Wangari Muta Maathai (1940-2011)

Wangari Muta Maathai (Pix: abww.wordpress.com)

It is with great sadness that the family of Professor Wangari Maathai announces her passing away on 25th September, 2011, at the Nairobi Hospital, after a prolonged and bravely borne struggle with cancer. Her loved ones were with her at the time,  The Green Belt Movement International said today in a brief statewment.



 

"Professor Maathai’s departure is untimely and a very great loss to all who knew her—as a mother, relative, co-worker, colleague, role model, and heroine; or who admired her determination to make the world a more peaceful, healthier, and better place."

Gambian journalist Nanama Keita says ‘he fled for his life’

Nanama Keita at the South Africa 2010 World Cup

Sixth ACA Annual Conference kicks-off in Banjul

Delegates at the 6th ACA Confab (Pix: Msjoof)

Greater progress is possible, though risks and gaps remain

UN SG Ban Ki-moon

The Roll Back Malaria Secretariat has indicated a record success and anticipates near-zero malaria deaths in next the decade if efforts are sustained.

A report launched on Monday by the Roll Back Malaria Partnership (RBM) finds that the world has made remarkable gains against malaria in the past ten years, increasing optimism that an end to the disease is in sight. 

The report “Roll Back Malaria Partnership: A Decade of Partnership and Results” said global malaria deaths have dropped by an estimated 38 percent, with 43 countries (11 of them in Africa) cutting malaria cases or deaths by 50 percent or more, reversing the trend of the previous decade and saving over a million lives.

GIABA returns to Banjul to continue fight against money laundering...

Director-General-of-GIABA-Dr-Abdulahi-Shehu

The Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA) will return to The Gambia to hold a 3-day regional training workshop on Anti-Money Laundering and Combating Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) requirements for non-bank regulators and supervisors. 

The course, scheduled to take place from October 4-6, 2011 at a local hotel at the town of Bijilo in the West Coast Region of The Gambia, is intended to improve participants understanding of their roles as enunciated by FATF 40 + 9 Recommendations in particular Recommendations 24.

GAMBIA: HOME AFFAIRS

• UDP’s Shingle Nyassi speaks on his visit to US 

• Ambassador White projects a new era in civil-military relations  

+ more......

Moses Richards handed two and half years jail term

 Court issues arrest warrant for journalist Nanama Keita 

+ more from Gambia legal affiars......

Moses Richards

Moses Richards handed two and half years jail term

A Gambian private lawyer, Moses B. Johnson Richards, 41, has been handed an imprisonment term of two and half years by the Magistrate Court in Banjul, the capital of The Gambia on Monday.

Magistrate Alagbe Taiwo Ade, presiding, convicted Mr Richards to 30 months imprisonment with hard labour after he found him guilty on two counts of “giving false information” and “sedition”.

The former Magistrate and High Court Judge had earlier pleaded not-guilty to the two criminal charges brought against him by the police earlier this year. The charges emanates from a letter he wrote to the Office of the President on behalf of his client over a land dispute at Jabang village, Kombo North District of the West Coast Region.

Global action to combat malaria has reduced deaths by more than one third

Saving 1.1 million lives in sub-Saharan Africa over the past decade

Paris, London, 12 September 2011 – A new report released today by the Roll Back Malaria Partnership (RBM) finds that the world has made remarkable gains against malaria in the past ten years, increasing optimism that an end to the disease is in sight. According to Roll Back Malaria Partnership: A Decade of Partnership and Results, global malaria deaths have dropped by an estimated 38%, with 43 countries (11 of them in Africa) cutting malaria cases or deaths by 50% or more, reversing the trend of the previous decade and saving over a million lives.

Africa must face climate change head on

 + More from our continent...

Africa must face climate change head on 

The FAO and African leaders are working together to move quickly to adopt a “climate-smart” approach to agriculture to fight the impacts of climate change and increasing scarcity of natural resources.

 “Africa needs increased productivity in its agriculture and higher incomes in its rural areas, and rural communities and the agro-ecosystems on which they depend have to adapt to climate change and become more resilient to its impacts,” Alexander Mueller, FAO’s Assistant-Director General for Natural Resources, said in remarks at the conference “Climate Smart Agriculture: Africa – A Call to Action,” convened by the Government of South Africa (13-14 September, Johannesburg).

Put refuses to admit Gambia can’t benefit from Namibia appeal

Gambia's Belgian Coach Paul Put and GFA Officials

It is apparent that a CAF-ruling in Namibia’s appeal against Burkina Faso’s alleged use of an ineligible player in the AFCON 2012 qualifiers will not be of benefit to The Gambia in anyway.

