embargo to enable them to purchase necessary humanitarian supplies met with nothing but a cold response. There is no room for such an action in the 21 Century. The embargo must end.'

On the issue of Taiwan, SoS Touray said the Gambia have always addressed the question of Taiwan in the world body from the point of view of justice, fairness and equality, adding that Taiwan is a stable and prosperous democracy that is willing and able to take part in the work that the UN does. 'How can one justify the exclusion of Taiwan from actively participating in the activities of the United Nations agencies?' he asked.

'The safeguarding of the welfare of the 23 million Taiwanese through their participation should be accepted under the principle of universality. For example, with the world’s 10th largest shipping capacity, Taiwan cannot have access to the International Maritime Organization. This adversely affects the progress of its shipping industry.

"Furthermore, being the world’s 18th largest economy and 20 largest outboard investor, Taiwan possesses significant economic strength and continues to share its development experiences with many developing countries through technical and humanitarian assistance. Taiwan is supporting the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals and other internationally agreed development goals. Therefore I think we should all agree let Taiwan participate in the activities of the specialized agencies of the United Nations. This is a modest request which my delegation fervently hopes would merit your objective consideration,' SoS Touray said.

Below is the full text of SoS Touray address to the UN General Assembly.

"Allow me Mr. President to congratulate you on your election as President of the 63rd Session of this Assembly. My delegation has no doubt that under your able and wise guidance the deliberations of this 63 Session will be smooth and fruitful. Let me also express my sincere thanks to your predecessor H.E. Mr. Srgjam Kerim for his exemplary leadership during the 62’ Session of this august Assembly. My delegation would also like to express its deep appreciation to the Secretary-General H. E. Mr. Ban Ki-moon for managing the affairs of our organization very well.


Mr. President, the legitimacy of multilateralism, that lies at the core of the United Nations system, is being increasingly questioned. Yes, with the launching of the former Secretary-General’s report, “In Larger Freedom: Towards Development, Security and Human Rights for All”, a lot of reforms have taken place and are still taking place. However, the question is, “Is it enough?” One of the unassailable conclusions reached n that report is: “no reform of the United Nations would be complete without reform of the Security Council”.

We have established a new Human Rights Council, a Peacebuilding Commission and have undertaken far reaching management reforms. Yet the reform of the Security Council is still being unnecessarily stalled for no justifiable reason. This constitutes a source of frustration for the Citizens of this world who are frustrated at the lack of reform of the Security Council and for this reason are increasingly questioning the legitimacy of its decisions. The world is watching with dismay at this unsatisfactory status quo.

Mr. Chairman the aspiration of the African people and governments for adequate representation on the council cannot be ignored because they are legitimate and justified. The suggestion that reforming the Council’s working methods alone could constitute sufficient reform is not accurate.

My delegation has taken note of the High Level panel’s Report and the Secretary general’s comment on the UN System-wide coherence as well as the Concept paper on Institutional Options to strengthen UN’s work on Gender Parity and the empowerment of Women. My delegation aligns itself with the position of the Group of 77 and China on this work in progress.

Mr. President, our world is also going through a period of crises evident from the food crisis, the energy crisis, the collapse of financial markets and the collapse of trade talks, There is no country on earth which is not affected by the magnitude of these crises.

Too many repetitive high-level meetings; too many false promises and unfulfilled commitments continue to characterize our efforts at addressing the global development crisis. We, in the developing world have had too many prescriptions from the international community and we have fastidiously foHowed them. The irony, however, remains that our partners are not fulfilling their side of the bargain in the way they should. It is our hope that the upcoming meeting on Financing for Development to be held in Doha this November, will result in the reversal of this trend.

We are asked to eliminate subsidies while they continue to give huge subsidies to their farmers. We are opening our markets while they continue to introduce subtle measures including tariff and non-tariff barriers to deny us effective market access. They commit to doubling overseas development assistance but turn around and withhold the little that trickles in. When it trickles, it becomes a media event. This is no way to end poverty. This is no way to end the food crisis. This is no way to end the energy crisis. This is no way to address climate change and it is no way for achieving the MDGs.

Mr. President, allow me to share some thoughts with you on the global food crisis. When the food crisis struck earlier this year, there was no economy which was spared. The food crisis was predictable because the international community over the last decade has neglected agriculture in the developing countries. In most developing countries, agricultural research and training institutions collapsed largely through underfunding. Research and development was outsourced to multinational corporations. Most of us in the developing world saw the collapse of our agriculture markets through competition from the heavily subsidized farmers from the developed world. World trade talks keep on failing to the detriment of poor farmers in rural Africa and elsewhere in the developing world.


Mr. President, our response to the food crisis followed the usual pattern of convening conferences and meetings and adopting blueprints that merely heal the symptoms. We need more than that. How many times did we meet in Rome and elsewhere just to adopt the same commitments that we have already adopted over the years. Our farmers need agricultural inputs like machinery and fertilizers. Our farmers need training in modern methods of agriculture. Our farmers need more research and training institutions. Our farmers need fair trade and market access for their produce. They have been producing their own food for centuries. All they need now is to enhance their production capacities. They are still waiting for the “Green Revolution” in agriculture that Africa was promised at numerous international fora.

We all know what is at stake here. Let us honour our commitments in order not to have a repeat of the dramatic events of food shortage. Let us restore the role of agriculture as a catalyst for development in our discourse at the United Nations and the Bretton Woods Institutions. Let us make the Food and Agriculture Organization work for the poor. Let us make business, academia and scientific institutions play their catalytic roles by generating new ideas and technologies for improved agricultural practices. Let us make markets work for all.

Mr. President, as we address the food crisis, we cannot underestimate the impact of skyrocketing energy costs on the incomes and livelihoods of our populations. Our economies are under enormous stress and our gains in economic growth and development are at risk of being completely eroded. We appreciate the efforts that a number of energy producing countries are making to ease the impact of the crisis on net importing countries. My delegation, however, believes that sustained efforts should continue to be made towards stabilizing the oil market. Beyond tackling the economic crisis that is impacting the world, we should also pay attention to the question of conflict resolution in various hot spots.

Mr. President, one of the cornerstones of The Gambia’s foreign policy is the pursuit of peace and security. As a peace loving people, it is our constant desire to contribute towards the search for lasting peace wherever there is conflict. It is for these reasons that The Gambia actively participates in peace missions and also promotes good neighbourliness, friendship and cooperation throughout Africa and beyond. I must register my satisfaction at the peace dividends that are today being reaped across Africa, thanks to the commitment of African leaders to finding solutions to African conflicts. We are witnessing the resurgence of hope in Sierra Leone and Liberia after many years of consolidation of peace and security. It is my delegation’s fervent hope that the international community will not relent in extending to them all the financial, technical and material support they require to turn around their societies for the better.

Mr. President, my delegation fully shares the agony of the Somali Government and people over the breakdown of law and order and the internal conflict that continues to plague that country. In this regard, I wish to salute the effort that the Government and People of Ethiopia and the neighbouring countries, as well as the African Union are making in trying to bring peace and security to Somalia. The Security Council must do more by genuinely and substantially supporting African efforts at achieving lasting peace in Somalia.

Mr. President, it is the strong desire of my delegation to see a peaceful settlement of the conflict in Darfur. As a troop contributing country to UNAMID, we humbly call on all the parties to iron out their differences at the negotiating table. Regarding the threat to indict President Bashir of Sudan, The Gambia wishes to register its full support for the position taken on this matter by the African Union, the Arab League and the Non-aligned Movement.

Mr. President, people of the Middle East are tired of living in a theatre of conflict. The Palestinian conflict has lingered for too long and the condition of the ordinary Palestinian continues to deteriorate even after numerous accords and promises. General Assembly resolutions, Security Council Resolutions and even the recent International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion on the situation are not being implemented. The Quartet and the international community seem helpless. We must ask ourselves how do we respond to the despair and lack of action that seem to characterize the peace agenda of the United Nations in this region. When will the two-state solution be achieved? Unless we do something by breaking the logjam in the ongoing negotiations, lasting peace will remain elusive.



