NISAF Championship Set For Tomorrow

Photo: Ousman Kebbeh talking to the press.

By Ousman A. Marong

The National Inter-School Athletics Championship (NISAF) for the year 2020 Season is scheduled for tomorrow, Friday 13 March, at the Independence Stadium in Bakau.

This year’s championship will witness 71 schools battling for a trophy worth, One Hundred Thousand Dalasi (D100, 000) for Senior Secondary Schools and Fifty Thousand Dalasi (D50, 000) for Junior Secondary Schools respectively.

The seventy-one Schools across the county will be competing in the national inter-schools’ athletics championship. The duo categories will have their competition kick-off on Friday the 13 to Sunday 15 and the entire race would be held at the Independent Stadium in Bakau.

The Senior Secondary Schools will be robbing shoulders in battling out for the D100, 000 dalasi cash price and a trophy while the junior category too would be competing for the 50,000 dalasi and a trophy as well.

This year’s annual inter-schools championship would mark 40-years of existence that seeks to module school-going children to acquire varieties of requisite skills in their cost of stay while attending lower Basic education.

Speaking at a briefing on Wednesday held at the Independence Stadium in Bakau, Mr. Ousman Kebbeh, Acting President of The Gambia, Athletics, Sports Committee said:

“We are trying to introduce the modern standard form [of rules] to the kids so that they can be used to it by starting from the formation, regulation, and awards will all be in standard form.

There is a massive improvement in this year’s competition and we are trying to make sure it’s up to international level such that people will be aware,” he explained.

He revealed that they (Gambia athletes’ sports committee) are in consultation with the office of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) in facilitating the security of this year’s event.

He warned schools and Physical Education (PE) teachers in the use of unqualified athletes saying anyone found wanting would be dealt with accordingly. 

Gambia: “Sana Manjang Cuts A Man’s Head With Cutlass” Says TRRC Witness

Photo: Ensa Keita

By Ousman A. Marong  

Ensa Keita, former sand and gravel dealer alleged that Major Sana Manjang has cut the heads of his victims and threw their bodies to the former President Yahya Jammeh’s crocodiles in Kanilai.

Keita who was testifying before the Truth Commission has narrated a money problem that occurred between himself, Azziz Tamba and former President Yahya Jammeh.

Azziz Tamba is a nephew to the former President Yahya Jammeh who was stationed in Kanilai, the home village of former President Jammeh. He was the one responsible for the construction of the compound of former President Jammeh’s elders' brother.

According to the witness, he was working in Amadou Samba’s gravel company and later proceeds to Kanilai where he was working as a laborer.

 The 56-year-old said he is a native of Baddibu Kinteh-Kunda Marong-Kunda in the Central Baddibu.

“Azziz Tamba was the one overseeing the building project of the former President Yahya Jammeh’s elder brother in Kanilai. Upon completing the work and I requested my pay but Azziz Tamba kept pulling and pushing me. Anytime, I asked him about my money he would give excuses that the former President was busy,” he explained.

He made these remarks at Dunes Hotel in Kololi, while testifying before the Truth Commission.

The witness recounts his tussled with Azziz Tamba when he crabbed Azziz’s shirt and wanted to knock him but his hand was held by a friend.  

“It was during this time that I was arrested and detained by Musa Jammeh alias “Maliamungo”. I was arrested by Musa Jammeh and was accused of having a hand in smuggling guns to MFDC rebels in Cassamance. Musa Jammeh asked me to accept that I was directly dealing with the Cassamnce rebels which I refused and told him that I was not a soldier and have little or no knowledge with regards to guns so how could I deal with the MFDC rebels,” the witness quizzed.

He said he was arrested by Musa Jammeh and was taken to “Woni” an area in Kanilai belonging to former President Yahya Jammeh.

“Musa Jammeh slapped me upon arresting me. I was locked up in a house in “Woni” where all kinds of tortures were meted out on me. As I was serving my detention a man by the name Kajali Jarju was also arrested and brought by Sanna Manjang to join me. I asked the man his name and he told me his name was Kajali Jarju alias “Lacock”. He (Kajali Jarju) informed me that he brought some cannabis to sell in Kanaila to acquire some money to buy food and take it back to Cassamance in order to feed his family,” said the witness.