And talks of a ruling by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) going in Gambia’s favour are just mare dreams, however, Gambia’s coach Paul Put has refused to admit this.

Namibia wrote to the Pan-African Football Body in March after they suffered a defeat to Burkina at home, complaining Burkina’s Cameroon-born defender Zengue is ineligible to play for Burkina. The player at the center of the appeal was fielded in both legs between to two nations, and if CAF decides to uphold or dismiss the appeal, Namibia or Burkina Faso will qualify from Group F.

NUSOJ Condemns Journalists’ Labeling by Al-Shabaab

• NUSOJ Condemns Journalists’ Labeling by Al-Shabaab 
• Journalists continue to be targeted in Somaliland  
• Detention of Sub-Saharan African Refugees and Migrants in Libya  
• Freedom for Kenyan activist charged over Uganda bombing  
• UNESCO promotes freedom of expression ahead of elections in Liberia  
• Chadian students to face trial over protest pamphlets  
• Launch of the Report “Rolling Back Malaria: A Decade of Partnership and Results” 

 Plus more on Africa......

Gambia, Senegal Deny Involvement in Attack on Guinea Leader

Gambia Foreign Affairs Minister - Momodou Tangara

(Africasia) - Gambia on Monday denied any involvement in an attempted assassination of Guinean President Alpha Conde in July, after he accused Senegal and Gambia of being complicit in the attack.
Conde, in an interview with the private Senegalese radio station Sud FM broadcast on Sunday, said a rocket attack on his home had been plotted in Dakar, and he suspected the two governments were aware of it.
"The Gambia would like to state that it did not have any involvement or prior information surrounding the attempted assassination of the Guinean president," read a statement from the foreign ministry.

Guinea President Says Senegal, Gambia Knew of Attack

Guinea President Alpha Conde

YJAG 4th anniversary slated for October 22

YJAG President, Assan Sallah

The members of the young journalists association of the Gambia are hereby notified that the association’s forthcoming anniversary and congress has been rescheduled to the 22nd October 2011, a press release from the association revealed.

Similarly, the release added, the deadline for the settlement of all outstanding dues is 12th October 2011.  

The release further stated that the reschedule came following a decision made at an executive meeting held on the 7th September 2011. 

“The changes in the dates are meant to give members more time to settle their dues and participate fully in the congress. 

The constitution of the Young Journalists Association of the Gambia (YJAG) makes it clear that any member in default of even one Dalasi is not qualified to vote or be voted for in any congress. 

Is the GPU Secretariat virtually turning into a 'coffee drinking institution'?

Mr Ceesay, 1st VP-GPU

'Leaders who do not communicate with their people would not be beneficiaries of the beauty of transparency as an indispensable ingredient of good governance'

The 1st Vice President of the Gambia Press Union (GPU), Mr Baboucarr Ceesay has written to the GPU President Emil Touray, exhorting for more proactive measures to be taken by the new executive.
His communications with the President, a leaked email, followed almost three months of inactivity of the new executive that was elected into office during a June 26, 2011 congress.

Agbambu: Bad leadership is the major security problem in Africa

Mr Patrick Agbambu, CEO SWA

The International Coordinator, Security Watch Africa (SWA) Awards and Lecture, Mr Patrick Agbambu has said that the major security problem in Africa emanates from “bad leadership”.

Mr Agbambu was speaking to Gambian journalists on Monday during a press conference on the “8^th edition of the 2011 SWA Awards and Lecture” at a local hotel at Brufut, Kombo north district, West Coast region of The Gambia.

Mr Agbambu, who was responding to a variety of security issues, said the post election crisis in the West African state of Ivory Coast was actually touching to his organisation, Security Watch Africa. “What was supposed to bring joy to the people of Cote d’Ivoire, ended up in war,” he lament.

Gambia to host 8th Security Watch Africa Awards/Lectures

(L-R) Ida Jaiteh, National Coordinator SWA; Mr Patrick Agbambu, CEO SWA; Mr Iraise Ohiahe SWA; and Fatou Kineh Jamanka, Head of Protocol SWA

Security Watch Africa (SWA), a Nigerian-based security watchdog organisation, has announced that the 8^th edition of its 2011 Awards and Lecture will be held in Banjul, The Gambia on October 13-14.

Put Dejected!

Put looks on as Namibia dash Gambia's chances of qualifying (pix:cafonline)

Warriors trash Scorpions hopes for AFCON 2012

 A late goal for the Brave Warriors of Namibia was enough to thwart Gambia’s hopes of making a debut at the 2012 African Nations Cup to be played in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea in January.