Mr. President, Iraq and Afghanistan continue to roil in conflict. The international community must give the governments of these countries space to make decisions that are in the best interest of their peoples. Whatever actions are taken or contemplated to be taken in these countries should be properly coordinated with, and fully authorized by their governments. Military solutions have not worked and will not work in the long run. It is therefore incumbent on the international community to find alternatives that will bring about national reconciliation, peace and development. This must be done with full respect for the sovereignty of the countries. The plight of the civilian populations — be they refugees or internally displaced persons, as well as the long-term development aspirations of both Iraq and Afghanistan must receive more attention than they are currently receiving.


Mr President, allow me to also address some neglected issues of international justice. My delegation has always addressed the question of Taiwan in this august Assembly from the point of view of justice, fairness and equality. Taiwan is a stable and prosperous democracy that is willing and able to take part in the work that this organization does. How can one justify the exclusion of Taiwan from actively participating in the activities of the United Nations agencies?

The safeguarding of the welfare of the 23 million Taiwanese through their participation should be accepted under the principle of universality. For example, with the world’s 10th largest shipping capacity, Taiwan cannot have access to the International Maritime Organization. This adversely affects the progress of its shipping industry. Furthermore, being the world’s 18th largest economy and 2O largest outboard investor, Taiwan possesses significant economic strength and continues to share its development experiences with many developing countries through technical and humanitarian assistance. Taiwan is supporting the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals and other internationally agreed development goals. Therefore I think we should all agree let Taiwan participate in the activities of the specialized agencies of the United Nations. This is a modest request which my delegation fervently hopes would merit your objective consideration.

Mr. President, the perpetuation of the unjust extraterritorial economic embargo against Cuba has never made sense, does not make any sense today and has no place in our community of nations. Its sole object is to inflict unnecessary ham and suffering on a resolute people. The General Assembly’s persistent call for its abolition only met with indifference. At their hour of need, when hurricane Ike and Gustav inflicted massive damage on the country, Cuba’s humanitarian call for the lifting of the embargo to enable them to purchase necessary humanitarian supplies met with nothing but a cold response. There is no room for such an action in the 21 Century. The embargo must end.



Mr President, I would like to address a number of social issues that are very high on the global agenda. In Africa, we are committed to combating the scourges of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and other infectious diseases. African governments have over the years committed substantial resources towards fighting these diseases. Yet our healthcare delivery systems remain under serious stress because of the flight of trained professionals to the more advanced countries. This is considered as positive migration, but we are being devastated by it. I think some serious dialogue needs to begin between our countries and those beneficiary countries on how to get fair compensation for such huge losses.

Mr President, the other side of migration is what some call illegal migration, especially from Africa to Europe. It is a question that is tied to the question of youth unemployment in our societies and to the braoder question of development. Over the years, we have tried to address the migration conundrum at various fora but we need to come up with solutions that empower the youth through job creation, skills and vocational training programmes in order to stem the tide. Governments must manage migration humanely. The human rights and welfare of migrants and their families should be upheld by all societies. My delegation would like to appeal to all governments to do more to stamp out the increasing rise of intolerance, xenophobia and racism directed against migrants and their families.
Mr. President, ours is a world of considerable opportunities and challenges. Let us collectively exploit the opportunities offered by our globalized world to tackle the challenges that face humanity. Together we can do it.
Thank you for your attention and May Allah the Almighty bless you all!"

For How Long Shall He kill Our Prophets?

by PK Jarju

“Liberty cannot be preserved without a general knowledge among the people, who have a right and desire to know, but besides this, they have a right an indisputable, unalienable, indefensible, divine right to that most dreaded and envied kind of knowledge- I mean the characters and conduct of their rulers..." John Adams

The continuous arrests, detention and disappearance of people in the Gambia should indeed be a cause for concern to every Gambian living in the country and abroad. A week hardly passes by without someone being picked up and detained by the state security agents for one unexplained reason or another.

These arrests have gone far too long and many people are languishing at the Mile Two Prisons, Janjangbureh Prisons, NIA headquarters and police stations across the country without being charged or told the reasons for their arrests. Chief Ebrima Manneh, Kanyiba Kanyi, among many others are a good example of Gambians who are being arbitrarily detained for months and years without been brought before any court of law. These men are being punished for crimes that only Yahya Jammeh knows.

The Jammeh regime is becoming more and more powerful by the day and has ceased to be a government of the people. Forget about democracy and the rule of law. We are only a democractic country by name. The Gambia is owned by Yahya Jammeh and we are all his subjects.

You may disagree with me but we are not a free society anymore. The notion of living in a free Gambia is out of the window because we have allowed Yahya Jammeh and his cronies to snoop into our peaceful lives and violate our space while we all stood aside and watch with open eyes. As a trusting people, we gave him an inch to manage our affairs but he has taken a mile.

As president and head of state, Jammeh has become so intoxicated with power. All what he talks and dream about is POWER. He rules with the motto that, he as president should be good sometimes and be wicked on most occasions. He believes in god and the god he believes in wants him to be filthy rich, successful and reign over us forever and his opponents and critics dead and buried six-feet-deep. His god also wants him to be more powerful than even King Solomon and Samson in the New Testament.

Jammeh has grown bigger than the Gambia and he therefore expects everyone to bend their knees for him. Blinded and absolutely corrupted by his powers, today Jammeh maintains that he has the right without any basis in the constitution and laws of the Gambia to sack anyone from his job, label anyone a criminal, sabateur or detractor then lock him up and throw the keys into the River Gambia. He is the boss and cannot be challenged.

Despite the fact there exists three chambers of government with different duties and responsibilities as spelt out in the constitution, yet these chambers of government are far from being independent. They are directly under the control of the president and as a result, they do not live up to their responsibilities. They all dance to the tune of the big man.

In other words, though he has his offices in Kanilai and Banjul, Jammeh runs and controls every facet of the Gambian society from curing HIV/Aids, hiring and firing secretaries of state, expelling National Assembly Members, dismissing judges, civil servants and even seyfolu and village alkalolus. Not only that, he declares public holidays when ever he wants, sets the news agenda of the public media, decides what prices commodity goods are to be sold at and when we should all observer the two eids (eid-ul fitr and eid-ul ahad) among others.

Like Napoleon in George Orwell's Animal Farm, Jammeh regards anything that goes against him as an enemy. An enemy that deserves to be punished severly. His orders are always final and it makes me sick all the time when I see people jumping to execute his commands without even using their God-given brains to think. For these zombies, who often boost about how much they loved and cared for the country, whatever the president says or does is in the best interest of the country.

It is therefore not surprising that the bodies of hundreds of Gambians and nonGambians are today full of scares of torture while the unlucky ones are decomposing in marked and umarked graves across the country. Like angels gaurding the fire of Hell, Jammeh's henchmen do not have anything call sympathy in their hearts. They don't flinch a bit when commanded to do something by their master. As a result, these men are committing many heinous crimes against people with impunity in the name of the president.

Take the case of the 44 Ghanaians as an example. These young immigrants, who were travelling to Europe in makeshifts boats via Gambian waters, were in the summer of 2005 arrested and lynched by state agents, just because some idiots in the Quadrangle without any shred of evidence accused them of trying to destablised the country.

Daba Marena and others were also arbitrarily killed while in government custody just because someone accused them of treason. The student demonstrators were also brutally gunned down just because someone accused them of being used by some opposition elements to distabilised the country.

All these and many serious unresolved murder cases involving security officers are buried deep under the carpet. No investigations were conducted and will never be conducted because the president loves the Gambia so much and does not want anything that will tarnish the image of the country.

Recently, many butchers and traders are being harassed by security officers and local councils because Jammeh issued orders for the price reduction of commodity goods and meat. Again market vendors, traders and taxi drivers are harassed on set setal Saturdays because Jammeh gave orders that we should all be at home sweeping our streets and localities.