He said Kajali has told him that he was roaming at the backyards of Kanilai when he met [Major] Sanna Manjang and explained his mission to him.

“He said Sanna Manjang asked him to take him to the place where he hides the cannabis. When they reached the place, he (Kajali) bend to pull out the cannabis buried with a gun. As soon as Sanna Manjang saw the gun he pulled out his pistol and pointed at his ears and said to him ‘you are under arrest!’ and escorted him,” he asserted.

The witness alleged that Sanna Manjang later killed Kajali Jammeh by chopping his head off with a sword.

Describing the gruesome killing, the witness said “Sanna Manjang was standing face-to-face with the captive (Kajali) while exchanging words with him where he told the captive that he (Sanna Manjang) will kill him. They were standing facing each other when Sanna pulled out his sword to have his head chopped off.”

After chopping off his head, the man’s head felt on the other side of the ground while his body is shaking and tongue mumbling in his mouth.

“After having the man killed Sanna Manjang hatched his chest into pieces and cut-off his legs and put the head in a plastic bag and took his remains to crocodiles to feed on. I was told the head was to be given to former President Yahya Jammeh and he benefited them with rituals,” he noted.

“I Was Arrested For Refusing To Cut-Down Citizen FM Transmitter” Says Witness

Photo: TRRC Commissioners. (Credit culled from TRRC FB Page)

By Ousman A. Marong

Former Gamtel Senior Manager, Mr. Ebrahima Yarbo, has conjugated his arrest and detention by the defunct National Intelligence Agency (NIA) now Security Intelligence Services (SIS) to his refusal to cut-down the transmitter of Citizen FM Radio Station.

The sixty-seven (67) year old Yarbo, explained in April 1995 on a faithful Friday morning that he had received a telephone call from the NIA requesting him to go and answer to them.

“Upon arrival at the NIA, I met senior officers including FRI Jammeh, Samba Bah, Numo Kujabi and Francisco Kosaso. It was Numo Kujabi who welcomed me and requested that I should accompany them to the Gamtel House to switched-off Citizen FM’s radio transmitter. I told him that wouldn’t be easy and that it was not under my domain to do such. They informed the former President Yahya Jammeh that I refused to cut down citizen FM’s radio transmitter citing to him (Yahya Jammeh) that I must be part of the revolutionary movement groups who were not in support of the regime at the time,” Ebrahima Yarbo said.

Yarbo made these revelations via skype from his UK based while testifying before the country’s Truth Commission on Tuesday morning.

Arrest and Detention         

In his own leeway, he said he was arrested at around 3am local time. He added that his arrestees used a rope in getting to the floor he was living in.

“They appeared in my house at about 3am local time and they were knocking my door that I should come out. I telephoned the police but they complained about the lack of fuel. I told them that I was just next door to them. As soon as the police arrived, they found these mobs with their riffles that identified themselves as NIA Operatives. The police made it clear to them that was not the way to arrest someone,” he remarked.

He added: “I was arrested for refusing to cut-down Citizen FM transmitter.”

Inhuman Prison Condition

The witness revealed that he had spent 4-years and 4 months in prison.

He made mention of names like Saul Ndow, Lieutenant Omar Darboe, Modou Drammeh and Modou Dumo Saho whom he was detained with at the infamous “Bamba Dinka” cell.

He said Saul Ndow later escaped when the state wanted to use him as a prosecution witness.

Yarbo adduced that they were charged with treason but were later acquitted and discharged. He informed the Commission that upon his discharge he received a letter from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (DDP) stating he would not be reinstated.

SBEC Robotic Team Pulls 2nd In World Championship

Photo: Abdoukarim and the Team 

By Ousman A. Marong

Gambia’s SBEC International School team of 3 boys won the second position in the World Robofest Championship in the United States (US), defeating the United States, Mexico, Egypt, South Korea and dozens of others.

The “Acrobat” team of three boys and one teacher from SBEC International School in the Northern Region of The Gambia dominated the 10 broad and challenging categories of the championship held from February 15 to 24 at Texas Technological University (TTU).

The categories include Complete Robotic Missions, Exhibition (Show off projects), Vision Centric Challenge (Develop robots to solve problems using cameras), Unknown Mission Challenge (Surprise missions), Robot Arts (Robotics music, dance, and arts competition), BottleSumo (Pushing bottle or opponents of a table), RoboParade (Parade of robots), Camps, Carnival and WISER, a conference on STEM education through robotics.

