By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT The Millennium Sustainable Development Goals (MSDG) Project has launched its D17.2 million Diaspora Development Fund (DDF) targeting 55 Gambian Diaspora fellows. After a successful pilot project which awarded a total of D4.685 million to 10 Gambian Diaspora Fellows in 2020/21, the DDF revealed plans to award an average of €5,000 to 55 more Gambian Diaspora Fellows. The Gambian Diaspora contributes significantly to the Gambian Economy. The Central Bank of the Gambia noted that Diaspora remittances increased to $US773.7 million in 2021, up from $US589.81 million in 2020. This represents a 31% increase in remittances and a…
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 Gambian Civil Society Organisations (CSO) Transitional Justice Working group submitted a White Paper on the Truth Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) to the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) on Thursday 6th May 2022. The TRRC investigated human rights violations of the regime of former President Yahya Jammeh. The CSO White Paper highlights some of the concerns of victims and proposes recommendations to address them. One section in the report highlights “double standards or inherent limitations?”. This section of the CSO White Paper contrasts the Government’s efforts to prosecute perpetrators with the International Community’s efforts to prosecute perpetrators…
By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT The Gambian President, Adama Barrow, singled out Gambian Human Rights Activist Madi Jobarteh, journalists and civil society advocates, during his Eid address to Banjul Muslim Elders on Monday 2nd May 2022. The speech delivered a day before World Press Freedom Day, naturally resulted in total condemnation from the Gambia Press Union and civil society advocates in and outside of the country. From the two-hour, two-minute mark President Adama Barrow, speaking in Wollof, stated that Madi Jobarteh is amongst the people who wish to cause chaos in the country. “There are those that are prepared to oppose…
By Yusef Taylor and Alieu Ceesay The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) will be conducting Local Government By-Elections on 14th May 2022 because four Councillors resigned to contest in the recently concluded 9th April 2022 Elections. At the end of 9th April 2022, two Councillors won seats in the National Assembly while the other two lost. This is their story. Former UDP Councillor Contested for Kombo South Under NPP Speaking to former Councillor Momodou Bojang of Sanyang Ward he confirmed to our reporter that he will not be contesting for the upcoming 14th May 2022 By-Elections to retain his seat after…
By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT The Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has published the list of duly nominated candidates for the Local Government By-Elections of 14th May 2022. The list of duly nominated candidates published by the IEC features only three parties namely; the National People’s Party (NPP), the People’s Democratic Organisation for Independence and Socialism (PDOIS), the United Democratic Party (UDP) and five Independent Candidates. The Council positions up for By-Elections are Bundung Six Junction, London Corner, Sanyang and Marakissa Wards. The four positions were announced for By-Elections after four Councillors resigned to contest in the recently concluded 9th April 2022…
By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT The Gambia’s Auditor General (AG), Mr Karamba Touray told stakeholders at the launch of its Phase 1 Covid 19 Report that there is a general lack of accountability in almost all sectors of Government. The launching featured a series of Audit Reports published by the National Audit Office (NAO) including the much talked about D669 Million withdrawn in 2017 without approval. Speaking at the stakeholder’s dialogue held at the New Metzy Hotel on 21st April 2022 delegates questioned the AG on the implementation of the Audit Report Recommendations and holding individuals accountable for defrauding the State.…
By Yusef Taylor and Alieu Ceesay A Kanifing Municipal Council (KMC) staff has suspected its former Information Technology (IT) specialist in a new fake trade licenses scandal, however, the KMC Councillor has failed to reveal the name of the suspected staff. Earlier this morning on 20th April 2022, KMC issued a press release raising the alarm about the issuance of fake trade licenses. This prompted our journalist to visit their offices to ask some questions regarding trade licenses. KMC has a licenses unit responsible for issuing licenses. According to the official KMC website, there are three types of licenses that…
By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT The Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education (MoBSE) released a statement noting that two exams have been postponed to July 2022. According to the statement “the reason for this development is to allow students affected by the Casamance crisis in Foni to settle down and catch up for the lost contact hours”. According to the infographic published by the Office of the Vice President and the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) at least 7,044 students have been affected by the Foni Crisis which escalated “on the 13th March, around 13:45 GMT”. According to the Government’s Rapid…
By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT Gambian Public Health and Environmental Officers called off a sit-down strike over unpaid allowances on Monday 11th April 2022 until the end of May 2022 when they have been promised to receive their allowances. The statement issued by the Association of Public and Environmental Health Officers (APEHOG) noted that “on the 6th of April, 2022, Public Health Officers across the country embark[ed] on a sit down [strike] for their exclusion of an allowance scheme created for staff of Ministry of Health”. On the 6th of April 2022, the Ministry of Health (MoH) posted on its Facebook…
By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT Gambian President Adama Barrow nominated Hon Fabakary Tombong Jatta and Hon Seedy Njie as Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Sixth Legislature shocking supporters of the Draft Constitution and stakeholders of the Truth Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC). The swearing-in ceremony for the sixth legislature took place at the New National Assembly Building on Thursday 14th April 2022 just days after the 9th April 2022 National Assembly elections in which some 53 National Assembly members (NAMs) were sworn in and another 5 nominated NAMs. The Majority Leader, Deputy Majority Leader and Chief Whip were all decided…