Today in the Gambia, despite the fact that there exist a book called the constitution, that was supposed to make us live in peace and unity, people are being governed according to the law of the jungle - survival of the fittest. The president and those close to him can do anything they want to the poor masses without being held accountable.

The country is now a nanny state and we are all being watch. Our daily activities are being monitored and recorded not by Close Circuit Televisions (CCTV), but by informers and the secret police. We cannot say anything about the government or Jammeh in the streets because someone elsewhere is listening. Our phone lines are tapped by NIA officers in the name of national security. Political debates are now out of our school curriculum because so many students are serving as the eyes and ears of the regime. Criticise the regime and you will never see the sun again.

These bullies have sown fear in the hearts of everyone in the country. So much arrests and disappearance have left people wondering who is next on the men in black's list. That irrational fear is what is making some people jump under their beds when they hear a car park outside their houses in the middle of the night.

All these evils are happening every day in our lives and yet we are doing nothing to stop it. We have accepted them as part of life and do not give a monkey as to who is bundled into a tinted glass pick-up and banged up in a filthy and mosquito infested cell or killed by the men in black. The only time we seem to care is when a family member or someone close to us goes missing. Like a former colleague of mine (name witheld) once told me after his arrest and detention at the NIA headquarters, he never believed in the stories people say about the brutality of the NIA officers until when he landed there.

Like my friend, we should not wait until we have all become victims before we start doing something. We should not continue sitting down and allow Jammeh and his cronies to rule us any how they want. We are a country and not a village. It is time to say enough is enough. Far too many wrongs have been committed by the regime and we must all not sit down and accept the these evils and wrongs the way they are. We are a talk and do nation and those who can talk must talk while those who can do must do every little thing we all can to change things for the better.

The political madness that has gripped our peaceful country can only be eradicated if we come together and form a united political front that will flushout Jammeh through the polls. Let's stop looking low upon ourselves or doubt our abilities. We are not a bunch of dummies. We are all literates and our labour power is a force, which when fully tapped can bring about the much needed changes in our land of birth.

This is the only way out. The Gambia belongs to each and everyone of us and we must all do everything we can to restore democracy and the rule of law in our God bless country. We are all blessed with different skills and we should use our those skills to let Jammeh know that we have seen and had enough of his brutal regime. Our spirit can never be crushed as long as we have the self belief that our dreams are attainable. Like my late grand dad (may Allah bless his soul) used to tell me during my primary school days, when treads unite, they can even tie and elephant.

Sitting down with folded hands and a sorry face or praying to the heavens for micracles to happen will get us nowhere. God's help only descent on a people who help themselves. As stated by Abu Darda in one hadith, you people must all command people to do good, restrain them from evil otherwise Allah will cause such a tyrant to rule over you who will not respect your elders and will not have mercy on your youngsters. Then you people will pray to Him but will not answer to your prayers, you will ask Him for help but will not help you, you will seek His pardon but will not pardon you.

Long live the great people of the Gambia. Long live the Gambia.

Wishing my esteem readers a happy Koriteh. Peace!

For comments, write to info@allgambian.net or papak196@yahoo.co.uk.

Tears of Love

When 56 year-old British widow, Janet Ordell of Blacksmiths Hill, Hertfordshire, married a Gambian 21 years her junior, never in her imagination did she ever thought that her already broken heart would be reaped into pieces by a man she loves so dearly and calls husband.

After nearly six years of marriage, which was characterised by cheating, lies and deception, Janet's heartless and gold digging Gambian husband has left her not only heart broken but with huge financial debt of £200,000.

Janet's story has already attracted headlines in British Magazines and below we reproduce her sad story. Pls read on.

"My husband of 23 years had died unexpectedly and I was left heartbroken. Time passed and eventually I met a man who made me feel alive again. He was good looking, charming and attentive and within days I was madly in love.

But things weren't straightforward. At 29, John Sarr was 21 years my junior. That was the first problem. The second problem was that he came from the Gambia and was in Britain on a student visa. My friends and family were worried and said: "You are making a mistake. He's only using you to stay in the country.

I told John and he said: "Ignore them. I will prove them all wrong."

SIx weeks after we met, we decided to get married. My mum, my sister and my youngest son refused to attend the wedding. I didn't let it ruin my day. As I gazed into my new husband's eyes, I had no doubts about our future.

Four happy months passed. Then John started planning a trip to see his family in the Gambia. "I will come with you. I would love to meet them," I told him. "You better not," he replied. "Its so hot. You won't feel comfortable."

I was hurt but I didn't let it show. Then he started going out with friends and coming home later and later. Soon he was disappearing for days at a time. When he eventually returned I'd ask: "Where have you been?"

"I don't like being asked so many questions," he'd reply. "I'm not going to be kept prisoner. I will do what I want."

I loved him so much and was frightened of losing him, so I put up with his bad behaviour. Three years into our marriage, he came to me and said: "My grand mother needs to repair her roof. I think we should remorgage your house." I couldn't bear to refuse John anything. I paid £25,000 into his bank and he boarded a plane to the Gambia.

When he returned, he showed me a video of the work he had done there. There was also a footage of his family celebrating a christening. "I paid for that too," he told me. "Oh right," I said.

In fact, it was my money that he used. But he seemed happy so I didn't mind. A few months later, he had another request. "I think I should buy some land in the Gambia. Why don't you remorgage the house again?" he asked. "I am not sure that's a good idea," I replied. He said:"I'm only thinking of our future Janet."

This would increase the repayments. But I reasoned that because John was over 20 years younger than I was, he would still be working when I retired. In later years he would be able to afford to look after us both.

He flew back to the Gambia and purchased an area of land. When he returned, he showed me the paperwork. "Why it is in your name?" I asked. "It's always in the man's name," he said, then changed the subject.

In time he asked me to remorgage the house for a third time. Reluctantly, I agreed to his suggestion. But my trust in him was beginning to wane. When he went off to the Gambia, I decided to do some investigating.

I found the keys to his car, unlocked the door and climbed inside. There were scraps of paper everywhere and when I looked at them, I began to cry. They were love notes and women's phone numbers. Then I found an open packet of condoms. All I could think of was how my family and friends had warned me.

When John returned, I confronted him. "I know what you've been doing. I found the condoms and the notes from your girlfriends in your car," I said. "Its your fault," he told me. "You always put your family first. You don't care about me."

I felt bemused. I'd done everything I could to show John how much I loved him. I went away for the weekend trying to clear my head. When I came back home, half my possessions were missing and John had disappeared too. We has been married for six year. I have ended up totally broke and owe £200,000. John has probably moved to his next victim by now. I wish I had listened to the people who really cared about me."

If you have any comments on this story, write to info@allgambian.net or papak196@yahoo.co.uk

Gambians in UK celebrate Korite

by PK Jarju
The Gambian community in Yorkshire, United Kingdom, Tuesday joined their Muslim brothers in the county to celebrated the Muslim feast of Eidul Fitr, locally refered to as Korite.

The feast, which was to mark the end of the Muslim Holy Month of Ramadan, brought together Muslim men and women of different race and background.

In Wakefield town despite Tuesday being a working day in the country, the Gambian community gathered in Masjid Zakariyya, where the Eid prayers were conducted.

The Imam of the mosque, who spoke at length about the blessings of Ramadan and Eid quoted a hadith narrated by one of Prophet Muhammad's (SAW) uncles, Ibn Abbaas (RA). In the hadith, Ibn Abbaas (RA) said he heard the Prophet (SAW) say: "In the morning of Eid, Allah sends down the angels to all the lands of the earth where they take their positions at access points of roads, calling out with a voice that is heard by all except men and jinns.

