A TRIBUTE TO BABUCARR GAYE

   By TIJAN NIMAGA, Bronx New York,

Journalist Babucarr Gaye’s death is a huge loss to the Gambian media and the entire nation. Babucarr Gaye was one of the few veteran journalists who transcended both nationality and journalism throughout the world and to proof to the current regime in his final years that he needed no Radio Station to generate his typical brand of magic in journalism.

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Dear Mr. Sankareh:

The death of Gambian journalist Mr. Babucarr Gaye is a great loss to the Gambian media fraternity and the entire Gambian populace who still continue yearning for a free and vibrant press. Gaye was a professional journalist by all standards; very focused, objective, truthful and unambiguous in his reporting - he had no political leaning to left, right or center!

Yankuba Jambang, Senegambianews.com Editor remembers Gaye

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Journalist   Babucarr Gaye Dies

By Ebrima G. Sankareh

It is with profound shock and sorrow that we report the death of doyen Gambian journalist Babucarr M. Gaye the proprietor of Citizen Newspaper & Citizen FM Radio Station.Gaye who died at the Medical Research Council (MRC) facility at Fajara was born in Kaur to the late Alkali of Kaur Momodou Bamba Gaye and the late Mrs. Aji Mallen Wadda of James Senegal street.

The Late Babucarr Gaye (Daily  Observer Photo)

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THIS IS OUR  WAY   

By Mathew K. Jallow, Associate Editor

The disappearance and whereabouts of Yahya Dampha has been the subject of public concern and debate for over two weeks. Since the provocative arrest and the subsequent release of Yahya Dampha’s two Amnesty International traveling companions, Yahya himself has not been seen in public. Speculations are rife that the government’s notorious NIA criminal agency may have him in their custody at one of their many torture chambers dotted around the country. The case of Yahya Dampha has specifically attracted international attention, since he was arrested with two Amnesty International employees as they were traveling up country to investigate another disappearance a year ago involving an opposition politician from Bakau, Ousman Rambo Jatta.

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President Jammeh Should Sack GPTC’s MD- Momodou Jagne

Mr. Editor:
Please allow me to extend my gratitude to 'Boy Jazzy' (BJ) for what I will call his patriotism.I do not know a lot about the Houmas, Deens, etc, but that comedian called Momodou A.B. Jagne is not only a liar, but greedy, a hypocrite and above all, a smiling assassin! This is a guy bragging that he is an aircraft engineer, but as far as I know, he is anaircraftpanel

beater...interesting, is isn’t?

One President, two faces: The man in the red beret advocated for transparency, accountability & probity, but the man in kaftan condones corruption and is himself corrupt.

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“GPTC’s MD-Momodou Jagne-Corrupt, Nepotic & Terribly Incompetent”

By Boy Jazzy, GPTC Kanifing, The Gambia

 As promised, our GPTC insider, Boy Jazzy has completed his analysis of the corruption malaise that finally bankrupted The Gambia Public Transport Corporation (GPTC). In this essay (The Final Part) Jazzy looks at Jange’s reign; the sacking of Tijan and Amat; the ill-fated TATA project and concludes with Momodou Jagne’s trip to Spain and tells us why Jagne appears untouchable.

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SHEIKH EBRAHIM (BAI) NYASS AND THE TARIQHA TIJANIYA

The Almighty Allah is very different from other "gods" in that He wants to be worshipped in many different ways. This is the reason why He sent a hundred and twenty-four thousand prophets and messengers to mankind. Some of these messengers came with books like the Holy Quran, the Gospel of Jesus, son of Mary, the Tora of Moses and the Psalms of David.

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Coup D'etat By The Gambia National Army- Lt. Col. S.Sarr 

By Tijan Nimaga, Bronx New York

Lt. Col. Samsudeen Sarr the former Commander of The Gambia National Army is one of the authors that inspired me way back in the early 1980s. For the interest of the younger generation, the former Army Chief, Samsudeen Sarr, is also the author of Meet Me In Conakry, (Macmillan Publishers) a novel that describes a trying road trip and real life drama on the road to Conakry by Sam a fictional character and some of his friends. 

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MFDC Sect. General Tells President Jammeh To Explain Circumstances of Its Leader’s Death

By Kissy Kissy Mansa, State House, Banjul

The Secretary General of the rebel Movement for Democracy in the Cassamance (MFDC), Jean-Marie François BIAGUI, has issued a terse statement today, Monday 22 October, demanding the Gambian authorities to explain circumstances surrounding the death of Ismaila Magne Dieme, the MFDC leader of the Northern forces. 