The team from The Gambia was able to build a robot that arranged boxes according to a binary number they were given during the competition. They also completed their missions successfully.

Team Acrobat was the only team from The Gambia and participated in the world robofest Championship in the US for the first time.

The West African country’s team of 3 boys including one teacher SBEC International School in the Gambia came 2nd out of the overall 52 teams in the division. The teams qualified from the national championship level called “the Robotics Inspired Science Education (RISE) competition” organized by MRC Robotics Academy Foundation. They beat several teams before qualifying for the World Robofest Championship.

Robofest has been organized since 1999 to offer students the opportunity to master principles of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) as well as Computer Science (CS), communication, critical thinking, teamwork, and problem solving skills while designing, constructing, and programming robots.

Since Robofest started, over 25,000 students have competed from 14 U.S. States, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Ecuador, Egypt, England, France, Ghana, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Lebanon, Macau, Mexico, Singapore, South Africa, and South Korea. The teams compete in the junior, senior and college divisions.

All registered participants received medals and personalized certificates from the Robotics Academy Foundation.

Speaking to reporters at the International airport on yesterday, Coach Hassan Sillah, thanked SBEC International School and parents who entrusted him to travel with their children to the US.

“It wasn’t easy when we went to Texas to complete in the robotic competition. We were the only team that didn’t even have an idea of what the competition was all about;” he explained.

He revealed that upon arrival his team members were bit nervous but he (Hassan Sillah) had the trust and confidence in them that they can do it.

Photo: Team SABEC received by the principal at The Airport 

Abdoukarim Demba, a student and a participant complaint about the short time given to them to complete building their robots.

Mr. Mamadou Colley, Principal of SBEC International School described the team’s victory as a victory to the entire nation.

He encouraged the kids to engage themselves in science-related subjects.

Parisienne Restaurant Rejects CEO Runaway Over Death Of Two Employees

Photo: Lamin and Sainey

 By Ousman A. Marong

 Ibrahmi Pl of La Parisieene Restaurant has maintained that the Chief Executive Officer CEO has not runaway on the death of two employees who were trapped inside a suckaway.

This rejection came at a time when he (Ibrahmi Pl) has assigned two Gambian youths to drain his filled suck-away who died inside the suck-away as a result of bad inhalation and the heat inside.

La Parisieene, is a Lebanese Restaurant situated along the Kairaba Avenue just opposite the American Embassy.

“I am the CEO of La Parisieene Restaurant, there is no CEO at La Parisieene apart from me and here I am talking to you, so how can I be on the run,” he quizzed.

According to him he has his own contractor who normally cleans up his suck-away any time it is filled.

“The contractor came to my office and discussed on the amount and I paid him and left for other errands. Upon arrival at my work place I met a group of people when I asked what was going on and I was told two people died in the suck-away. I want to sacrifice myself to enter in the suck-away in order to help them out, but people held my hand,” he explained.

 He said it was from there they called the Gambia Fire and Sea Rescue Service (GFSRS) who came to help remove the dead bodies from the suck-away.

“I together with official from the Gambia Fire and Sea Rescue Services (GFSRS) transported the corpses to Sharab Health Center in Kanifing where they were adhere to and were given back to their families for proper burial,” he said.     

Sainey Kanteh 24 from Wuli Ja Kunda in the Upper River Region (URR) and Lamin Manneh 23 from Niamina Village in Central River Region (CRR) where the duo who died inside the suck-away due to inhaling bad Adour and  the heat in the manhole.

The tragic event occurred on Friday 7 February 2020 at La Parisiseene Restaurant at Pipeline opposite the American Embassy.

According to eyewitness the duo were assigned by the manager of La Parisienne restaurant to drain off the waste. One of the sources said even though the tragic incident happened they still carried on their normal business.

An eyewitness close to the restaurant has it that Ibrahmi Pl is not the CEO at La Parisienne Restaurant.

“You know Ibrahmi is not the CEO of La Parisienne. The CEO is one Ali and he is currently out of town. He supposed to travel on Thursday, but had to cancel his trip due to the tragic incident. He traveled on Friday,” said the witness.