"O ummah of Muhammad (SAW) come forth from your houses towards a Lord that is noble and gracious, Who grants much and pardons the major sins." When they proceed towards the praying ground for their Eid salah, Allah says to the Angels: "What is indeed the reward of that employee who had rendered his services?" The Angels replies: "O Lord and Master, it is only right that he should receive his reward in full for his services." Allah then says, "I call you to witness, O my Angels, that for their having fasted during the month of Ramadan, and for them having stood before me in Laylatul Qadr, I have granted to them as reward My pleasure and have granted to them forgiveness. O My servants ask now of Me, for I swear by My Honour and My Greatness, that whatsoever you shall beg of Me this day in this assembly, of yours for the needs of the Hearafter, I shall grant you; and whatsoever you shall ask for worldly needs, I shall look at you favourably. By My Honour, I swear, as long as you shall obey My commands, I shall cover your faults. By My Honour and My Greatness do I swear that I shall never disgrace you among the evil-doing ones and disbelievers. Depart now from here, you are forgiven. You have pleased me and I am pleased with you. The Angels on seeing this great reward bestowed by Allah upon the ummah of Muhammad (SAW) on the day of Eidul Fitr becomes greatly pleased and happy."

The Imam added that as Muslims, we should indeed be thankful to Almighty Allah for having blessed us with such a Holy month in which all the sins we have committed in the previous months are forgiven. He was however quick to caution Muslims not to go about committing sins with the hope of getting them redeemed in Ramadan.

He seized the opportunity to pray for peace, harmony and prosperity in the globe especially in the Muslim world.

At the end of the prayers, the Gambian community met outside the mosque for a photo session as well as to seek each other's forgiveness. They also prayed to Allah to grant them long life, happiness, progress and everything good that they wish for themselves.

Gambia ranked 158 in world corruption index

by PK Jarju

Transperancy International Tuesday released its annual global Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) and it was not surprising to see the Gambia being ranked among the most corrupt countries in the world.

The Gambia together with Burundi, Congo, Sierra Leone, Angola and Guinea Bissau, came 158th position, putting them rock bottom of the index ahead of only five African countries; Zimbabwe, DR Congo, Guinea,Chad,Sudan and Somalia.

Denmark came first as the least corrupt country followed by Sweden, New Zealand, Singapore, Finland and Switzerland.

Bostwana top the list of least corrupt countries in Africa coming in 35th position. It is followed by Mauritius in 41st position. Cape Verde Island and South Africa came 47th and 54th positions respectively. Other countries that came far ahead of the Gambia on the index include, Seychelles, Namibia,Tunisia,Ghana,Swaziland, Burkina Faso, Morocco, Senagal, Mali and even Nigeria, which was a couple of years ago named as the most corrupt country.

The score is based on perceptions of the degree of corruption as seen by business people and country analysts.

In a statement on its website, Transparency International stated that the index is based on perceptions of public sector corruption in 180 countries and territories. It added that this year's Corruption Perceptions Index was calculated using data from 13 sources originated from 11 independent institutions. It added that all sources measure the overall extent of corruption (frequency and/or size of bribes) in the public and political sectors and all sources provide a ranking of countries, i.e., include an assessment of multiple countries.

"Evaluation of the extent of corruption in countries is done by country experts, non resident and residents. In the CPI 2008, this consists of the following sources: Asian Development Bank, African Development Bank, Bertelsmann Transformation Index, Country Policy and Institutional Assessment, Economist Intelligence Unit, Freedom House, Global Insight and Merchant International Group. Additional sources are resident business leaders evaluating their own country; in the CPI 2008, this consists of the following sources: IMD, Political and Economic Risk Consultancy, and the World Economic Forum,” institution added.

Virtues of Ramadan

Abu Saed Khudri relates that Rasulullah (SAW) said, "Everyday and night in Ramadan Allah sets free a great number of souls from hell. And every Muslim during everyday and night there is a time when duaa is certainly accepted."

Apart from this hadith, there are many others stating that the duaa is accepted at the time of breaking the fast. Unfortunately at that time, we are so engrossed in eating food that we have no time for duaa, nor do we recall the duaa of breaking the fast is: O Allah for you I have fasted, in You do I believe, and on You do I rely and now I break this fast with food coming from you.

Abu Hurairah (RA) reports, Rasulullah (SAW) said: "There are three people whose duaas are not rejected, the fasting person until he breaks the fast, the just ruler and the duaas of the oppressed whose duaa Allah lifts above the clouds and opens unto it the doors of the heavens, and Allah says, I swear by my honour, verily I shall assist you even though it may be after some time."

In Durre Manthoor, it is reported from Aisha (RA) that when Ramadan arrived, the colour of Rasulullah's (SAW) face used to change. He then used to increase salaat, became even more humble in his duaas and had even more fear for Allah. According to another report, he (Rasulullah) hardly ever lay down in bed until Ramadan came to an end.

Further in a hadith, it is stated that the Angel bearing the throne are commanded in Ramadan to leave everything else and recite Ameen to duaa of those who fast. There are many hadiths stating that the duaas during Ramadan in particular are accepted. When Allah has promised and His truthful Prophet (SAW) has informed us, there should be no doubt whatsoever about the truth of these reports. Yet it is strange that in spite of this, we still find such people who apparently do not get what they make duaa for. They ask and do not receive. This does not mean that their duaas have been rejected. One should at this point understand the meaning of duaa being answered.

Rasulullah (SAW) informed us that when a Muslim makes duaa for anything from Allah, except for the severance of ties with relatives or for sinful thing then he definitely receives one of the following three things. Firstly, he gets the exact thing for which he made duaa.

Secondly, if that is not received, Allah either removes from his some great calamity in exchange for what he desired, or thirdly, the reward for the thing for which he made duaa is kept deposited for him in the Hereafter.

Another hadith states that on the Day of Resurrection, Allah will call His servant, and say to him, "O My servant, I used to command you to ask of me I had promised to answer. Did you beg of me?" The servant will answer, "Yes I did." Then Allah shall reply, "You did not put forth any request which had not been accepted. You made duaa that a certain calamity should be removed, which I did for you in the worldly life. You made duaa that a certain sorrow should be case off you and the effect of that sorrow was even known to you. For that, I have fixed for you such and such a reward." Rasulullah (SAW) says, that person shall again be reminded of each and every duaa, and he shall be shown how it had been fulfilled in the world, or what reward had been stored for him in the Hereafter. When seeing that, he shall wish that not a single duaa of his have been answered on earth, so that he could receive the full reward only in the Hereafter.

Duaa is indeed very important and to neglect it at any time causes us great loss. Even when the outward signs seem to indicate that our duaa is not answered, courage should not be lost. Should Allah find that granting what we beseech of Him is beneficial, then He grants it, otherwise not. Actually, it is Allah's favour that we do not always get what we ask for, since very often, because of our lack of understanding, we beg of things which are not beneficial at a particular time.

Once again I must draw your attention to the fact that men as well as women suffer from a disease of cursing their children in their anger and sorrows. Be very careful. In the sight of Allah, there are certain times when whatever duaa is made it is immediately answered. So here due to our stupidity, the child is cursed and when the effect of that same duaa comes over the child and lands into calamity, the parents go crying and wailing from side to side not even realising that this is the result of their own curse. Rasulullah (SAW) commands us not to curse ourselves, our children, possessions, or servants.

It is just possible that this is the curse that is heard and answered at a time when all requests are granted, especially in Ramadan, which is filled with such special accepted moments. Hence in this month, great care should be taken. Omar (RA) reports from Rasulullah (SAW) "The one who remembers Allah during Ramadan is forgiven and the one who makes duaa to Allah is not forsaken."

Ibn Mas'ood (RA) reports that on every night of Ramadan a caller from the heavens calls out "O you seeker of good come, come near, O you seeker of evil, turn away (from evil) and open your eyes." Thereafter, that angel calls out, "Is there any seeker of forgiveness that he may be forgiven? Is there any one repenting so that his repentance shall be accepted? Is there anyone making duaa that his duaa may be granted? Is there anyone begging anything so that his plea may be fulfilled?"