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GPTC, The Rejoinder

Mr. Editor: Please give me space in your widely read online newspaper to write a rejoinder to Boy Jazzy's article on GPTC. Boy Jazzy is very well informed on GPTC and all what he said was true to the best of my knowledge. I have been motivated by his truthfulness to add the few points below:

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President Jammeh Linked With Rebel Assassination

By Ebrima G. Sankareh

Quoting highly credible reports our State House operative Kissy Kissy Mansa reports that Salif Sadio executed Ismaila Magne Dieme, the MFDC faction leader who, only last year, collaborated with Guinea-Bissau’s General Tagme Na Wai to drive Salif Sadio’s forces from their Baraka Mandioka Camp in the Portuguese speaking West African state. Gambian President Yahya Jammeh is reported to have handed the rebel leader over to Sadio.

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President Jammeh Stops West African Human Rights Journalists’ Seminar

          By Ebrima G. Sankareh

Unimpeachable sources from State House report that President Yahya Jammeh ordered the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Right (ACHPR), an organ of the African Union tasked with the promotion and protection of human and peoples rights in Africa, to immediately close a human rights seminar. The seminar was organized in collaboration with the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA), to train journalists from countries in the West Africa sub-Region on issues of human and peoples’ rights.

Rambo shows journalists shirt he wore for 385 days while in detention

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              Corrigendum

    By Kissy Kissy Mansa, State House, Banjul

The rebel assassinated is Ismaila Magne Dieme and NOT Kamouge Diatta as earlier announced.  Ismaila Magne Dieme who heads the MFDC rebel group in the Southern Front was accused by Yahya Jammeh of harboring Col. Ndure Cham after the failed coupe d'etat in 2006.  The circumstances surrounding the assassination of Ismaila Magne Dieme is unclear. Be rest assured that we will follow developments as they unfold especially as they impact on the relations between Senegal and Gambia. 

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                    Press Release

Movement For Democratic Change–U.S.A (MFDC-USA).

Brave members of the Movement For Democratic Change–Gambia (MFDC-G), the gallant soldiers of The Gambia armed forces, members of the national police force, members of the National Security Agency, and our most esteemed fellow citizens in The Gambia and around the world, July 22^nd. 1994 was a day of infamy that changed our country forever. In the aftermath of the coup on that fateful day, the AFPRC military regime made a promise to usher in an era of transparency and accountability in governance to the citizens of our country. Instead, the AFPRC’s trail has been one of the most disastrous records of any government on the African continent.

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The South African reggae musician, Lucky Dube, has been shot dead in the commercial capital, Johannesburg.

A police spokeswoman said the artist was dropping his son off in the suburb of Rosettenville on Thursday evening when he was attacked by armed robbers

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Is anybody listening to the Permanent Secretary, Department of Education?

Evidently, The Gambia Echo is so concerned about the quality of education in The Gambia that it dedicated a series of articles on the topic. In the last piece, your paper cautioned that the deteriorating state of the sector would persist if the imbalance between expenditure in hardware (bricks and mortar) and software (teacher education, school supplies, textbooks) were not balanced.  There is too much of bricks and mortar and classroom blocks and not enough of teachers, textbooks, teacher education and internal efficiency measures introduced in the first 15-year Education Policy under B.B.Dabo as Vice President and Minister of Education.

Jammeh & Education Minister Fatou L. Faye

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Dear Editor:
 
I am really sorry to learn that there were certain elements within the readership that questioned the veracity of the information that I provide to The Gambia Echo, specifically relating to the dismissal of Saja Taal.  I wish to assure you and the readership that no information is transmitted to you for publication that has not been scrutinized and confirmed by me and my close and trusted collaborators.  The quality of the information I transmit is important to me

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When The Gambia Echo reported on Monday October 8th at 7:11PM that Dr.Alieu Badara Sarja Taal and Willy John Joof were sacked so many readers called asking if we will not run a rejoinder on Taal since he was still reporting at the Daily Observer. We told them Kissy Kissy Mansa is so honest and serious with what Kissy does that 99.5% of all Kissy says ckecks out. Since Kissy saw Sarja Taal's letter of termination on October 8th., we will not change our lead story I confided in some friends. Well, a week later, The Daily Observer where Sarja was MD has reported his sacking. Hopefully, now that it is official we can proceed. It is no longer breaking news. It is called stale news.

VP Njie-Saidy "cannot escape electric broom"

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By Boy Jazzy, GPTC Depot, Kanifing The Gambia.

