By Own Correspondent – The Gambia will be among countries affected by British government plans to cut aid to 16 countries by 2016. British Secretary of State for International Development Andrew Mitchell on Tuesday announced major changes to the nation’s international aid programme based on a nine-month review of the agency’s policies, Reuters reported. “This government is taking a radically different approach to aid. We want to be judged on our results, not on how much money we are spending,” Mitchell said of the changes to the aid programme. The government plans on cutting funds for 16 countries and four U.N. agencies,... Continue Reading
By Own Correspondent – The Secretary General of the National Council of Seyfolu, Chief Lamin ST Jammeh of Upper Niumi district, has declared that the Gambia as a sovereign country belongs to the Gambian people, and whatever form or structure it takes, in terms of governance, has to be designed and implemented by the Gambian people. Chief Jammeh, who is the spokesperson of the council, made these comments to the press when representatives of the council paid a courtesy call on the Speaker of the National Assembly Hon. Abdoulie Bojang Wednesday. His comments came following a recent nationwide tour the... Continue Reading
By Nawa Mutumweno – The National Airports Corporation Limited (NACL) is to invest $10 million in full body scanners at all its airports to curb illegal drug trafficking. According to NACL managing director Robinson Misitala, each scanner costs about $1 million and once purchased will help reduce the incidences of drug trafficking. The company also needs additional funds to purchase drug trace detectors and sniffer dogs. “We need to legislate and approve the use of the full body scanners at all entry and exit points if we are to reduce on drug trafficking cases,” Mr Misitala said. He was speaking... Continue Reading
By Ohemeng Tawiah – Thousands of teachers in Ghana have been demonstrating in protest against what they see as appalling discrepancies in their salaries following their migration onto a new salary structure, the Single Spine Salary Structure. The teachers started raising red flags after they visited the banks across the country to withdraw their first salary which begins on March 1. But their high expectations of receiving fat salaries were cut shot despite been migrated onto the single spine pay platform. The Fair Wages and Salary Commission, the office responsible for calculating and determining salaries of government employees had earlier... Continue Reading
By Nangayi Guyson – Cairo – Egypt’s Prime Minister Ahmed Shafiq resigned on Thursday and the military asked a former transport minister to form a new government which pro-democracy activists hope will be purged of Hosni Mubarak’s old guard, the army said in a statement on its Facebook page. Mr Shafiq was appointed days before President Hosni Mubarak was forced out of office following days of anti-government protests. Protesters saw Mr Shafiq as too closely associated to Mr Mubarak’s rule, observers say. One Shafiq aide said appointing Essam Sharaf prime minister was timed to defuse calls for another mass demonstration... Continue Reading
