By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT According to the Ministry of Finance and Economic Affairs (MoFEA) January to end of June 2023 Expenditure Brief, the country has spent 53% of the 2023 Approved Budget by the end of the first six months. The expenditure brief details government expenditure on all Government Local Funds (GLF) which means it “does not factor [in] any donor-sourced funding including external loans and donor project grants”. In the 2023 Approved Budget, the total GLF approved for Government Expenditure was D22.06 billion while the total of GLF, Loans and Grants came to D38.8 billion. This means all loans…
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 This brand-new edition of the Gambia Parliamentary Newsletter (GPN) features one of the most talked about Bills in the Gambian Parliament for over four years now, the Anti-Corruption Bill. This special edition highlights the journey of the Anti-Corruption Bill, some of the setbacks it faced since it was tabled in 2019 and why we need it in the first place. Our insightful publications highlight gross corruption in the country as well as the sole conviction for corruption by the current government. Any anti-corruption enthusiast will keep this edition handy on their phones, or computers and pick…
By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT Leaders of Gambia’s Civil Society Organisations (CSO) met with the imminent persons of the International IDEA delegation to discuss reviving the Draft Constitution on Tuesday 15th August 2023. The meeting featured speeches from members of the panel which included religious leaders from the Muslim and Christian faith and other representatives. After speeches from eminent persons, some CSO leaders also made some comments for their consideration. During the speeches delivered by the representative of the Chairperson of the Gambia Christian Council (GCC) Bishop Bannie Manga, he urged stakeholders to be honest, and put aside selfishness and greed…
By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT After filing a complaint to the Police about four members of the victim community, former Chairperson Mr Sheriff Mohammed Kijera confirmed that he withdrew his complaint on Monday, 7th August 2023. The U-turn comes only five days after Mr Kijera filed a complaint at the Police Headquarters against some of his former colleagues on 2nd August 2023. Last week Gainako published an article highlighting that the former Chairperson of the Victims Center for Human Rights Violations in The Gambia (Victim Center), Mr Sheriff Mohammed Kijera, had lodged a Police complaint against Ms Ayesha Jammeh, Ms Zainab…
By Yusef Taylor and Edward Francis Dalliah After the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) issued a seven days ultimatum to Niger coup plotters on Sunday 30th July 2023, it instructed its Chief of Defense to meet immediately. The following week an ECOWAS delegation failed to meet Niger coup leader, General Abdourahamane Tchiani on Thursday 3rd August 2023. The following day, ECOWAS Defense Chiefs met on Friday 4th August 2023. According to Africa News, an ECOWAS delegation travelled to meet Niger coup leader General Abdourahamane Tchiani on Thursday 3rd August 2023, but left a few hours later without meeting…
By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT Currently held hostage by his Presidential Guards, Niger President Mohamed Bazoum has issued a publication in the Washington Post calling for help to “restore constitutional order” and defended his track record against “an autocratic junta with no vision or reliable allies”. Meanwhile, Niger coup leaders have been travelling to other military-led regimes in West Africa to win over support to push back the imminent threat of an invasion from the West African Regional Block. Days after the two West African military regimes of Burkina Faso and Mali pledged to support Niger’s coup plotters resist military action…
By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT After the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) issued an ultimatum for Niger’s Coup Plotters to release President Mohamed Bazoum and relinquish power, two other military lead regimes pledged support to defend Niger and sustain the latest military takeover in West Africa. Last week Wednesday 26th July 2023, Niger’s Presidential Guard detained the current democratically elected President Mohamed Bazoum and his family members at his residence. Since then, the leader of the Presidential Guard, Abdourahmane Tchiani has declared himself the new leader of Niger. In reaction to this ECOWAS issued a statement on Saturday 30th…
By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT Senegal’s embattled opposition leader, Ousman Sonko who spearheads PASTEF has been detained and his party dissolved after he was arrested for allegedly grabbing the phone of a Gendarmerie on Friday 28th July 2023. The PASTEF Leader posted a photo of Security Officers within his compound with a statement highlighting that “the general intelligence agents stationed outside my home 24 hours a day started filming me”. Sonko added that he “personally snatched the phone and asked the person to unlock it and delete the images they took, which they refused”. https://twitter.com/SonkoOfficiel/status/1684967046705029131 A few days later Senegal’s Ministry…
By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT Chad’s President has met Niger’s coup leaders after the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) released a statement giving Niger’s coup leaders a one-week ultimatum. Meanwhile, protesters in Niger have stormed the French Embassy to demonstrate against French interference in their internal Politics. Days after the coup, the head of Niger’s Presidential guard since 2015, Abdourahmane Tchiani, has declared himself the new leader of Niger after his forces barricaded democratically elected President Bazoum and his family members inside his residence. Coup plotters have been demanding President Bazoum’s immediate resignation which has not materialised. Niger’s ousted…
By Yusef Taylor, @FlexDan_YT A press release from The Gambia’s biggest opposition, the United Democratic Party (UDP) revealed that they have lodged a lawsuit against the appointment of six Presidential Advisors and four Foreign Affairs Diplomats at the Supreme Courts on 26th July 2023. The lawsuit challenges the constitutionality of a former UDP National President and nine of President Adama Barrow’s appointees which they claim contravenes section 170(1) of The Gambia’s 1997 Constitution. The lawsuits are signed by UDP Party Leader, Lawyer Ousainu Darboe’s Law firm, Basangsang Chambers, with UDP stalwart Ebrima Dibba and Hon Madi Ceesay as Plaintiffs in…