When asked by this reporter whether the CEO is called Ali Baba but could not confirmed.quizzed our reporter, “No is not Ali Baba, I do not know his first name,” replied the witness.

Photo: Bakary Conteh

On his part, Bakary Kanteh, father to one of the deceases said “This kind of a job is not my son’s job. My son is a businessman.”

He said he heard reports that his son Sainey Kanteh who first entered in the ditch through a narrow hole was suffocated to dead by intense heat and bad ordour.

Photo: The Manhole

“As soon as he gets inside, he was not talking nor responding to questions from Lamin Manneh. Lamin too decided to follow him inside to see what went wrong and they both die,” he explained.

He said the police have conducted investigation at the place and has taken photos in order to establish the cause of death of the duo.

“There were no further investigation so as to ascertain the cause of the death on Sainey and Lamin. All we could do was to request for our deceases in order to give them a befitting Muslim burial,” he remarked.

At the time of going to press effort were made in reaching to GFSRS for comment, but remain futile.

A call was made to the police PRO, but we were told that he is current not in town.

This is a developing story and News Bite will keep you update.

Slain Journalist’s Sister Resigns From Police

Photo: Adama Manneh

 
By Ousman A. Marong

Ms. Adama Manneh, the younger sister of the slain Gambian Journalist, Ebrima Manneh alias “Chief Manneh” has resigned from The Gambia Police Force (GPF) as a police officer.

Ms. Manneh who has worked in the police for several years, broke the news of her resignation on her Facebook page on Sunday, 19 January 2020.

“I am no more a police officer, I have discharge voluntarily,” she revealed.

When contacted by this reporter as to the reason (s) for her resignation which she said was a “personal” matter.

“My resignation is personal,” she responded.

Family sources revealed that Adama has traveled to Spain where she currently lived.

It could be recalled that Ebrima Manneh alias “Chief Manneh” was a former employee of The Daily Observer Newspaper who was arrested by state security agents at his office in July 2006. He has whisked away in the presence of his co-workers at the office premises. He was secretly held in police detention from different police stations across the country.

Since then his whereabouts were not known until after the change of government when the government of President Adama Barrow established the Truth Commission. It was after the establishment of the Truth Commission where Gambians came to realize that Chief Ebrima was dead through testimonies from alleged “junglers’ in the person of Malick Jatta.

“The last time I saw Chief Ebrima Manneh was when we took Ousman Rambo- Jatta to Sarra Ngai Police,” said Malick Jatta.

Malick Jatta was a member of President Yahya Jammeh’s hit-squad known as “Junglers”

“Blame Coalition Leaders Not 3 Years Jotna” Says OJ

Photo: OJ Jallow

By Ousman A. Marong

The former leader of the Peoples’ Progressive Party (PPP), Omar Amadou Jallow alias OJ has said that the Coalition leaders are to be blamed on the issue of 3 or 5 years mandate of President Adama Barrow.

According to him, Gambians should blame the coalition leaders and not  “3 Years Jotna” Movement.

“We (Coalition leaders) are to blame and not “3 Years Jotna movement. President Adama Barrow was not the architect of the Coalition in 2016. He (Barrow) was never part of the executive and has not attended a single meeting organized by the executive,” he remarked.

The veteran politician made these revelations on Taranga FM’s Current Affairs radio program anchored by Dr. Ismaila Sisay.

When asked about his thoughts on the arbitrary closure of the two radio stations namely Home Digital FM and King FM plus the clamping down on journalists, he responded: “the matter is at the court and me, therefore, want to limit myself on the issue”.

He added that many Gambians misunderstood his comments regarding the demolition of mosques in public places.

“Gambians misunderstood me. I never said neither did I encourage the demolition of mosques in public places. What I said was the sense in building mosques at government institutions when you have people praying for only one daily prayer and that is the Zuhr prayers,” he asserted.

According to him, the country’s late President Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara had never ordered the killing of any Gambian during the 1981 coup.

“Sir Dawda had never ordered the killing of any Gambian but it was Kukoi Samba Sanyang who contested and lost the National Assembly Election in Foni and decided to collide with the “Field Forces” in order to topple the democratically elected government of Sir Dawda,” he adduced.

Meanwhile, he urged Gambians to be law-abiding and adhere to the rule of law.