By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has released its third Statistics of provisional registered Voters highlighting that almost 557,000 voters cards have been issued so far. The Voters Registration process started on 28th May 2021 and is expected to run for 6 weeks ending on 11th July 2021. IEC’s third press release on the “provisional number of registered voters” highlights that more than 55% of IEC’s 1 Million Registered Voters target has been achieved. At this rate, it is expected that the IEC will register more than 1 million voters. There has been a significant reduction in…
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.
Mahaa D Hammer Media Team Gambian musical artists Mahaa D Hammer is set to launch the Yaga Sorna EP at Tallingding Bantaba on Saturday 26th June 2021. The golden voice reggae dancehall artist is set to launch his album Faith soon after the Yaga Sorna EP this Saturday. This will be Mahaa D Hammer’s third musical project. The Faith musical project started with a solo track “Yaga Sorna” from the upcoming album Faith. After having good feedback from the Idubs music team, we decided to invite few artists to join and express themselves to say their stories in different aspects.…
By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT The Gambia Press Union (GPU) held a public dialogue at Brikama Wellingara Prayer Grounds where they spoke to the local community on Access to Information and Elections. The dialogue was coordinated in collaboration with the Independent Electoral Commission’s (IEC) Vice-Chairperson Mr Joe Colley, the Gambia Police Force Spokesperson ASP Lamin Njie and Mr Sainey Bah of the National Human Rights Commission who made speeches and responded to the public’s queries. Also present at the dialogue was the Governor of the West Coast Region and the Alkalou of Wellingara. The dialogue afforded citizens the opportunity to raise…
By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT Two students held up signs reading “Fighting Corruption starts at School Level” and “Corruption Kills our Future” at the launch of the Anti-Corruption School Champions Initiative. The initiative launched by the Anti-Corruption Coalition the Gambia (ACCG) dubbed Civic Cubs/ Clubs aims to inculcate a culture of accountability, transparency and patriotism within students. The event took place at St Charles Lwanga Parish Hall at Fajikunda, gathering almost 300 students, including some 30 students from the Disability Community together with a sign language interpreter. The Initiative was launched by the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (MoBSE) on…
By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) released a “Provisional Statistics of Voters Registered” on June 7th 2021, indicating that almost 200 thousand voters cards have been issued from 29th May to 4th June 2021. The registration period started on 29th May 2021 and is set to conclude on 11th July 2021. If this rate of issuing 191,509 voters cards in the first week is maintained, the IEC will register at least 1.14 million voters over 6 weeks. The high turnout in week one is highly welcomed despite the numerous challenges facing the Voters Registration process such as…
By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT After the Gambia’s National Assembly (NA) approved a total expenditure of D24 Billion Dalasis for 2020, only D20 Billion was spent by the end of the year according to the 2020 End of Year Expenditure Brief from the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs (MoFEA). By the end of 2019 Gambian Parliamentarians had approved D21 Billion only. However, by August 2020 a “Supplementary Appropriation Bill (SAB) of D2.845 billion” had been “appropriated by the National Assembly” as detailed in the MoFEA’s 2020 Expenditure Brief. Oddly enough, even though MoFEA’s received an additional Supplementary of D2.8 Billion…
By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT The wife of late Lieutenant Abdoulie “Dot” Faal, Awa Njie, has called on relatives and the society to stop mocking victims of former President Yahya Jammeh who testified at the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC). Ms Njie says some people have predicted that the TRRC’s recommendations will not be implemented, “just like the Janneh Commission” in an attempt to deflate their hopes for justice. The TRRC was enacted by the Gambia’s National Assembly in 2017 to investigate the human rights violations of former President Yahya Jammeh’s regime. Appearing before the Truth Commission on 27th March…
By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT This article features an exclusive interview with the Citizens Alliance flag bearer Dr Ismaila Ceesay focusing on their tour to meet up with other registered Political Party leaders. This interview was conducted on 15th April 2021 and will feature an ongoing series focussing on the peaceful co-existence amongst Political Parties as the country gears up for the 4th December 2021 Presidential Elections. Yusef Taylor: Citizens Alliance is a newly formed party after its first-ever congress this year and creating your executive. One of the first things you did was to go and meet the different political party…
By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT Below is a speech delivered by Yusef Taylor of Gainako Online news on Tuesday 18th May 2021 on the Diaspora voting legislation submitted to the National Assembly’s Joint Committee of the Regional Government and Lands, Ombudsman and the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) and Human Rights and Constitutional Matters. Good afternoon Hon members of the National Assembly. It is indeed an honour to be afforded this rare opportunity to speak before your August body. My name is Yusef Taylor and commonly known as Flex Dan. I am a Gambian Journalist and Civil Society Advocate who returned home…
By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT Gambian Political Party leaders meet the Gambia’s National Assembly Joint Committee on Elections matters and unanimously agreed that the Diaspora must be afforded the right to vote in the upcoming 4th December 2021 Presidential Elections. At least nine Political Party representatives meet the Gambia’s National Assembly Joint Committee of the Regional Government and Lands, Ombudsman and the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) and Constitutional Matters on May 4th 2021. At the beginning of the meeting, some concerns were raised that all the registered Political Parties were not present with two National Assembly members (NAMs) highlighting that their…