Lastly, it should be borne in mind that there are certain conditions on which duaas are accepted. Among these is halal food. Where haram food is consumed, duaa is not accepted. Rasulullah (SAW) said, "Many a greatly troubled one in distress lifts up his hands to the heavens making a duaa, crying 'O Allah, O Allah.' However, the food he eats is haram, what he drinks is haram, his clothes are of haram amd in such cases, how can his duaa be accepted?"

A story is related about a group of people in Kufa whose duaa used to be always answered. Whenever a ruler was over them, they used to make duaa for a curse upon him which quickly came to destroy him. When Hajaaj became ruler there, he invited these people, among others, to a feast. After having eaten, he said: "Now I am not afraid of the duaa for curse upon me from these people because haram food has entered their stomachs."

At this stage, let us ponder over how much haram is being consumed in these times when people are even trying to make permissible the earnings of interest money. We find our people go so far as to think that bribery and what is obtained from it is permissible, while our traders very often, when deling with people, deceive them.
To be continued

Jammeh must explain

In our last weekend edition, we ran a story captioned: No ending to Baba Jobe's troubles, in which we revealed the connection between Baba Jobe, Yahya Jammeh's New Millennium Airline and the Gambia with blood diamonds and arms trafficking.

The story is a very serious one that should not be brushed under the carpet. The Gambian people need answers. They need to be told why their peaceful and God blessed country was used as a base for weapon's smugglers and mobsters. They also need to be told why such international criminal operations were given a free hand to conduct their activities by a regime that claims to be panAfricanist.

Jammeh cannot be exonerated. His aircraft, and former assistant secretary are indicted in this criminal dealings. He must have known something and the National Assembly should without delay investigate him. Our National Assembly Members have to wake up from their slumber. They should know that the Gambia is greater than Yahya Jammeh and her interest must always come first before Jammeh.

Jammeh is the owner of the New Millennium Airline, a Russian-made VIP presidential passenger jet, an Ilyushin IL-62 (C5-GNM) [Gambia] (formerly CCCP-86511 [USSR], RA-86511 [Russia], 3D-RTI [Swaziland], TL-ACL [Central African Republic]), which was formerly registered to Victor Anatoljevitch Bout, one of the world's biggest arms and blood diamonds dealers.

The relationship between Yahya Jammeh and Mr Bout did not stop at the purchase of the aircraft. It went further than that. Investigations shows that even thought the aircraft was reportedly sold to Jammeh, Mr Bout, a former Russian lieutenant, who has acquired the nicknames Merchant of Death and and Lord was still using it to peddle arms and blood diamond thereby supporting former President Taylor’s regime in effort to destabilise Sierra Leone and gain illicit access to diamonds.

Again, a UN Security Council report dated November 30, 2005, lists New Millennium Airline as having its address at the residence of President Jammeh: State House, Banjul, Gambia and that it have acted as a cover for Victor Bout's criminal operations.

Although the New Millennium Airline was said to be managed by Baba Jobe, (a Libyan trained terrorist), I cannot be convinced that Jammeh as owner of the company was not aware of its business dealings Mr Bout.

I am of the view that Baba Jobe was a mere go-between, who was used as a cover by Yahya Jammeh. Baba never got any financial gains from the said dealings? I have the firm believe that the New Millennium Airline, which was covering the criminal activities of Mr Bout is the only one that hugely benefitted from the lucrative business which must have generated millions of Dollars. Jammeh should prove me wrong by showing us the financial transactions of his infamous aircraft.

Secondly, Jammeh have often told the Gambian people that he made Baba Jobe what he was and that he (Jammeh) owned the money which Baba Jobe was spending on people.

Thirdly, the Youth Development Enterprise (YDE), which is again owned by Jammeh and managed by Baba Jobe was paying salaries of the crew and staff as well as maintenance of the New Millennium Airline. Some documents tendered in court by Baba Jobe's defense team during his economic crime trial show the YDE spending huge sums of money on the New Millennium under the directive of Jammeh.

Baba Jobe was a very loyal servant of Jammeh and his responsibilities as assistant secretary Office of the President was 'to help the government and President Jammeh directly' through his connections with the Arab world.

That connection show the coming to the Gambia of other gun running mafias, Samih Osailly and Aziz Nassour. The Lebanese cousins, who are currently serving time in a Belgian jail have between January and June 2001 used the New Millennium Airline as a transiting company for arms and blood diamond, which were used to support the evil and brutal regime of Charles Taylor. Again was Jammeh not aware of the business dealings of Mr Jobe and the two Lebanese? I don't think so.

And although the Gambia has never been a diamond producing country, yet it became a diamond-exporting nation. In 1998, Belgium recorded imports from Banjul of 449,000 carats valued at US$78.3 million, an average value of US$174 per carat. The volume howvere declined the following year to 206,000 carats, with an average per carat value of US$234. And up to mid August 2000, there was a more significant decline: 82,000 carats valued at US$17.6 million (US$214/ct).

Interestingly, when news of the diamond export was reported by The Independent Newspaper (now abitrarily closed down by Jammeh), the Jammeh regime as expected issued a bed time press release saying that the diamonds belongs to the Sarahules (Marakas).

What Jammeh failed to realised is that many Gambians knew that the diamond mines in Sierra Leone were at the time in the hands of the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) and that it was utter nonsense to suggest that the few Marakas people were able purchase and export diamonds valued at US$78.3 million to Belgium. To further discredit Jammeh, some Marakas people anonimously admitted to The Independent that they have never exported diamonds of such quantity to Belgium.

Its time for Jammeh to come clean before its too late.



Don't harass the bucthers

This Tuesday, while reading the Gambian papers, I came across a story published by the Daily Observer captioned: KMC Mayor reacts to buther's strike. The said strike action came in the wake of Dictator Yahya Jammeh's order for butchers in the country to reduce the price of meat.

In the story, Major Yankuba Colley was quoted as saying that he would not compromise the decision or orders issued by the Gambian leader, noting that anything the president had said was in the interest of the nation; that he would not compromise with anybody who wants to undermine the efforts of President Jammeh."

I found the above comments very interesting as it expose the ignorance of the Major Colley. How can Major Colley make such irresponsible comments? In this 21st Century, I still find it hard to believe that there still exist zombies like Major Colley, who are completely brainless and blind despite being blessed with tennis ball size eyes. But what do you expect when a square peg is inserted in a round hole?

Major Colley needs to know that Jammeh does not own the Gambia. Yes, he is the state of the country, but his duties and responsibilities as head of state are clearly spelt out in the constitution and it does not involve price regulation.

President Jammeh is trying to divert the attention of the public from the fact the high prices of commodity goods are a direct results of his government's poor econmic policies. Jammeh need to be honest to the Gambian people by admitting his failures.

While I understand the pain of the ordinary Gambian in being unable to buy meat, they should understand, that all businesses are geared towards making profit. Many of the cattle that are slaughtered in Jollof are bought from Senegal and Mali. And with the current inflation rate, it is very unfair to force buthers to sell meat at a cost where they cannot make any profit.We should also know that, these buthers are heavily taxed by the KMC. And rather than force them, Jammeh should have urged local councils to negotiate with them so as to resolve the issue. Issuing threats in public only portrays Jammeh as a bully and a tyrant who does not know how to run a country.

Jaarama Gainako

Congratulations to our colleagues at Gainako Newspaper on their second anniversary celebration. Since its establishment, Gainako has played a significant role in educating and highlighting issues affecting the Gambian people. Above all, the paper has given a voice to everyone.

Commentaries by Koto Ebrima Conteh, Omar Jallow among others are always interesting. Solo and Yahya Dampha are also doing a great job. Their stories helps to keep me and many Gambians abreast with current issues happening in Jollof. Keep up the good work. May Allah continue to shower His blessings on you all.


For comments pls write to info@allgambian.net or papak196@yahoo.co.uk. You can also read my blog www.pkjarju.blogspot.com

No ending to Baba Jobe's troubles

by PK Jarju



As if being jailed for economic crimes and having his assets frozen is not enough, Baba Kajally Jobe, former assistant secretary Office of the President and director of President Yahya Jammeh's New Millennium Airline, is still on the United Nations Security Council travel ban list.

