By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT The Gambia’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC) has vented his frustration with Gambian Civil Society actors he claims have “violated the very fundamental principle of being an [election] observer”. However, two party representatives disagree with the IEC’s notion that Civil Society Organisations shouldn’t take the IEC to court. Speaking at the presentation of Peace Ambassadors the Gambia [PAG] Voters Registration report on 31st July 2021, IEC CEO, Sambujang Njie said “we have seen recently a Civil Society Organisation who were accredited from the word go they went to the court to…
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 The Cypher Media Team Gambian Civil Society Organisation, Team Gom Sa Bopa (TGSB) held a press conference on Friday 30th July 2021 where a balloting process was conducted to match up 16 rappers who qualified for the second round of the 2021 Cypher Rap Battle competition. TGSB President, Ali “Killa Ace” Cham highlighted that the Cypher Rap Battle “is a chance for disenfranchised youth to reach stardom”. Public Relations Officer, Mariama Bojang explained that “TGSB is a Youth lead organisation dedicated to raising awareness among young people through art performance. TGSB engages artists to play a role in social…
By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT Gambia’s Finance Minister Hon. Mambury Njie tabled a Supplementary Appropriation Bill (SAB 2021) totalling D1,767,400,000 at the National Assembly seeking Parliamentary approval. The SAB 2021 was tabled on 28th July 2021 featured a huge expenditure component from the Ministry of Works Transport and Infrastructure totalling more than D1.12 Billion GMD which accounts for over 63% of the total amount. Last year [2020] the Gambia Government approved a total Appropriation Bill totalling D22,073,835,727 GMD which represents the total Government Local Fund (GLF). However, when Loans and Grants are added to the GLF the total Expenditure comes to…
By Ousman Saidykhan and Yusef Taylor The Interim party leader of the Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction (APRC) has alleged that the appointment of the Gambia’s Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Committee (TRRC) Chairperson is illegal according to provision 200 and 201 which focuses on the formation of a Commission of Enquiry. However, Civil Society Advocate Madi Jobarteh has argued that provision 200 and 201 does not apply as the TRRC was enacted through provision 100 which focuses on the Legislative Powers of the National Assembly. TRRC Chairperson Dr Lamin J. Sise was sworn into office by President Adama Barrow…
By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT The Gambia’s National Assembly is set to commence an extraordinary session starting on Tuesday 27th July 2021 which will see Finance Minister, Hon Mambury Njie request for additional funds from Gambian Parliamentarians. According to a National Assembly agenda received by Gainako News, on Tuesday 27th July 2021 two bills are expected to be tabled at the National Assembly, namely the Gambia Public Procurement Authority Bill 2020 and the National Assembly Service Bill 2021. The following day the Supplementary Appropriation Bill is expected to be tabled by the Gambia’s Finance Minister rounding up the two-day agenda. A…
By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT A victim who testified at the Gambia’s Truth Commission’s public hearings has returned his first reparations payment of D19,000 on 22nd July 2021. Just last week Friday the 16th of July 2021, Yusupha Mbye visited the Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) headquarters at Dunes Hotel to return his first reparations payment cheque but was convinced to keep it after Vice-Chair Ms Adelaide Sosseh intervened. However, in a turn of events, Yusupha finally decided to return his first reparations cheque and submitted a letter to the Commission, reproduced below. Yusupha was shot on his spinal cord…
By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT The Gambia’s Truth Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) is an independent body enacted by Gambia’s Parliament to investigate the human rights violations of former President Yahya Jammeh and his regime. TRRC Commissioners were sworn in sometime in March 2018 and have been conducting public hearings, reconciliation, interim reparations and currently implementing reparations. TRRC Vice-Chair Ms Adelaide Sosseh promised to compile “a note and send it to all media houses” at a press briefing on Friday 16th July 2021. At this point in time, the Commission must be extremely busy preparing their report to be submitted to…
By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT The Chairperson of the Gambia’s Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) Dr Lamin J. Sise, revealed that the Commission’s Report will be submitted to the President on 30th July 2021. The Commission “has been liaising with the Attorney General and the Minister of Justice”, and the President’s Office “has given a date of 30th July [2021] when we would meet him and then submit our final report to him” he said. According to provision 30(1) of TRRC Act 2017, the Government is obliged to “submit a copy [of the report] to the National Assembly, United Nations…
By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT The Gambia’s Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) announced that “the total figure for reparations was D205,820,780” at a press briefing on 16th July 2021. According to TRRC Vice-Chairperson Ms Adelaide Sosseh, some “claims were really not victims” however, “the Commission will “also have to write those people and tell them that they did not qualify”. TRRC Chairperson Dr Lamin J. Sise clarified that “victim perpetrators are not receiving any reparations, we needed to make that clear”. When asked who the victim perpetrators are, Vice-Chair Sosseh explained that is “when you were a perpetrator and then…
By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT A victim who testified at the Gambia’s Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC), Yusupha Mbye, sought clarification from TRRC Vice-Chairperson Adelaide Sosseh after receiving a cheque payment of D19,000. After covering the TRRC’s press conference on Reparation on Friday 16th July 2021, Yusupha called me to witness him returning his reparations and seek further clarification on his health treatment which has not gone as planned. The TRRC is a Commission enacted by the National Assembly in 2017 to investigate the human rights violations of the previous President Yahya Jammeh and his regime from 1994 to 2016.…