Author: Yusef Taylor

By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT The Gambia Press Union (GPU) is set to elect a new executive on 29th October 2021 with all but one executive member, the current Vice President, Mr Muhammed MS Bah deciding to step down. The outgoing President of the Union, Mr Sheriff Bojang Jnr informed this medium that his intention has always been to run for one term and pass on the baton. Three Presidential Candidates are in the running for the Presidency including the current Vice President Muhammed MS Bah of Foroyaa Newspaper, Freelance Journalist Omar Wally and Kerr Fatou’s Mustapha Ceesay. A Presidential debate…

By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT The Open Society Platform the Gambia (OSPG) organised a stakeholder meeting with Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and media practitioners to review the recently passed Access to Information Act, 2021 (the ATI Act) at the New Metzy Hotel on 22nd October 2021. The event was supported by the National Development Institute (NDI) and featured the theme “credible information is vital for democracy and good governance”. Mr Jadama of the OSPG informed delegates in attendance that “with the enactment of this law, the Gambia is now two points away from being a member of the Open Government Partnership…

By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT The Gambia’s Ministry of Justice (MoJ) published a statement on 11th October 2021 alleging that “reports circulating on social media that the government is blocking the purported owners of a piece of land from accessing their property” … “is totally false and couldn’t be further from the truth”. The statement further claims that “this matter is the subject of ongoing litigation in two suits before two separate judges of the High Court”. At first, many questioned the authenticity of the press release which lacked an official signature and date. However, a check on the MoJ official…

By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT It’s been over a year now since the Constitution was killed by the Gambia’s National Assembly forcing the Constitutional Review Commission (CRC) to hold a press conference on October 1st 2020 declaring that the Draft Constitution was in a coma. The Draft Constitution was central to the Gambia’s reform agenda and had cost the Gambian people over D120 million and years of consultation. Similar to the Constitution, the Janneh Commission recommendations which investigated corruption orchestrated by the former head of state Yahya Jammeh has still not been fully implemented. Electoral Reforms which Solo Sandeng died for has…

By Yusef Taylor and Ousman Saidykhan Gambia Police Officers gave a trio including the Country Representative for Global Homes of Medical Mission (GHOMM) and two colleagues the run-around starting from Kairaba Police Station to Kanifing Police Station and finally ending at Banjul Police Headquarters on Wednesday 13th October 2021. Police Officers decided not to prosecute the trio on two occasions after charging them with criminal trespass and malicious injury to a property that the Kanifing Magistrates’ Court and the High Court both ruled to be owned by GHOMM. Gainako Online News reported that GHOMM Country Representative Ms Nenneh Freda Gomez…

By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT The leaders of the United Democratic Party (UDP) and the Citizens’ Alliance (CA) have pledged to implement the Recommendations of the Truth Reconciliation and Reparations Commission (TRRC) if voted into office on December 4th 2021. Both party leadership visited the Victims Center in late June 2021 to show solidarity with the victims. In an exclusive interview with our reporter [facilitated by Spokesperson Nenneh Freda Gomez], CA Flagbearer Dr Ismaila Ceesay says his party will implement the TRRC Report “fully and effectively”. Speaking to Gainako Online News at the launch of the UDP Party Manifesto, Party Leader,…

By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT Gambian Police Officers arrested and charged three persons for criminal trespass and malicious injury to property on Monday 11th October 2021, although one of those arrested had court documents proving ownership of the premises. A land dispute between Global Homes of Medical Mission (GHOMM) and the Government led to a standoff between Police and the purported owners on Monday 4th October 2021. Gainako has published two articles detailing that the owners have been denied access to their property by Police Officers against a High Court judgement. Yesterday, 11th October 2021 another attempt to visit the former…

By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT Two weeks ago Gainako Online News published that the IEC has deleted some 25,000 voters from the register. This was after comparing the provisional voters’ register issued at the end of the six (6) weeks of voters registration and the final voters’ register issued in September 2021. After receiving numerous queries from the public on the 25,000 voters removed from the register Gainako’s Editor questioned IEC about the deletions at a Stakeholders’ Forum held on October 6th 2021. https://gainako.com/over-25000-voters-removed-from-the-2021-voter-list/ Yusef Taylor: We’ve observed that after the six weeks of voter’s registration was concluded we noted that…

By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT A pickup full of Police Officers from Senegambia Police Station had a standoff with the owners of the former Anti-Crime Unit (ACU) Headquarters in Bijilo on October 4th 2021. After representatives of Global Homes of Medical Missions (GHOMM) held a press conference at the premises of the former Anti-Crime Unit, a Police Officer named Bojang attempted to disperse a gathering of owners and media personnel from the premises. After the press conference a standoff ensued between the Police and the owners, however, this story starts before the standoff. Press Conference Inside Former Anti-Crime Unit Headquarters Before…

By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT Gambian Artist Singjay KS is about to release his brand-new Extended Play (EP) “Sweetest Taboo” named after his widely successful song of the same title released in 2018. The multilingual artist is one of the very few in the Gambia that sings fluently in English and French, as well as local Gambian languages such as Wolof and Mandinka. Singjay KS’ upcoming EP features some of the biggest Gambian artists such as Say’hu, Attack, Talibeh Izzy, and Tee. Signed to GSC Records under the management of International UK-Based Producer Malang Fatty, Singjay KS is set to take…