In its latest travel ban list update in pursuant of resolution 1343 (2001) on Liberia, adopted on 7 March 2001, the Security Council still described Mr Jobe as an 'arms trafficker, who supported former President Charles Taylor’s regime in effort to destabilise Sierra Leone and gain illicit access to diamonds.'

It urged all states to take the necessary measures to prevent the entry into or transit through their territories of Mr Jobe and 58 others, who constitute a threat to the peace process in Liberia, or who are engaged in activities aimed at undermining peace and stability in Liberia and the sub-region, including those senior members of former President Charles Taylor’s Government and their spouses and members of Liberia’s former armed forces who retain links to former President Charles Taylor, and any other individuals, or individuals associated with entities, providing financial or military support to armed rebel groups in Liberia or in countries in the region.

Mr Jobe, 49, who was majority leader and National Assembly Member for Jarra West, was said to have conspired with others to run an arms smuggling ring in contravention of UN Security Council resolution 1343. And in between January and June 2001, Mr Jobe and the New Millennium Airline were said to have been used as transiting companies for illegal weapons handled by gun running mafias, Samih Osailly and Aziz Nassour who were jailed in Antwerp, Belgium for illegal diamond smuggling and weapons purchases.

Mr Osailly and Nassour, who are cousins from Lebanon, were also reported to have sold blood diamonds and indirectly or directly supported the Taylor regime. Baba Jobe is also said to have according to a commercial aviation database, use the New Millennium Airline, a Russian-made passenger jet acquired from Centrafrican Airlines, to cover the operations of, Victor Anatoljevitch Bout, one of the world's biggest arms dealers.

A former Russian lieutenant, who has acquired the nicknames Merchant of Death and Lord of War, Mr Bout use to fly his ancient Soviet planes into battlefields from Liberia to Afghanistan and some of his clients are said to include the Taliban and African warlords. He is said to have transported weapons and minerals in contravention of UN Security Council resolution 1343, and have supported former President Taylor’s regime in effort to destabilise Sierra Leone and gain illicit access to diamonds. The travel ban on Baba Jobe and others first came into effect on June 4, 2001.

The Gambia Government reacted angrily to the news and accused the UN of trying to smear the name of the country. Under the directives of President Jammeh, Momodou Lamin Sedat Jobe, Foreign Affairs Secretary at the time, on June 27, 2001, wrote a protest letter [reference number S/2001/704] to Kishore Mahbubani, chairman of the Security Council Committee established in pursuant to resolution 1343 (2001) concerning Liberia.

In the letter, Secretary of State Jobe said: "I refer to your communications of 7 June 2001, conveying the content of resolution 1343 (2001), and 4 June 2001, addressed to the Permanent Representative of the Gambia [Babucarr Blaise Jagne].

Following the release of the report of the Security Council Panel of Experts on Sierra Leone Diamonds and Arms, the Government of the Gambia, through its Permanent Representative in New York, addressed a letter on 23 January 2001 to you, inviting the Panel of Experts to visit the Gambia before the Security Council considered the report.

I am therefore surprised that, despite the fact that no reaction to my Government’s request was forthcoming from you and without any pre-information or request for clarification from the Gambia, when the subject of sanctions on Liberia was being discussed, a Gambian national, Baba Jobe, has been included in the list of Liberian nationals affected by the Security Council travel ban. I am even more amazed by the fact that the mention of Mr Jobe’s name on the list was accompanied neither by an indication of his passport number nor his date of birth, as is the case with the other persons affected by the sanction.

Following informal enquiries with the sanctions Committee, my Representative at the United Nations was informed that the inclusion of Mr Jobe’s name on the list was a result of a request from the French, British and United States Governments. Consequently a formal request was sent to you, demanding the details surrounding such a serious allegation which the Government of the Gambia definitely cannot treat lightly, if it is corroborated with evidence.

Having waited for almost four weeks for your response, we have taken it upon ourselves to inform the Gambian public that we believe that the decision to include a Gambian on the list was a well-calculated move and is prejudicial to my country, which despite its size has been playing a major role in the quest for peace and stability in the West African sub-region beyond. Furthermore, my Department of State has decided to inform the international community about the very undemocratic, illegal and non-transparent manner in which the Security Council handled this matter.

The Government of the Gambia is aggrieved by the fact that a decision of such magnitude has been taken without any research and consultations with the country affected. It must be noted that situations like this one will, sooner rather than later, undermine the moral authority of the sanctions Committee. When I consulted with the British, French and American Missions in the Gambia, they did not seem to know about the origin of the inclusion of the Gambian national. This can hardly be an illustration of the high standard of justice and equity that is expected of the Committee in passing judgement on Member States and their citizens. It is my belief that the inclusion of the Gambian national in the list is an error which is of great prejudice to the individual and the prestige of the Gambia as a country.

Let me draw your attention to the fact that the Gambia, as a signatory to the ECOWAS Moratorium on the Importation, Exportation and Manufacture of Small Arms and Light Weapons in West Africa, signed in 1998, is the only State that has not so far requested a waiver of the Moratorium in order to import or export arms. The Gambian President, Alhaji Yahya A. J. J. Jammeh, has even gone beyond that and informed Member States parties to the agreement very clearly that, if they continue to request waivers, there would be no raison d’être for the Moratorium.

Against this background, therefore, describing a Gambian official as an arms trafficker is not only a very serious matter but a case that has to be followed up, so that the Gambian public can have all the details necessary for a better understanding of the matter.

It is our belief that this accusation is unfounded, because if it were true the matter would have been treated more professionally and we would have received a detailed communication from the Committee prior to the publication of the list. If the foregoing is confirmed the sanctions Committee must convince the whole world that it is fair and respectable and has the courage of recognising its mistakes when they do occur, especially when they tarnish the international reputation of a State Member of the United Nations which gave invaluable service to the Security Council during the two years that it served as one of its non-permanent members."

After a series of correspondence with the UN, the Gambia Government flatly refused to accept the Security Council's indictment of Mr Jobe. It also refused to comply with UN Resolution 1521 which urged all states to freeze without delay funds, other financial assets and economic resources owned or controlled by Baba Jobe and others.

However on March 26, 2004, the Jammeh decided to freeze Mr Jobe's assets two days before he received an 8 year prison sentence for economic crimes.

Although the Security Council has not mentioned President Yahya Jammeh in its report, there are many questions being asked by ordinary Gambians on whether Baba Jobe did actually embarked on such adventures without the knowledge of the airline owner, the President. And if Jammeh indeed knew about the transactions, how much money was generated?

RAMADAN SPECIAL

Virtues of Ramadan
by Maulana Muhammad Zakariyya Kaandhawi

Salman (RA) reports that " On the last day of Shabaan, Rasulullah (SAW) addressed us and said, 'O people there comes over to you a great month, a most blessed month in which lies a night more greater in virtue than a 1000 months. It is a month in which Allah has made fating compulsory by day. And has made sunnah the Taraaweeh (Nafilo as in Mandika) by night. Whosoever intends drawing near to Allah by performing any virtuous deed, for such person shall be the reward like the one who had perform fardh in any other time. And whoever performs a fardh shall be blessed with the reward of 70 faraa-idh in any other time.

This is indeed the month of patience, and the reward for true patience is paradise. It is the month of sympathy with one's fellowmen. It is the month wherein a true believer's sustenance is increased. Whosoever feeds another who fasted, in order to break the fast (at sunset), for the feeder there shall be forgiveness of sins and emancipation from the fire of hell, and for such feeder shall be the same reward as the one who who fasted (who he fed) without that person's reward being decreased in the least."

Thereupon we said, "O Messenger of Allah, not all of us possess the means whereby we can give a fasting person to break his fast." Rasulullah (SAW) replied, "Allah grants the same reward to one who gives a fasting person to break the fast a mere date, or drink of water or a sip of milk."

