INAUGURAL ADDRESS OF H.E. ADAMA BARROW PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE GAMBIA 19th January 2017

President Adama Barrow

Fellow Gambians and friends of The Gambia, I am humbled to stand before you to address the whole world on this historic occasion. This is a day no Gambian will ever forget in one’s life time. This is the first time since The Gambia became Independent in 1965 that Gambians have  change their government through the ballot box.

I must take this opportunity to thank the entire electorate of the Gambia and Gambians in the Diaspora for making this day possible.

I thank the entire campaign team of Coalition 2016 and the stakeholders for putting aside their political differences to unite us for the national interest.  

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, allow me to register special appreciation to Her Excellency Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, President of Liberia, and the Chairperson of Authority of Heads of States of ECOWAS, for her personal commitment and tireless efforts towards resolving the political crises in The Gambia. The sam sentiment goes to H ;EMuhammadou Buhari, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, H.E Ernest Bai Koroma, President of the Republic of Sierra Leone and H.E John Draman Mahama, former President of Ghana.

I must also express profound gratitude to ECOWAS, AU, the Security Council of the United Nations and all friendly nations who stood by us during our time of greatest need. 

President-elect Barrow welcomes Jammeh’s move to peaceful dialogue

President-elect Adama Barrow

The office of the president-elect Adama Barrow has welcomed the outgoing President Jammeh’s recent move calling for a peaceful dialogue with the coalition party, saying, ‘is done at the right time’.

This statement came after the incumbent gave a televised speech on Tuesday calling for peaceful dialogue and also appointing of Musa Jallow as Secretary General & Minister of Presidential Affairs and Mediator General between the APRC Government and the Coalition.

The office of the President-elect Barrow is of the view that dialogue is necessary to reach mutual understanding on the peaceful way forward.

His words: “The Office of the President Elect is now waiting for the initiatives of the Secretary General who is appointed Mediator General of the Government.” 

According to him, the decision to release those arrested in connection with political matters and the commitment not to effect new arrests are steps in the right direction.

Office of President-Elect Barrow calls on Gambians to attend January 19th Inauguration

Halifa Sallah Coalition Spokesperson

The office of the president-Elect, Adama Barrow has once again issued a statement calling for the general mobilization of the people to attend the inauguration ceremony on 19^th January, 2017.

Giving an update on the country’s current political situation, the statement highlighted that the office of the president-elect stands by the principle that Adama Barrow’s Election as President of the Republic of The Gambia stands and as such is calling on Gambians to come out for the Inauguration.

It further adds that, “The status and outcome of an Election petition are unknown and indeterminable before the completion of any court process and should therefore be regarded as a peripheral issue which should not hamper any preparation for the inauguration.”

EXCERPTS OF THE STATEMENT:

STATEMENT FROM THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT-ELECT AS UPDATE ON THE CURRENT POLITICAL SITUATION

8^th JANUARY 2017

The office of President Elect Barrow wishes to convey the assurance of its highest esteem to Ex–President John Dramani Mahama for demonstrating the political will to uphold the verdict of the Ghanaian people, after losing the 7^th December 2016 pollsby handing over Executive power to President Nana Akufo Addo in a peaceful manner within the 30 day transition provided by the Ghanaian Constitution. This is the Democratic culture of peaceful transfer of Executive power that is being nurtured in the member states of ECOWAS.

ECOWAS Heads of State Summit: FAO and ECOWAS promote initiative toward achieving Zero Hunger Challenge

Agricultural growth and transformation must fully benefit and empower women

Bukar Tijani, FAO Assistant Director-General

16 December 2016, Accra - FAO and ECOWAS have demonstrated strong commitment towards meeting the Zero Hunger Challenge in the West Africa region by implementing a joint project on gender-responsive regional and National Agricultural Investment Plans (NAIPs) for meeting the Zero Hunger Challenge in the ECOWAS region. 

The project responds in concrete terms to women’s constraints, needs and priorities in agricultural production, value chain development, food security and nutrition.

One Health technical and ministerial meeting opens in Dakar

Implementing One Health initiative in West Africa on zoonotic diseases and related public health threats

 

8 November 2016, Dakar – The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), jointly with other international and regional partners, promotes a holistic and multidisciplinary approach to advocate for the much needed One Health initiative in the West African region.

 

For FAO, the One Health approach is a prerequisite for ensuring public and animal health security, building agro-ecological resilience, protecting biodiversity, and ensuring efficient use of natural resources and the safety of food supply chains.

 

In the African context, the Ebola virus disease caused tens of thousands of deaths and negatively affected socio-economic activities of communities and countries for months from 2014 to 2016. The implementation of One Health approach is crucial now, as further evidenced by the increasing threat posed by re-emergence of the zoonotic highly pathogenic avian influenza due to H5N1 virus that is rapidly spreading in West and Central Africa with a potential to cause significant negative socio-economic impact and a major threat to public health.

 

“FAO strongly believes that the fight against animal diseases, including zoonotic emerging diseases, require tackling them at  their animal source“, said the FAO Representative a.i. in Senegal, Patrick David, at the opening of the One Health Technical and Ministerial meetings on zoonotic diseases and related public health threats (8-11 November 2016, Dakar).

 

“I believe this meeting will enable us to be a milestone in the formulation of an agenda for the effective and sustainable implementation of the One Health approach”, he added.

Malawi: SEYCOHAIDS 2012 Conference Gathers Pace

www.seycohaids.org: "We welcome you to the website of the Southern and Eastern Africa Youth Conference on HIV/AIDS and Reproductive Health Rights for Sustainable Development (SEYCOHAIDS) 2012 to be held in Lilongwe the capital of Malawi  on 6 - 8 June 2012.

"The Southern and Eastern Youth Conference on HIV /AIDS  SEYCOHAIDS 2012, is organised by Global Hope Mobilization-GLOHOMO, in a partnership  with the Malawi Government youth organizations, coalitions and networks, UN and governments working on HIV and Sexual and Reproductive Health of young people  in Africa. The SEYCOHAIDS 2012 is made up of youths from SADC, EAC, ECOWAS, COMESA and other youth networks’ such as Africa Youth for Science and Technology , Global Youth Coalition on AIDS (GYCA) and AFRIYAN

Revenue Authorities Told To Embrace West African Tax Administration

The West  African Tax  Administrartion forum (WATAF) is part of the  African Tax  Administration forum which was formally launched in Uganda on 16 November 2006 to enable  African  Tax Administrators assist each other to build capacity, share best practices, as well as exchange relevant information in order to strengthen the mobilisation of domestic revenue and significantly minimize the sub-region’s  dependency on external budgetary support to fund the governments’ development programmes, were the words of  Mr. Mambury  Njie, Minister of  Finance and Economic Affairs  at the Third meeting of the West  African Tax  Administrations Forum.

Hosted by The Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA) on March 12, 2012 at the Kairaba Beach Hotel and was attended by delegates from ECOWAS, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, South  Africa as well as local GRA Staff in Banjul.