32 Years On, West Africa’s Free Movement Protocol Drags

ECOWAS Comission, Abuja, Nigeria (Pix: EC)

More than three decades ago, leaders of the sub-regional economic bloc, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) signed the “ECOWAS Free Movement Protocol”.

The protocol is meant to promote unfettered movement of Community citizens within the region as part of the process of creating a single regional economic space where citizens can avail themselves of the opportunities that abound in Member States and contribute to the region’s development.

It also seeks to enhance intra-Community trade, which presently hovers between 11 and 13 percent, and contribute to the stimulation of the regional economy.

Public accounting and transparency critical to good governance

Participants - Pix: The Point

Sound procurement and contracting, good public accounting and transparency are important aspects of good governance which can help build the trust between government and its people, according to Nicola Neuss, an EU delegation representative to The Gambia.

“This is particularly important in the current global economic situation where people want to know how their hard earned money is being spent by governments, said Neuss in her remarks during a nine-day training of stakeholders on the 10^th European Development Fund (EDF) procedures held at a local hotel at Senegambia, Kololi.

GTBank claims it has put up remarkable results last year

At a time when the banking industry in the Gambia is witnessing fierce competition within a relatively small market, one among 13 commercial banks operating in the country, Guaranty Trust Bank said it has yielded “remarkable results” as of December 31, 2010.

This puts the bank among the strongest in the industry and shows a growing balance sheet through increased profit, enhanced deposit portfolio and increased shareholders fund.

“In spite of the challenges posed by the global financial crisis and keen competition in the Gambian banking industry, Guaranty Trusty Bank (Gambia) Ltd has posted remarkable results for the year ended 31 December 2010,” a statement from the bank said.

Trust Bank acquires 100% ownership of Bayba Money Transfer

New GM of Bayba, Mr Bojang

Gambia News Online - Trust Bank Gambia Limited has finally acquired 100% share capital of Bayba Financial Services Limited after a rigorous bidding process that started in 2010.  

Bayba is a money transfer company which commenced operations in The Gambia in 2007 and specialises in cash remittances.  Bayba is said to have the exclusive rights with Bayba UK for the transfer of money inter alia between the UK and The Gambia.

Bayba Gambia was a subsidiary of Bayba (UK), which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Small World Financial Services Ltd; the third largest money transfer company in Europe after Western Union and MoneyGram.

President Jammeh Excoriates Gambian Muslims

President Jammeh

Attitudes such as drug dealing, high prices of basic commodities, wearing of scanty cloths and prostitution are social vices done by Gambian Muslims, according to President Yahya Jammeh.

Gambian Christians are not involved in such acts, he adds while calling on Muslims to desist from such vices during an August 30, 2011 meeting with Muslim Religious Leaders at State House in the capital, Banjul.

The courtesy call by Religious Leaders followed the feast of Eidul-Fitr (Koriteh) which marks the end of the Muslim Holy month of Ramadaan (fasting).

Africa’s Math and Science Stars to Shine at New Centre in Senegal

On September 6, 2011, the Government of Senegal led by His Excellency President Abdoulaye Wade and international partners will open a new pan-African centre of excellence for Africa’s brightest math and science graduates, in a beautiful seaside location in Mbour, 80 km south of Dakar.

AIMS-Senegal is the second centre in the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) network, joining AIMS-South Africa, which has operated in Cape Town since 2003. The plan to expand AIMS across Africa is known as the AIMS-Next Einstein Initiative (AIMS-NEI).

It’s a disappointing result for Gambia, coach Put

Gambia Coach Paul Put looks on as Namibia trash Scorpions hopes

Gambia: National Youth Policy fails to identify future

Mr Momodou Sabally

Our current national youth policy though develops through a consultative process, has failed to identify the type or quality of individuals and adults the Gambia needs for her future well-being, according to Mr Fabakary Kalleh, chairperson of the National Youth Council.

“Since justices between the present and the future generation is recognised as a fundamental based for sustainable development, our programmes and activities should truly aim at the next generation when we who conceive them will no longer be in power,” he stressed.

Give AIDS the Red Card initiative launched at All-Africa Games in Mozambique

The Executive Director of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) Michel Sidibé and Mozambique’s Minister of Youth and Sports Pedrito Caetano launched the UNAIDS Give AIDS the Red Card initiative today at the Joaquim Chissano International Conference Center in Maputo. The announcement was made on the eve of the 10^th All-Africa Games, the continent’s largest multi-sports tournament, under the patronage of Dr. Aires Aly Bonifácio, Prime Minister of Mozambique.