"This is a month, the first of which brings Allah's mercy, the middle of which brings His forgiveness and the last of which brings emancipation from the fire of hell. Whosoever lessens the burden of his servants in this month, Allah will forgive him and free him from the fire of hell. And in this month, four things you should continue to perform in great number, two of which shall be to please your Lord, while the other two shall be those without which you cannot do. Those which shall be to please your Lord, are that you should in great quantity bear witness that there is no diety to worship except Allah (i.e. recite the Kalimah Laa Ilaaha Illallah) and make must Istighfaar (beg Allah's forgiveness with Astaghfirulaah). And as for those without which you cannot do, you should beg of Allah enterance into paradise and ask refuge in Him from hell."

"And whoever gave a person who fasted water to drink, Allah shall grant that giver to drink from My fountain, such a drink whereafter that person shall never again feel thirsty until he enters paradise."

Abu Hurayrah (RA) relates that Rasulullah (SAW) said "My ummah were given five things for Ramadan which were not given to anyone except them. For them the smell from the mouth of a fasting person is more sweater to Allah than the fragrant smell of musk. On their behalf, the fish in the sea seek forgiveness for the fasting persons until the break their fast. Allah prepares and decorates a special garden in paradise everyday and then says (to it), "The time is near when the faithful servants shall cast aside the great trials of the world and come to you." In this month (for them) evil-minded Shaytaan is chained so as not to reach unto those evils to which they normally reach during other months besides Ramadan. On the last night of Ramadan they are forgiven."

The Sahaabah (RA) thereupon enquired, "O messenger of Allah, is that last night Laylatul Qadr? Rasulullah (SAW) replied, "No. But it is only right that a servant should be given his reward on having complete his service."

Ubaadah bin Saamit (RA) reported that Rasulullah (SAW) one day said when Ramadan had drawn near, "Ramadan, the month of blessing has come to you, wherein Allah turns towards you and sends down to you His special mercy, forgives faults, accept prayers, looks at your competitions for the greatest good and boasts to His angels about you. So show Allah your righteousness from yourselves. For verily the most pitable and unfortunate one is the one who is deprived of Allah's mercy in this month."

Abu Saed Khudri relates that Rasulullah (SAW) said, "Everyday and night in Ramadan Allah sets free a great number of souls from hell. And every Muslim during everyday abd night there is a time when duaa is certainly accepted.

To be continued

While I was away

by PK Jarju

I swear by Allah that you people cannot attain salvation, unless you prevent the tyrants from tyranny and invite them to truth and justice.....Prophet Muhammad (SAW)

My dear readers and fans, over the past weeks, I took a break from writing to embark on a tour of Britain with some friends from Bolton, Preston and Leeds. The tour, which took us to many major towns and cities was a memorable one and I will always cherish the wonderful times I had with my colleagues and indeed, the lovely British people we met. I say thanks to everyone who have supported us in one way or the other during the tour. Special thanks to my missus and son, for reluctantly letting me embark on the tour.

While I was away, I received many emails from some concern friends and Gambians for that matter, making all sort of enquiries regarding my long absence on the pages of Allgambian and Freedom Newspaper. And of course, Dida Halake's respond to one of my piece entitled, Nakam Nak Dida?

I found the mail to be interesting and I commend Dida Halake for taking the time to respond to me. However, against the advise of my associates and family, I have decided to straighten the record on some of the issues raised by Halake. As a journalist who was taught by respectable men like Baba Galleh Jallow, Yorro Jallow, DA Jawo, Abdoulie Sey, Pascal Eze, Ndey Tapha Sosseh and Sheriff Bojang Senior to write nothing but the truth, I don't mind people disagreeing with me on what I say or write. But what I cannot stomach is men and women, who spread lies about people in their bid to score points.

It is true that like many Gambians, I supported the AFPRC/APRC and was a friend of Mr. Halake. Well, I still see Mr. Halake as a friend and that was why I was among the first Gambians to congratulate him when he was made managing director of the Observer. However, my friendship with Mr. Halake turned sour when I broke the culture of fear and decided to speak out against the brutalities of the Jammeh regime, its lack of respect to the rights and freedom of the people and its lack of interest in the welfare of Gambians.

Was I surprise that many of my relatives and friends like Dida have turned their backs on me for being a critic of Yahya Jammeh? No. Do I care? Hell no. This was something I expected as I have seen them do to others in the past. For them, any one who disagrees with Yahya Jammeh is confused, mad, anti-development and deserves to rot in hell.

Mr. Halake can go about telling anyone who cares about what a progressive leader he thinks Yahya Jammeh is. But no matter how much he tries, he can never change Jammeh's record as a corrupt, selfish and bloody dictator, whose hands are dripping with the blood of many young Gambians

In fact, I would have loved to engage Mr. Halake in a debate regarding the situation in Jollof if he was Gambian. But the fact that he is a non-Gambian, who has flown back to the UK after his disgraceful exit from the Observer has vindicated my earlier comments about his likes.

Yahya Jammeh and I are both from the same tribe and division and like many of my tribal men, I would have been living large today at the expense of the Gambian tax payers if I were singing the praises of the regime. But as a person who loves the Gambia and believes in democracy and respect to the rights and freedom of the people, my conscience wouldn't allow me to continue identifying myself with a regime that has brought nothing meaningful but poverty and hardships to the ordinary Gambians. As a parent, I am ashamed to have called myself an APRC supporter- a party whose leadership have made many parents childless, wives widows and children orphans.

Dida Halake can call it whatever he wants but as far as I am concern, there is no democracy in the Gambia. What we have in the Gambia is Jammehcracy, which can be best defined as government of Yahya Jammeh, by Yahya Jammeh and for Yahya Jammeh. And I cannot support a regime that have no respect to the rule of law. Jammeh regard himself as god and wants everyone to worship him. My conscience cannot allow me to ignore the brutality and sufferings that the Gambian people are going through in the hands of the false Messiah.

The Jammeh regime has lost its sense of direction and it can be likened to a ship in the middle of the ocean that has suffered a general power failure. The Gambian leadership is sinking believe me or not. The once formidable structure is splitting apart and it is using force and money to cling on to power.

The regime of Mr Jammeh has committed gross human rights abuses against innocent Gambians it has sworn to protect. Utter disregard for the rule of law and democracy have led to a situation of uncertainty. A torrent of arrests and sudden disappearances have left Gambians today more confused by the uncertain direction of a revolution which is supposedly guided by Mr Jammeh in his "wisdom and magnanimity as the saviour of the Gambia".

Jammeh came to power not to salvage the Gambian people but to fulfil his long term ambition of becoming the most powerful and wealthy Gambian. Jammeh has hijacked the country and is ruining the hopes and aspirations of the Gambian people. He is tearing our country to shreds and has seized the rights and freedoms of Gambians. He has transformed our God blessed country from a cheerful to sorry state. And as our noble Prophet (SAW) has commanded us 'to restrain tyrants from tryranny and invite them towards truth and justice', I see it as my responsibility and indeed that of every Gambian to stand up and oppose vicious tyrants like Jammeh.

The Jammeh regime has failed to live up to its slogan of accountability, transparency and probity. It has become unaccountable, nontransparent and unable to get rid of the ills it claimed were riffed in the previous Jawara regime. This regime is worse than the Jawara regime and the once happy people of the Gambia are today living in a sad and miserable society; where a greater percentage cannot even afford to acquire a decent meal for the day. In other words, the revolution has brought nothing meaningful but retrogression, hardship, and endless suffering to the Gambian people.

What can be described as bad under the erstwhile Jawara regime is at its worst state today. Corruption is at its highest with the president and his cronies hijacking the country's economy which is squandered and diverted into personal use. The president and his associates, who were nowhere near the rich ladder before coming to power, are today the richest and most wealthy people in the country.

While I am happy that the sedition case against Mr. Halake has been withdrawn by the state, yet his arrest and 12 days detention exposes the Jammeh regime's lack of respect to the rights of Gambians and non-Gambians alike in the country. The fact that he was held beyond the legal 72 hours for allegedly uttering seditious words and giving false information to a public officer, contrary to the laws of the Gambia shortly after his sacking as Observer MD, shows the unfair treatment being meted out to people who fall out with the Jammeh administration. That is what I am against.

