Author: Edrissa Jallow

By Edrissa Jallow The Deputy Director for Civil Litigation and International Law at the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), Lawyer Kimbeng T Tah has informed Gainako in an exclusive interview that the Victims’ Reparation Bill is finalized and should be tabled in Parliament in the December 2022 Parliamentary session. Lawyer Tah who also doubles as the Head of International Arbitration at the MoJ adds that in the first week of November 2022, the MoJ will consult with Victims to hear their feedback on the draft Reparations Bill. Counsel Tah said the MoJ has informed the National Assembly that the victims’ Bill…

By Edrissa Jallow At least five family members of the children that died from Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) confronted the Health Minister Hon Ahamdou Lamin Samateh outside Parliament on Wednesday 26th October 2022 expressing their heartfelt disappointment on the failure of his ministry to protect over 70 children from contaminated drugs. Waiting for the Minister outside Parliament just after he delivered a speech at the Third Extraordinary session for the 2022 Legislative Year, bereaved family members faced the Health Minister who in return attempted to console them. The quick encounter was captured by our Gainako reporter who managed to capture…

By Edrissa Jallow British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC’s) Correspondent for Sierra Leone, Umaru Fofana, has revealed that over twenty-five civilians killed on Wednesday, 10th August 2022’s deadly protest will be laid to rest on Monday 17th October 2022. However, mourning families have been denied the remains of their loved ones for proper burial. It could be recalled as previously published on Gainako that on Wednesday 10th August 2022, the people of Sierra Leone came out in large numbers expressing dissatisfaction over the high cost of living. The protestors claimed that for the past four months the high cost of living has increased…

By Edrissa Jallow Principal Programme Officer of the Economic Community of West African State (ECOWAS) Iliyasu M. Bobbo, has confirmed to Gainako in an interview that out of the fifteen ECOWAS member states only one country was able to meet the primary criteria for the regional currency, ECO. Mr Bobbo who was in town this week for a four-day seminar on the current economic situations and forecast noted that “all member states agreed” on six primary criteria that can lead to the adoption of the single currency. However, all fail excluding Togo making it the only country to break the…

By Edrissa Jallow The Chairperson of Parliament’s Select Committee on Health, Refugees, Disaster and Humanitarian Relief, Hon Amadou Camara has responded to the Deputy Executive Director of Medicine Control Agency (MCA), Fatoumatta Jah Sowe’s statement, highlighting that the lack of regional drug inspectorates is not an excuse for the Agency. It could be recalled that on Saturday 8th October 2022, the Minister of Health called for an emergency press conference to update the general public via the media on the death of at least 69 Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) patients. The Deputy Executive Director who was in attendance at the…

By Edrissa Jallow The Gambia’s Health Minister, Dr Ahmadou Lamin Samateh has confirmed that three more children have died as a result of Acute Kidney Injury (AKI), bringing the death toll up from 66 children to 69 innocent souls. Minister Samateh, made this revelation to members of the press during an emergency press conference yesterday evening, Saturday 8th October 2022. Barely two months back, the Ministry of Health (MoH) published a situation report on Wednesday 10th August 2022, confirming that AKI had claimed the lives of 28 children out of 35 patients, all below the age of 5 years. At…

By Edrissa Jallow The April 10th and 11th 2000 Student Demonstration which resulted in the death of 15 young lives is one of the darkest moments in The Gambia’s 22 yearlong misrule under former President Yahya Jammeh. To date, the Gambia is currently grappling with demonstrations with numerous groups being denied protest permits and a November 2022 protest scheduled to take place with or without a protest permit. The Public Order act which was enacted in 1961 aims to minimize public gatherings and protests. According to a Standard Newspaper publication dated 28th November 2017, the Public Order act was “first…

By Edrissa Jallow The Deputy Party Leader of the United Democratic Party (UDP), Madam Aji Yam Secka, responded to claims from Mr Dodou Jah of the Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC) that she turned down one of two Co-Chair positions to lead the Inter-Party Committee (IPC). According to the APRC Deputy Spokesperson who doubles as the Communication Chair of the IPC, Madam Secka was nominated by the Opposition caucus of the IPC. Mr Jah explained that Madam Secka was nominated for the Co-Chair position in an attempt to promote gender equality, however, she declined. Communications Chair Mr Jah…

By Edrissa Jallow The Gambia’s former Majority Leader called for the resignation of the Minister for Youth and Sports after his wife was reported to have been paid per diem of £2,800 (approx D170k) for a fourteen-day trip to the United Kingdom and Turkey from July to August 2022. Minister for Youth and Sports, Hon Bakary Badjie was also paid per diem of £4,200 for attending the Commonwealth and All Islamic Games. Hon Kebba K Barrow called for the Youth Minister’s resignation on Monday 19th September 2022 during Parliament’s debate on President Adama Barrow’s 2022 State of the Nation Address.…

By Edrissa Jallow The Solicitor General and Legal Secretary of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), Hussein Thomasi presented a statement on behalf of the Ministry of Justice, Hon Dawda Jallow on Friday 16th September 2022 informing Lawmakers, Victims and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) that the One Hundred and Fifty Million Dalasi (D150, 000,000) promised to victims last year should be released by end of December 2022. The Legal Secretary made this statement during the formal opening of the three-day induction of Parliamentarians initiated by the NHRC and Women in Liberation and Leadership (WILL), focusing on the implementation of…