By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT Last week on 3rd August 2022 Gambian President Adama Barrow announced that he would be going on annual leave starting on 5th August 2022 to the end of August 2022. This news came just days after the second flash flood which affected the majority of Banjul and numerous settlements in urban Gambia. Two National Assembly members one from Banjul Central and the other from Old Yundum speak to Gainako Online News about the President’s timing of his leave. According to a report issued by the Red Cross on 8th August 2022, the National Disaster Management Agency…
Author: Yusef Taylor
Yusef Taylor
Yusef Taylor, commonly known as Flex Dan is an editor and practising journalist based in the Gambia with a keen interest in human rights, the economy and good governance among many others. He continues to break news on the economy, human rights violations and is highly engaged in security sector reforms, constitutional reform and the transition of the Gambia from dictatorship to a democracy, the NewGambia. Yusef has been working with Gainako as a media practitioner from 2015 to date. He has a degree in Civil Engineering with 5 years of Design Consultancy experience.
By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT A Counsel from the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) confirmed that the suspensions of all those adversely mentioned in the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) and the Government White Paper have been effected. Speaking at a Security Sector Reform Stakeholder Interface organised by the Solo Sandeng Foundation on Saturday 6th July 2022, Counsel Kimbeng Tah who spearheads the Governments efforts on the TRRC told victims and Parliamentarians present that “as recently as this month we’ve also carried out suspensions from public service of all those who were adversely mentioned by the TRRC Report and confirmed in…
By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT Every rainy season, the capital city of The Gambia, Banjul, which is surrounded by water and mangroves, becomes heavily inundated with rainwater. Banjul is home to State House, the seat of the Presidency, the National Assembly and the offices of numerous government ministries, departments and agencies. In a televised address at his annual meeting with Banjul Muslim Elders on the occasion of Eid-ul Fitr on 2nd May 2022, President Adama Barrow promised to fix the pumping station and a number of open gutters which he referred to as big holes across the city. 2nd MAY 2022 https://www.facebook.com/gainakonewspaper/videos/472410431381528…
By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT On August 1, 2022, Gambia’s Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs (MoFEA) published an alert on Facebook and Twitter that “some scammers have ‘cloned’ the MOFEA #FB_Page with the intention to deceive and lure their victims into paying money for a false claim.” This is not the first time that the Ministry is forced to issue an alert on a pretend social media page. In December 2019, it warned members of the public not to fall for the phishing activities of a pretend page which was offering “loans or grants” purportedly from MoFEA. MoFEA’s “Fake News Alert” 1st August claim posted…
By Yusef Taylor and Sainabou Sambou The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) held a validation of the 2019 Universal Periodic Review Midterm Assessment Report on Thursday 4th August 2022 at their Headquarters in Kotu. The event was attended by the President of the Gambia Bar Association, representatives from the United Nations Regional Office, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), Civil Society Advocates and the Media. The validation workshop allowed approximately 30 delegates to assess the progress made in implementing recommendations from the Gambia’s 2019 Universal Periodic Review. NHRC Chairperson Mr Emmanuel Daniel Joof explained to delegates present that “the UPR is…
By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT The Gambia’s National Assembly approved the Revised 2022 Budget Appropriation cutting down the Approved 2022 Budget Appropriation by over D923 million on 28th July 2022. At the same time, the Revised 2022 Budget Appropriation will see a 30% increase in salaries across the board barring five Independent Institutions such as the National Assembly, the Judiciary and the Independent Electoral Commission. It can be recalled that the Approved 2022 Budget Appropriation totalled over D23 billion for some 29 Government Institutions. However, after Finance Minister Hon Seedy Keita tabled a Revised 2022 Budget Appropriation last week Thursday, the…
By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT Banjul Rapper Sheriff Camara stage name Chipa Yi has been compensated with D30,000 by the Gambian Police Force (GPF) after an investigation into his assault by a group of Police Officers back on 12th December 2021. Chipa Yi confirmed to Gainako Online News that he met the Inspector General of Police Abdoulie Sanyang on Wednesday 27th July 2022 around 10 am in the morning and discussed his complaint submitted to the GPF and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). This will be the third case that Gainako is aware of where the Security Apparatus has paid…
By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT The Gambia’s Ministry of Justice (MoJ) issued a list of 90 Adversely mentioned persons in the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) in July 2022. The TRRC is a Commission enacted by the National Assembly in 2017 to investigate the human rights violations that occurred under the leadership of former President Jammeh from 1994 to 2016. Since the TRRC submitted its report and recommendations to President Adama Barrow in November 2021, the Government published its White Paper in May 2022 highlighting how it plans to implement the TRRC’s Recommendations. In doing so the MoJ issued a list of persons adversely…
By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT The Gambia Chess Federation (GCF) travelled to India to participate in the 44th Olympiad on 24th July 2022 to represent the Gambia without any government support. The 12-member delegation includes the head of the delegation, one voting member participating in elections and five male and female competitors participating in Chess Matches against other countries. The delegation is expected to return to the Gambia upon the conclusion of the competition on 10th August 2022, however, they are in dire need of financial support to make their trip a success. Treasurer Lamin Jammeh explained how they requested for…
By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT The Gambia’s Ministry of Justice (MoJ) issued a list of ninety (90) adversely mentioned persons to Gainako Online News whom they plan to pursue prosecutions, suspensions, termination of service, voluntary retirement and banning for their role in human rights violations orchestrated during the 22 years of dictatorship under former President Yahya Jammeh. After Jammeh lost elections to current President Adama Barrow in December 2016, a Truth Reparations and Reconciliation Commission (TRRC) was enacted in 2017 to investigate the human rights violations that occurred from 1994 to 2016. After the TRRC Report and Recommendations were submitted to…