Many a time, we have seen many Gambians being arrested and detained incommunicado at the the Mile Two Prisons and NIA headquarters for months or years without even being told the reason for their arrest.Take the case of Kanjiba Kanyi and others as an example. What about the extra judicial killings of Daba Marena and co, Lt Almamo Manneh, Corporal Momodou Dumbuya, the student demonstrators, the gruesome murder of Deyda Hydara among others? Dida may ignore such henious crimes because he is a non-Gambian, but I cannot turn a blind eye. Though I am a powerless man, I will refuse to accept the situation as it is and will strive to make the situation better.

Dida Halake was not being honest at all when he said I dithered whether to become a critic of the Jammeh regime. I started this very column in 2006 to highlight the situation in the Gambia. This of course was a hard pill for Dida to swallow and the phone call he refered to in his mail was the last time we spoke during which he unsuccessfully tried to persuade me to stop criticising the regime.

Regarding my call sometime last year for the removal of Jammeh, I will reiterate it here that I don't have any regrets for making such calls. This is because the July 22nd revolution was not brought about to alleviate the suffering of Gambian people. It was conducted by a group of unpatriotic, selfish, greedy, and power hungry soldiers who were only interested in becoming wealthy and powerful. They have become so intoxicated with power and do not intend to exit the corridors of power despite the deleterious effect their rule is having on the lives of the people. The removal of Jammeh today will be far more justifiable than the 1994 coup.

What Dida need to understand is that the Gambian people are fed up with Jammeh. They are tired of waking up everyday and see their president getting fatter and fatter at their expense while they suffer with starvation. They are sick of being unable to meet the rising costs of living while the president and his associates diverts their taxes to fund their flamboyant life styles. They are tired of being cruelly held to ransome by a president who claim to be championing their cause.

Mr. Halake can call his short stint at the Observer as a success, but anyone who has seen or worked at the Observer under Mr. Best and Sheriff Bojang will disagree. Where is the success story when the Observer served as a mouth piece of the dictatorship instead of being a voice of the people? Where was the success when Dida Halake use his editorials to blast decent Gambians whose only crime is to oppose the brutal regime of Mr Jammeh?

Finally, I would like Dida to know that as a Gambian who was born in the provences, I have travelled all over the Gambia from Kartong to Koina not once but five times and can name you the names of villages and towns from Banjul to Koina and Barra to Sandu. And although am not in the Gambia physically, I am always in touch with Gambians back home especially those in the provinces a greater percentage of whom are living on less than 50 pence a day and are finding it very difficult to even put food on the table.These people have been failed by the regime.

Mr. Halake, the Gambia under Jammeh is not developing. Development should not be measure by the number of roads and schools being built by Jammeh. It should rather be measured by how well off the people are. Where is the development when people cannot afford to put decent food on the table? Where is the development when the government cannot provide employment opportunities to the thousands of Gambians who graduate from school annually? Where is the development when people are continuing to die from preventable diseases like malaria? Where is the development when our hospitals cannot even conduct simple life saving operations? Where is the development when many had working and promising Gambians are being fired from their jobs for criticising Mr. Jammeh? Where is the development when the infant mortality rate is still high and pregnant women continue to go to hospitals on horse and donkey cartes? This is not what is development.

Mr. Halake, the pages of Allgambian are always open for you despite the fact that we disagree on issues pertaining to the development of the Gambia. And now that you are back in the UK, am wishing you the very best in life.
I rest my case. Peace.

For Comments Pls write to papak196@yahoo.co.uk or info@allgambian.net

68 ministers in 14 years

When one takes a serious look at the July 22 military coup that brought President Yahya Jammeh and his AFPRC/APRC government to power, one would no doubt see that the regime has completely lost its bearings and is just going round and round in circle.

The revolution, which I have always described as illegal and criminal, has eroded our basic civil liberties, including the right to freedom of speech, assembly and movement. The much talk about revolution has failed woefully. The revolution was supposed to change the country for the better as well as improve the living conditions of the ordinary Gambian. Instead, it has made us poorer and poorer.

The Jammeh regime has hijacked the country and is ruining the hopes and aspirations of the Gambian people. It is tearing our country to shreds. It has brought nothing meaningful but suffering, hardship, starvation and retrogression. The level of poverty is increasing by the day with a large number of Gambians finding it hard to meet the rising cost of living. And while the population struggle everyday to afford their three square meals, the president has millions of Dalasis to waste on cultural festivals. The president, who was no where near the property ladder before the coup is today richer than a king and with a salary of less than £800, he boast of fleets of cars, an aircraft, oversea bank accounts and properties in and outside the country. During his annual meet the people's tour, he could be openly seen dishing out packets of money to school children and village elders. He has even admitted that he has enough amount of money which cannot be exhausted even by his great grand children.

The July 22 military coup cannot be described as a revolution. It was not designed to improve the living conditions of Gambians. The coup was not also conducted to make the country a better place to live for Gambians and non Gambians. Instead it was fashioned to fulfill the long term ambitions of some power hungry and money grapping soldiers, who does not have the interest of Gambians at heart.

The regime has a pointless leadership that does not have the slightest idea of how to govern a country. The leadership is more confused than ever and the current situation in the country can only be described as sad and sorry.

Bribery, corruption, favouritism and nepotism is the order of the day and the country's finance is being blundered reckless by the chosen few in power. Development is politicised and many of the development projects have failed to improve the conditions of the local people.

There is no job security when you work for Jammeh. Since 22 July 1994, President Yahya Jammeh has hired 68 cabinet ministers and fired 60 without telling the Gambian people why. This frequent hiring and firing has left Gambians wondering what direction the revolution is taking. And as he is about to celebrate his 14th year in power, Allgambian hereby produce a list of men and women who have occupied various ministerial positions in the Jammeh regime since July 1994.

Mass Axi Gai
Angela Colley
Kanja Sanneh
Neneh Macdoual-Gaye
Therese Ndong-Jatta (resigned)
Maba Jobe (before even taking office)
Momodou Lamin Sedat Jobe (resigned)
Joseph Henry Joof (resigned)
Satang Jow (retired)
Yankuba Kassama
Margaret Keita
Ousman Badjie
Samba Bah
Lamin Kaba Bajo (re-instated, again fired)
Musa Bittaye
Amie Bensouda
Fatou Bom Bensouda
John P. Bojang
Momodou Bojang
Nyimasata Sanneh
Bojang Mamat Cham
Ebrima Ceesay
Momodou Nai Ceesay
Ousman Koro Ceesay (killed)
Sulayman Massaneh Ceesay
Bakary Bunja Dabo
Fasainey Dumbuya
Samba Faal
Omar Faye
Sadibou Haidara
Sheikh Tijan Hydara (re-instated, again fired)
Blaise Jagne
Balla Garba Jahumpa (re-instated, again fired)
Momodou Sarjo Jallow
Dr Amadou Scattred Janneh
Manlafi Jarju
Tamsir Mbowe
Dominic Mendy
Alieu Ngum
Bakary Njie
Omar Njie
Susan Waffa-Ogoo
Hawa Sisay Sabally
Sana Sabally
Abdoulie Sallah (re-instated, fired)
Hassan Sallah
Momodou Sallah
Sidy Morro Sanneh
Kebba Sanyang (re-instated, again fired)
Samsudeen Sarr
Cheyassin Secka
Musa Sillah
Edward Singhatey
Raymond Sock
Amina Faal Sonko
Baboucarr Jatta
Famara Jatta
Kumba Ceesay-Marenah
Mustapha Marong
Fafa Mbai
Musa Mbenga
Sulayman Mboob
Bolong Sonko
Bai Mass Taal
Fatoumatta Tambajang
Bemba Tambedou
Yankuba Touray (fired and re-instated)
Crispin Grey Johnson (fired and re-instated)