 Following our lead story on the alleged missing millions at the bankrupt Gambia Public Transport Corporation-GPTC, (See The Gambia Echo Friday October 12, 2007 issue) a letter writer claiming to be an insider who goes by the name Boy Jazzy has promised to set the records straight by exposing all the malpractices and political manipulations that have dealt this once vibrant corporation a devastating blow. In this segment Jazzy began by questioning the authenticity of the missing engine saga. Despite claims to the contrary, Jazzy’s letter exposes the underling cancer of corporate corruption and nepotism that ultimately portend the corporation’s demise. We praise him for his tenacity to come forward to clear the air from his perspective. We wish all civil and public servants will follow suit exposing all of President Yahya Jammeh’s corrupt practices. We will never ever reveal your names. You can use any open name. All the Gambian people want to know is who is doing what? You must also be truthful and speak the truth because mere allegations are not entertained

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Dear Editor:

I am in distress about how our country is being destroyed by our own selves through connivance, silence and other forms of collaboration, actively or passively. For me, Yahya Jammeh is not the issue. It is how the common Gambian man and woman have contributed and continue to contribute to the building of a monster and a system that will eventually consume all of us for virtually nothing 

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NEWS FLASH: Tamba Fofana Released, Returns To Kudang

Following the release of Ousman Rambo Jatta, The Gambia Echo’s reporters have been investigating the whereabouts of the remaining political detainees. We can only confirm the release of one person; Head Master Mr. Tamba Fofana who like Rambo was also detained at various police location across the country. He however, ended up at Mile II Prisons from where he was treated for a severe sore on the leg.

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The Verdict

By Adama Hawa

President Jammeh’s speech during the courtesy call on him at State House on Koriteh day by the Banjul Muslim elders was no doubt another glaring example of his hypocrisy. We all heard him castigate the West and its war on terror, which he said was only targeting Muslims as terrorists.

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By Bubacarr Sankanu

This year’s Eid-ul-Fitr feast was so melancholic for me to celebrate. Throughout the winding days of the holy month of fasting, the names “Tabara Samba” kept humming through my senses like invisible bees. I almost booked a seat with the next convenient flight to Banjul to assist Tabara Samba’s defence attorney in appealing the death sentence recently pronounced on her by Magistrate Pa Harry Jammeh of the Kanifing Magistrate Court. I am however helpless as I felt, for a while, like Ato the character in playwright Ama Ata-Aidoo’s “Dilemma of a Ghost.” After a career in journalism, I fulfilled my childhood dream of reading Law despite traditional reservations

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                    By Lt. Col. Samsudeen Sarr

I’ll start by wishing everybody reading this paper a happy “Koriteh” celebration with prayers of a healthy and wealthy year ahead for all Gambians. I further pray that we all enjoy the blessing of long life through many “Ramadans” in the future. I was going to skip writing anything this week in celebration of the festive “Koriteh”, but with the latest developments, I found it imperative to come up with an assessment statement.

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“I’ll Continue To Speak My Mind And Fight For My Rights”- Rambo told The Echo

Ebrima G. Sankareh, Editor-in-Chief

Ousman Jatta (a.k.a. Rambo) the United Democratic Party’s ward Councilor for Bakau Cape Ward has been released from illegal detention by the autocratic regime of President Yahya Jammeh after 385 days. Until we bring you the exclusive interview with photographs on Monday, we will just give you the gist of his narration:

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By Tijan Nimaga, Bronx New York

 The 1960s were another Gregorian calendar years unlike the Coptic Calendar, which is seven years behind the former calendar, and still used in Ethiopia. These special calendar years were the most important historic moments in the history of The Gambia. It marked the end of colonialism and began many other achievements in Gambian history. In the late 1960s,there used to be a voice, which could be heard over The Radio Gambia at news hour thus: “this is Radio Gambia Broadcasting from Bathurst and

the news read by…

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Reflections: From “The Jammeh Dream to The Jammeh Nightmare” Through The Eyes of A 14Yr.Old Now 27

I was born in 1980 so that by 1994, when the news of Jammeh’s military coup came, I was just 14. However through 13years of Jammeh’s political metamorphosis from the military to paramilitary to pseudo-military regime, I grew from a teen, to an adult to now a parent. I am now able to see the 1994 overthrow in different colors of the night.

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The Dictator Has Blinked

Wolof proverb:"Golo hamna fimo reeg tatam"

Amnesty International (AI) has just announced the unconditional release of its two delegates, namely Tania Bernath and Ayodele Ameen, from the clutches of Gambian Dictator Yahya Jammeh after an international outcry following their illegal arrest and detention last week.  The two were accompanied by Yaya Dampha, a local newspaper reporter, on a mission to locate the whereabouts of Ousman Rambo Jatta and Kanjiba Kanji both members of the Opposition seized by the oppressive and much feared National Intelligence Agency (NIA) over nine months ago.  

