(JollofNews) – In the face of widespread allegations, innuendos and insinuations that the Presidency may have discontinued prosecutions of the Faraba Banta case, the public is hereby informed that the matter has in fact, not been discontinued and that police investigations are on-going.
Meanwhile, the accused five officers of the Police Intervention Unit remain in state custody pending further investigations of the circumstances specific to their case.
Significantly, while The Gambia Government respects and appreciates the magnanimity of the villagers of Faraba Banta in their resolve to bring about healing, reconciliation and closure to a very painful chapter of their life, it wishes to reiterate its commitment to, and respect for the rule of law and constitutional due process.
Accordingly, while the government recognizes and empathizes with the sentiments and concerns expressed by the villagers, it is our policy not to interfere with the courts, legal procedures or prosecution of cases. Such matters are better suited to the competent offices of the Attorney General and Ministry of Justice.
The Presidency wishes to emphasize its fullest commitment to the upholding of the Principles of Separation of Powers and noninterference in the operation of the judiciary; a fundamental attribute of a truly democratic society which remains the guiding principle of the Adama Barrow administration.
Therefore, if the initial press release purported to have emanated from the Presidency had cast doubts as to the state of the Faraba Banta case, it is deeply regrettable.
For now, though, the passionate and humanizing plea of the villagers of Faraba Banta is before the Attorney General’s Chambers for review and at the conclusion of their evaluation, the public will be duly informed consistent with Government’s policy of transparency and accountability.
Signed by:
EBRIMA G. SANKAREH
The Gambia Government Spokesperson
I do not get this. Was the lousy statement by the Attorney General (Mr Ba Tambadou) not enough to cover the President’s back?
Does he not know that Gambians forget quite easily? This piece by Mr. Ebrima Sankareh has brought this news back into the headlines and he has further made a dirty story absolutely foul. This guy is being paid to do something he is incredibly poor at doing. I suppose Mr. Tambadou beat him to it, but if he has to write at all, he could have tried to do a better job.
Perhaps we shouldn’t blame Mr. Tambadou, and Sankareh. They are trying to safeguard their jobs. Next up may be Amie Bojang-Sissoh’s piece. Everyone must justify why they are in post. ‘Gambia Defa serr toropp. Koppar ndawal nehuta am.’
This shows that there is total disarray in the Barrow government. They are eating and sleeping at the wheel of their bus.
Dear Passengers, Our future is in the hands of learners, so hold on tight. The road ahead will be bumpy.
Another catastrophe of a civil servant, another mouthpiece trying to please, another public relations blunder, another saga exposing the weaknesses of Adama and Ousainou, really another justifiable reason to kick their corrupt and ineffectual bodies and minds out of office at the end of three years.
Standard practice would have been to have a clarication from the spokesperson of the government before a ministry makes such a scathing statement.
My advice to Adama will be to merge the press section in the office of the president with the office of the spokesperson into one for the remaining period of his three year term.
First and foremost, that has the potential to streamline the outbound flow of official central government information.
Second, it will cut cost; either Ebrima or Amie will have to go. The assistants that are necessary to maintain to get the job done could be retained and the rest relieved.
Finally, it could be a starting point to design and roll out a new government communication strategy in all the three branches.
_______________________
Ebrima is a disappointment to people who has followed his online newspaper during the days of Yaya. One could have hardly foreseen the sychophant he has morphed into. Sadly, the moment his pen touches paper to defend this government and its lazy and clueless operatives, he does more damage than good. Ebrima’s writings smirk of arrogance, anger and a condescending undertone towards people whom he believe are up to no good. He is wrecking damage on Adama’s reputation which is already in tatters.
_______________________
Amie Bojang is still living in the coalition honeymoon. She could not distinguish the wind that brought Adama to power from the wind that’s about to sweep him away.
.. “Therefore, if the initial press release purported to have emanated from the Presidency had cast doubts as to the state of the Faraba Banta case, it is deeply regrettable”. This is a direct quote from the Gambia Government’s Spokesman Ebrima G. Sankareh on the matter of the Press Release from the President’s office announcing the “Discontinuation of the Faraba Banta” Case that was and may be still before the Courts. If the Spokesman for the President’s office cannot definitively and without equivocation inform the Gambian Public about the origin of the Press Release, may be the President should do so and then evaluate if he is being served by those designated to carryout such duties and or tasks on his and the Gambian Governments behest. This is by means an attempt to blame the “Messenger (s)”. It may very well be that, there are either a case of “too many cooks spoiling the broth”, as in too many “mouth pieces” speaking for the President and therefore, the Gambia government. Or is it a case of the President being out “politiked” and set up by very insidious insiders who have had an eye to the Presidency for decades and are trying to move from their current parallel parked spot (at least in their and their supporters’ thoughts), one heart beat from the Presidency, who want to discredit President Barrow by painting him as an authoritarian and despotic President with little knowledge of the Constitution or governance. The plot thickens and the one varible that is very much undisputed is, that while the drip, drip of internal conflicts and power struggle between former Comrades intensifies both directly and through their Proxies, the Gambians and Gambia get further and further from achieving the Stability, Security, Sustained Economic, Political and Human development capacity needed to lift its citizens from the crushing pooverty and daily hardship of making a living to feed, cloth, educate and house ones family. Personal ambition, ethonocentrism and greed have taken over the need to sacrifice and commit as well as dedicate oneself to SERVE THE GAMBIA AND GAMBIANS at a time when She needs us all to be more Self-giving of our selves and less Self-serving. Stop the sabotaging of each other and put your energy toward the Building of a Gambia we will all be Proud to of and call our home with Pride. Let us begin forthwith…PS: To those I might have offended, be reassured that it is not my intention to offend, but to be honest about my viewpoint.
Sidi, come to the point. Are you really trying to tell us that Darboe controls the president’s press officials, the justice minister’s statements and the Gov’t spokesperson (Sankareh)?
At least your comments “politiked by insidious insiders” try to imply that.
If that is the literal meaning of your comment, do you exonerate the president , the press secretary office of the presidential, the justice and the Gov’t spokesperson of any blame or responsibility?
I am very curious about what you mean really.
Sidi,
Come to the point. Do you want us to believe that Darboe personally edit the president’s own press secretary’s press release or that he asked justice minister to downplay the press release from the president’s office or that he asked Sankareh to set the records straight?
The implications of your comment inducing that “insidious insiders” allegedly steered by “people who want to be president but failed in the past”, is mindboggling if you fail to authoritatively give a convincing account why you came to that conclusion.
If you expect high standard from the current leadership, I think it is also only correct that your own criticism are based on facts not on imaginations.