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  By Sheriff Saidykhan   Educator, Philosopher, Revolutionary, Sheick Amadou Bamba was/is regarded as one of the founding pioneers of Islam in West Africa. His times and era were during the period when modernity, and race for wealth was beginning to impinge on the lives of Muslims by the French in Senegal, West Africa.  Revered by many as one of the greatest Saint's in Africa. He was born in 1853 in the village of Mbackè Baol. His parents; Morr Anta Sall and Mam Jarra Busso were all Islamic scholars. Mamine Mahram Mbackè, his grandfather was the founder of Mbackè. His father was a Qadi and also a Fiqh adviser.  He is widely credited for establishing a linked with the Muslims in southern Mauritania.  His mother, who taught him the early education of Islamic knowledge, also played an important role by exposing and teaching him the thematic areas of “Nahw”Arabic grammar, “Sarf” morphology and “Balàgha” rhetoric.  Plus telling him the stories of the Prophet...

  Image: Domestic workers being illegally advertised for sale or rent |Times Newspapers reports how “ Maids are trafficked and sold to wealthy Saudis on black market ”| By Shayma Bakht, Riyadh She will work day and night and does not need rest, boasts Noura, a housewife in Riyadh. Gesturing to the cowering Ugandan maid next to her, who is 23 according to Noura, she adds: “If she does something wrong, you just send her to her room and do not let her out.” Noura, who clutches gold Gucci sunglasses as she bargains for a price of £3,500 for the maid, is eager for a quick deal when she talks to an undercover Times reporter. “I can take her to your home tonight,” she says. “If you are still unsure, no problem, you can rent her instead . . . But tell me now, because by tomorrow someone else will buy her.” Noura advertised the domestic worker   on Haraj.sa, Saudi Arabia’s largest online marketplace, through which a Times investigation shows that hundreds of domestic workers are being ...

Image: Dave Manneh By Dave Manneh and Abdoukarim Sanneh for The Brufut Land Restitution Secretariat    Mr Njie,             You gave a lecture on “conscience” - the other week. We learned about it late but hope you will accept our excuse for coming to the party a little late.    You are keeping up the pretences - we see.    Despite familiarity with the fairy-tale of the genesis of your wealth, we watched the “lecture” with an open mind. We had assumed with time your conscience and moral fibre would have been fortified - thus ennobling you to admit your errors and make amends.    You were in scintillating form - and captivated your impressionable audience - no doubt. You looked resplendent in that colourful and flowing Nyetti Abdu. The crown-like perching of the Aboki hat on your head added a certain symbolic paradox to your sartorial choice. Crowned emperor of [fill-in-the-gaps]! Perhaps? ...

  ECOWAS CONDEMNS COUP PLOT IN THE GAMBIA The Commission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS Commission) has received with utter dismay and shock the news of an attempted coup in the Gambia.  ECOWAS Commission strongly condemns the attempt to overthrow the democratically elected government of the Gambia and underscores ECOWAS total rejection of all unconstitutional change of government in any member State. ECOWAS Commission salutes the leadership and personnel of the Gambia security services for their adherence to their constitutional role and for foiling this illegal plot. ECOWAS Commission stands firmly by the democratically elected government of the Gambia and once again reiterates its total condemnation of the attempted coup plot. Abuja, 21 December 2022

   | Survey Shows The Health Benefits of Coffee Editorial    In recent times, many held a customary  viewpoint that caffeinated coffee has for the past decades contributed to pneumonia, and many allied health problems. Scientific researchers have linked many health benefits of drinking caffeinated coffee.   Peter Rogers, at the University of Bristol in United kingdom (UK) says “people who consume coffee may simply have better underlying health than people who choose not to”.  Marc Gunter, head of nutrition and metabolism at the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) published a research in 2017 on drinking habits of coffee.  His observational findings indicates that those who drink more coffee had a lower risk of dying from heart disease and  cancer, compared to people who didn’t take coffee at all.  Coffee consumers have longer protective health than none coffee consumers. Also, coffee has a significant connection to co...

Modou Sowe The Gambian environmentalist and Executive Director of the Gambia Association for Nature and Biodiversity Modou Sowe has been fired 10 days after he left for COP 15 Part 2 in Canada. The decision was made in a Board Meeting and announced in a Press Conference by the Chairperson of the Board of Directors.  According to the Chairperson of the Board of Directors of GANB Mrs Fatou Jallow, the decision was made at a Board Meeting. Speaking to the press, Mrs Jallow said this is one of the most difficult decisions of the institution because Modou is irreplaceable, however, the decision is made to protect the institution’s reputation as its funds and partners are not happy with the present role of the Executive Director in protecting the Monkey Park at Bijilo.  We have engaged him in dialogues to desist away from such activities but his commitment to the protection of nature is beyond our control, however, we as an institution need to protect our source of funding for susta...

  By Sheriff Saidykhan  Gambia Participates (GP) a civil society organization set up to investigate corruption in The Gambia has said in its statement marking the international Anti-corruption Day that anti-corruption efforts progressing at a snail's pace in The Gambia.  Gambia Participates  has join the rest of the world to commemorate the international Anti-corruption  Day held on Friday 9, December 2022.  The day is set aside to raise awareness against corruption, and to device measures geared towards combating it globally.  In its statements on Twitter Gambia Participates has observed that anti-corruption efforts still progressing at a snail's pace in The Gambia.  “We would like to reiterate the slow anti-corruption efforts in The Gambia. One of the key missing puzzles in the Gambia's transitional justice process is anti-corruption legislation and government-led action-oriented efforts to prevent, detect and sanction corruption acts” the state...

  By Sheriff Saidykhan Imam Bakawsu Fofana, the renowned Islamic scholar has called on African leaders to fight and eradicate hunger, amid the price hike of basic commodities in the markets. He made these remarks on Friday in his sermon at Casamance. “I am calling the African leaders, including President Macky Sall of Senegal, President Adama Barrow of The Gambia and Umaro Sissoco Embaló President of Guinea Bissau to fight and eradicate hunger as the way coronavirus was defeated,” he said.  He further urged African government's to bring economic experts in their various countries, and chart ways geared towards eradicating hunger.  “I am urging them to bring economic experts together, and critically look at the economy and device ways to end inflation and eradicate hunger,” he urged.   African leaders and ministers need to cut their salaries, this he said will create employment and enhance the living conditions of people.  “The salaries of President's can pa...

        By Sheriff Saidykhan The independent aspirant for the upcoming local government election in 2023 has unveiled his plans for the Chairmanship of Brikama Area Council (BAC). Ibrahim JS Sanneh, has urged his supporters to vote for him saying he is the only candidate with sound policies for the development of the West Coast Region. He made these remarks in an interview with The Outpost Media at his residence in Brikama. “I have plans to unite the members of the council in order to archive our collective goals, expand the markets and build store, provide storage facilities for women vendors, drill boreholes and empower women gardeners, build proper drainage systems, provide as many as possible trash bins and waste trucks to keep the environments clean and healthy, scholarships for the underprivileged, youths and women empowerment, promoting health, sports and musicians within the west coast region,” he posited. Poised to run under an independent ticket, this he be...