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Corruption Galore-Missing Millions at GPTC

By Ebrima G. Sankareh, Editor-in-Chief

For the past week our reporters: Njie Khakatarr, Pateh Kinteh, and Kissy Kissy Mansa have been investigating perhaps the most outrageous corruption scandal The Gambia has ever seen; the missing millions at GPTC.

Jammeh takes the third oath of office as President of the Republic of The Gambia.Chief Justice Abdou Karim Savage  in legal regalia.  First Lady Madam Zeineb Jammeh looks on.

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The Department of State for Education has just released the final results of the 2007 West African Senior School Certificate Examinations (WESSCE). The results are catastrophic and a clear signal that the Gambian education system has been reduced to a dismal level of ineptitude by Yahya Jammeh and his cronies at the Department of Education.

Fatou  L. Faye, Basic & Secondary Education Minister

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Breaking News: Willy John Joof  Arrested

By Ebrima G. Sankareh

Unassailable sources from the Office of the President say Willy John Joof Permanent Seretary No.1 at Foreign Affairs was arrested at 5:00pm this afternoon and whisked to the Serious Crimes Unit at Banjul police headquarters. He is being investigated for passport and visa crimes.

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Breaking News: Gambia Releases MFDC Rebel Leader Kamougue Diatta & Sadia Bodian  From Mile Two Prisons

By Ebrima G. Sankareh

Despite claims to the contrary that The Gambia government did not know the whereabouts of MFDC rebel leader Kamougue Diatta, The Gambia Echo's unimpeachable sources in Dakar have confirmed the release of Kamougue Diatta, and a colleague named Sadia Bodian from Mile II Prisons in Banjul.  The two rebel leaders traveled to Ziquinchor yesterday, interrogated by both the French and Senegalese army intelligence before being transported to Dakar. 

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The Verdict

Bravo to Samsudeen Sarr for His Incisive Book 

By Adama Hawa

The book; Coup d’etat by The Gambia National Army, written by Colonel Samsudeen Sarr, former Commander of The Gambia Armed Forces, is no doubt an important contribution to contemporary Gambian literature. Apart from the incisive venture into the mentality and characteristics of those involved in running our country since 1994, the book is also an invaluable historical record of an important milestone in Gambian history.

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Breaking News: Kanyiba Kanyi & Rambo Jatta Alive At Sare Ngai Police Station

By Ebrima G. Sankareh & Pateh Kinteh

After one year of police lies and unconscionable perjury by Gambian state lawyers and security personnel that Yahya Jammeh’s utterly criminal government neither had custody nor inkling as to the whereabouts of famed political duo Messrs: Ousman Rambo Jatta and Kanyiba Kanyi, we are please to report that both men are alive and held captive at the newly found Concentration Camp at Sare Ngai police station in The Gambia’s Upper River Region 300 km off the capital, Banjul.

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AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
PRESS RELEASE
News Flash

AI Index:        AFR 27/003/2007    (Public)
News Service No:         193                        
9 October 2007

Amnesty International today called for the immediate and unconditional release of its two delegates and a local journalist who was detained with them in the Gambia. No charges have been brought against the Amnesty International delegates or the local journalist.

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'No Confidence' Vote For The Gambian Economy

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Amnesty Int’l. Workers Released, Dictator Jammeh Bows Down To Pressure 

By Ebrima G. Sankareh, Editor–In-Chief

Highly placed sources close to the US Department of State reveal that three Amnesty International (AI) advocates: Ms. Tania Bernath, Amnesty’s Africa Programme Director, Mr. Ayodele Ameen, Amnesty’s West Africa Bureau Chief and Mr.Yahya Dampha; a reporter with the local Foroyaa Newspaper and Amnesty’s contact person in The Gambia have all been released without any charges against them, but have had their passports seized by the Gambian Police.

 Lawyer Lamin Camara .  Ameen Ayodele,  Detainee 

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Dr. Sarja Taal & William John Joof Sacked

By Kissy Kissy Mansa State House
 
I was informed moments ago that both Dr. Saja Taal, Managing Director of the Daily Observer and William John Joof, Permanent Secretary, Department of State for Foreign Affairs are to be dismissed from their posts effective immediately.  Saja Taal is being relieved of his functions at the Daily Observer because of the re-designing of the Observer's web page 'without authorization' from the owner Yahya Jammeh who is furious about the comments page attached to the 'Cyber terrorist' editorial which has invited numerous negative and insulting comments from Gambians at home and abroad illustrating the unpopularity of Yahya Jammeh.  The newly revamped web site will be modified as soon as feasible to eliminate the comments section.  Saja's matching orders are in the process of being finalized according to State House sources. 

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