By Yusef Taylor and Edward Francis Dalliah After the African Union (AU) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) issued statements condemning a Niger “coup attempt” on 26th July 2023, the Spokesperson of the military group announced that “they have decided to put an end to the regime”. In a statement aired in a news report by German public media, Deutsche Welle (DW), the military group identified itself as “the Defence and Security Forces under the National Committee for the Salvation of the People”. DW notes that this is the fifth coup attempt in Niger since its independence…
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 The Majority Leader of the Sixth Legislature informed fellow Parliamentarians that the Anti-Corruption Bill would bring sanity to our public sector and government institutions at the opening session of a closed-door retreat with Parliamentarians organised by pro-fiscal transparency civil society organisation, Gambia Participates. The session focused on “fostering understanding” on the “most important Bill” is currently underway at Bakadaji Hotel, today 24th July 2023. Gambia Participates, Executive Director Marr Nyang, welcomed the presence of “the Ministry of Justice — to support the process. So, if there’s anything that any” Hon member needs clarification on, the forum can…
By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT After months of sitting on the Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) Investigation Report, the Ministry of Health finally published the report which culminated in the firing of the Medicines Control Agency (MCA) Executive Director and Deputy Executive Director on Friday 21st July 2023. However, they are not the only MCA Staff exposed in the report for serious conflict of interest. The recent firings have followed calls for the sacking of the Minister of Health (MoH), Dr Ahmadou Lamin Samateh. One heavily conflicted person is MCA’s Regulatory Officer Mr Tijan Jallow who caused an uproar on 31st October…
By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT The Minister of Finance and the Minister of Works held a press conference on Saturday 15th July 2023 to respond to public concerns over the “monetization” of the SeneGambia Bridge after signing a memorandum of understanding to receive $100 Million USD from Africa50. After the news made the local news cycle, citizens petitioned the National Assembly raising concerns that the bridge which is also known as the TransGambia Bridge was being mortgaged and compared the agreement to a loan agreement prompting calls for Parliamentary approval. The Minister of Finance Hon Seedy Keita was eager to dispel…
By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT After mixed messages on the status of the Draft Constitution by two of President Adama Barrow’s most recent State of the Nation Address (SONA), it was up to Justice Minister Dawda A. Jallow to respond to Parliament’s inquiry on the fate of the Draft Constitution. During the Parliamentary Questions and Answers Session soon after the 2023 SONA in June last month, Justice Minister Jallow revealed that the Drafting Process by the Constitutional Review Commission was “all-inclusive” and that the Government did not pay attention to the Political Process which resulted in the failure of the Draft…
By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT Last week, I was privileged to be featured on one of Ghana’s leading TV Station to discuss the Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) Outbreak which has claimed the lives of over 73 children in The Gambia. After my interview, the moderator highlighted that the Minister of Health, Dr Ahmadou Lamin Samateh declared that the government will be issuing a statement soon on the AKI Outbreak. One week since the Hon Health Minister made this statement, nothing has been forthcoming from the Government. This is what the news presenter on Joy News said. We have been making some…
By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT The parents of 19 children who died from Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) have filed a lawsuit against Maiden Pharmaceuticals, Atlantic Pharmaceuticals, the Medicines Control Agency (MCA), the Ministry of Health and the Attorney General on 30th June 2023. The lawsuit filed by Lawyer Loubna Farage, Lawyer Salieu Taal for the Gambia Bar Association and Lawyer Anna Njie of the Female Lawyers Association of The Gambia, is requesting three declarations from the government, the cancellation of an importation license and damages to the tune of D285 million. According to a Parliamentary Inquiry Report into the AKI outbreak,…
By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT An analysis of the internet speed of some 52 internet users was done soon after the introduction of 5G internet in The Gambia. The data collection and analysis were conducted by two Gambians namely Amran Gaye, a Google IT Specialist who collated the data using social media and the analysis was conducted by Yusef Taylor of Gainako Online Newspaper who entered the data on Excel and used Pivot Tables. All speeds used in this mini-survey are download speeds measured in Megabytes per Second (Mbps). Disclaimer: This is not a formal scientific study. There are many other…
By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT Gambian President, H.E. Adama Barrow delivered his 2023 State of the Nation Address (SONA) in front of Gambian Parliamentarians in Banjul highlighting some of the laws that his government has pioneered through the National Assembly. Some of them he claimed were enacted in 2022, however, our FactCheckers have observed that at least one of his claims is false. Last year the President falsely claimed that The Gambia was the only country set to meet the global temperature goal of 1.5’C. This year our FactCheckers have continued to scrutinise the President’s 2023 SONA. Claim: According to the…
By Yusef Taylor, FlexDan_YT During President Adama Barrow’s 2023 State of the Nation Address delivered to Gambia Parliamentarians on 8th June 2023, he boasted about reforms implemented since 2017 and unveiled some of his Legislative Plans for the 2023 Legislative year. The event was punctuated with two Points of Order from the Minority Leader, Hon Alhagie S. Darboe of Brikama North who highlighted that clapping was not permitted in Parliament and Hon Muhammed Kanteh for Busumbala who attempted to raise a motion without notice. Speaker Jatta upheld the first Point of Order and brushed aside the motion without notice after…