Book Review: Throne of The Ghost, Modou Lamin Age Almusaf Sowe, 2016, reprinted 2023 By Hassoum Ceesay In reviewing this book, I feel like starting by looking at the title, starting with the word Throne. It symbolizes power, authority and control. It also connotes ceremonial, sovereignty. Throne is therefore sacred, sought after. The desire to get to the throne can lead us to elections, selections and in many cases, coups, riots and similar races. Ghost, the next word, is about an apparition, a lookalike. Ghost are like things like the imp, spirit, and the dead. Therefore, the two words that make…
Author: Gainako
The Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance sent our medium this press release announcing that the Gambia’s Immigration Bill 2023 has finally been validated which will eventually replace the currently used 1965 GID Act when passed by Parliament. The Bill is part of the Government’s efforts to reform the Security Sector using modern, relevant legislation in line with human security and good governance. By DCAF In an effort to modernize immigration laws and practices, The Gambia has successfully validated a new Bill to replace the outdated GID Act of 1965. The two-day validation conference, funded by the Swiss Confederation and…
By the Ministry of Justice The Office of the Attorney General is pleased to announce that today Wednesday 8th March 2023, a conviction has been secured against Dr Bamba Banja, former Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Fisheries and Water Resources. The charges laid against Dr Banja by this office in 2021 included three counts of serious economic and financial crimes, specifically, Economic Crimes in contravention of Section 5 of the Economic Crimes Act, Official Corruption as stipulated by Section 86(a) of the Criminal Code, and Receiving Property to Show Favor in violation of Section 88 of the Criminal Code. The…
The Gambia’s National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), one of the success stories of President Adama Barrow’s administration has urged the Government to empower women by curbing the high cost of digital connections and digitizing the “Osusu”, a local community-based crowdfunding mechanism to empower women with more finances. More in the press release. Statement on International Women’s Day 2023 Each year around the world, International Women’s Day (IWD) is celebrated on March 8. Although every day of the year is a perfect opportunity to support and celebrate women in our communities, on March 8th – we highlight the gains, challenges and…
Separation of Powers By Momodou Ndow In The Gambia, to my recollection, the Minister of Justice has always held the post of Attorney General and has always been a member of the Cabinet. For the sake of clarity, these are two separate positions held by one person. However, both positions have a mandate to promote and protect the rule of law. There are responsibilities that clearly belong to the Minister of Justice, while others clearly belong to the Attorney General. For example, the Minister of Justice is responsible for developing justice policies and providing advice on the compliance of certain…
By Arret Jatta The Gambia’s Health Minister Hon Ahmadou L. Samateh announced that the country “happens to have a higher rate of deaths due to accidents and injuries than many other countries even in the developed world” during a validation meeting on the National Trauma and Injury Plan (NTIP) held at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara Conference Center on 27th February 2023. Minister Samateh highlighted that nobody is immune to trauma and injury, “we are more prone to developing injury than other diseases because it can happen at any moment”. Announcing some key statistics on injuries and accidents in The…
Gainako received this press release from the Office of the President providing a highlight of The Gambia’s economic performance after hosting the first National Economic Council meeting in the State House. The press release highlights key Economic Indicators such as the increase in Imports and Exports in 2023, revenue collection plans and much more. Below is the press release as received. President Barrow’s First National Economic Council Meeting in 2023 State House, Banjul, 5th March 2023: President Adama Barrow this week convened his monthly meeting of the National Economic Council to get an update on the state of the economy…
Every year the Gambia Revenue Authority hosts an awards ceremony for Taxpayers and this year featured a speech from President Adama Barrow. Below are some excerpts from the President’s speech which highlight some of the key economic indicators such as revenue growth, government subsidies in 2022 and the country’s economic growth projections. “The Government has been a great benefactor of the private sector, but it also benefits a great deal from the sector’s successes. Their contribution to the country’s tax revenue base, for example, is enormous. Accordingly, our potential to locally fund national development programmes largely depends on this revenue…
This is a press release from the World Bank on their new country representative in the Sub-Saharan Africa region including The Gambia and four other West African countries. Keiko Miwa New World Bank Country Director for Senegal, Mauritania, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, and the Republic of Cabo Verde Dakar, March 1st, 2023- Ms Keiko Miwa has been appointed as the new Country Director (CD) for Cape Verde, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Mauritania, and Senegal in the West and Central Africa region. Based in Dakar, she officially took office today, March 1, 2023 Keiko Miwa joined the World Bank in January 2001 where she began…
By Arret Jatta Gambian Artist, Sophia Byass was destined for an “Explosive” performance, however, unfinished payments forced the management of QCity to switch off the lights, which halted the show, stopping Sophia from performing. QCity had successfully neutralized the Dancehall Diva’s show which pulled a low turnout on Saturday 25th February 2023. Speaking to one Ebrima Darboe who attended the show, he explained his disappointment saying “the thing that shocked [him] most was when the MC said QCity wants them to switch off their sound system and leave the place and that was just around 2 am. By then many…