| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Momodou |
Posted - 08 Aug 2020 : 18:58:08
REQUEST FOR URGENT ACTION AND LEADERSHIP IN COMBATING COVID-19
by civic society organizations
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His Excellency President Adama Barrow
President of the Republic of The Gambia
No 1 Anne Marie Javouhey Ave
State House
Banjul
8 August 2020 Dear Mr. President
Request for urgent action and leadership in combating COVID-19
We the signatories of this letter and supporters of the demands contained in this letter, extend our greetings and compliments to you and your entire government. We also understand that your status as per the results of the COVID 19 test, you took last week came out negative. However, many members of your cabinet and colleagues at State House have not been so fortunate. We wish them a speedy recovery.
Mr President, we are following up on a letter, we sent to you, on 10 April, 2020, signed by: Gambia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI); BPAS- Democratic Union of Gambian Activists (DUGA); Gambia Participates; Gambia Conference of Reforms and Democracy (GAMCORD); Right to Know (R2K) Gambia; The Association of Non-Governmental Organizations in the Gambia (TANGO); and Team Gom Sa Borpa.
In that letter we had appealed to your government to prioritize resource allocation to the poor, vulnerable and struggling SMEs and strategic businesses. We also proposed the introduction of systems and mechanisms to obtain data on the informal sector, like taxi drivers via the Transport Union to assist them with fuel subsidy using fuel coupon schemes, to incentivize those who adhere to the 50% passenger regulation. We went further to proposes support to SME’s/businesses affected by the economic slowdown in the form of tax and import duty rebates, access to foreign currency, concessional loans and other economic stimulants.
Added to this, the tourism sector, which has taken the greatest economic hit, needs urgent support. The Gambia Bar Restaurant and Night Club Association (G-BRANA), has made some valid and reasonable suggestions as to how the COIVD-19 funds could be utilized to support this sector. Their suggestions fell directly in line with the original proposal sent to your government, which urged you to set aside financial package of thirty million dollars for stimulating and supporting venerable sectors of the economy. We had at the time, not mentioned the priority that needed to be given to the health workers, because that was taken as a given. An obvious focus that did not need to be stated. Nevertheless, it is now evident that we under estimated the need to state the obvious. As a result, we are once again enjoining you to refocus on your COVID response strategy, and consider the plight of the frontline workers, SMEs, and the hotel industry, which has been decimated due to your government’s poor response to the COVID-19.
Frontline workers:
Since the pandemic started, one colleague has died, and more than a hundred frontline workers have been infected. The infections, and possibly the deaths, could have been prevented had the staff been adequately protected, and had the working conditions been conducive to shield them from fatigue, and unnecessary exposure in the line of duty.
The current situation is very worrying. Infected healthcare workers that are under supervised quarantine rarely have access to a doctor. Most do not receive medication. More concerning still is the sad fact that health workers have not received their salaries, and allowances, despite lofty promises, and astronomical figures being bandied about of funds earmarked for the COVID-19 Relief. We have also learned, with utter dismay that, 10,000 medical masks, 1000 N95 respiratory masks, 100 protective suits, 100 safety goggles, 79 infrared thermometers and 15 sewing machines, which were gifts from a province in China, had been diverted from the health sector to the Office of the First Lady.
We are concerned by the ill-advised actions of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, to bypass the health sector, and instead, deliver these vital items, we so desperately need in the sector, to the First Lady.
We demand answers, as to why and how, was this allowed to happen under your watch, during the deadliest pandemic this country has ever known.
Our demands:
• We urge you to face the nation, and speak to us, within the next 72 hours, as to the next steps to be taken by your government in dealing with this stage of the pandemic, as well as steps being taken to address our urgent requests below. It is inappropriate, and unacceptable to leave such a responsibility of steering such a response to your spokespersons.
• We request a report from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to why he handed over the PPEs to the office of the first lady and what she did with the PPEs, and evidence of who she gave these PPEs to, as well as who involved.
• We request a full medical package to be accorded to front line workers, and any healthcare worker that contracts COVID-19 the in the line of duty.
• There should be basic medication available at treatment facilities for front line workers and a doctor should be attached to these facilities to attend to the health needs of healthcare workers while under treatment. A doctor should review each healthcare worker under treatment at least every two or three days and be provided with the required medication where necessary.
• Provision of daily allowance for front line health workers as well as equal payment for frontline workers be effected immediately.
• The ministry should have a distinct criteria of levels of risk, and categories of front line workers in its workforce.
• The ministry should communicate such criteria and categories to the frontline workers by making such criteria public.
• The ministry needs to rethink its modus operandi, and adopt best practices, to ensure optimal, effective and efficient deployment of the talent, abilities and experiences of health workers.
• We request the daily allowance of a minimum of D750 be paid to us.
• The MoH needs to provide adequate accommodation to frontline responders, especially those who are exposed to infected patients.
The country has now been visited by the inevitable surge of the COVID 19 Pandemic. We have surpassed the 600 mark of active cases. The death toll has risen exponentially. The economy has taken a battering, as the unemployment rate in the seasonal sectors, like the hospitality industry, and other mainstream sectors like SMEs have been shaken to the core. Lives and livelihoods have been destroyed, as poverty rates have spiraled out of control.
We are therefore, asking you to act, as we make these demands in the spirit of advancing our mandate as health workers, workers in the hospitality industry, CSOs and citizens of this country, with the right to fair and equal pay, right to protection from harm, and right to protect our families, communities and the country.
We are giving the Gambia government seven days, from the date of this letter to respond to our demands, failing which, we shall explore other legal and necessary means to have these demands met.
Sincerely:
Democratic Union of Gambian Activists (DUGA);
Gambia Participates;
Gambia Conference of Reforms and Democracy (GAMCORD);
The Gambia Bar Restaurant and Night Club Association (G-BRANA);
Right to Know (R2K) Gambia;
The Association of Non-Governmental Organizations in the Gambia (TANGO); Team Gom Sa Borpa
Cc: Vice President and Head of the National Security Council
Speaker, National Assembly
Attorney General and Minister of Justice
Chief Justice
Secretary General and Head of Civil Service
The Ombudsman
Chairman, National Assembly Select Committee on Health
Majority Leader, National Assembly
Minority Leader, National Assembly
Minister of Health
Minister of Tourism and Culture
Minister of Finance and Economic Affairs
PS, Personal Management Office
Inspector General of Police
Head, Department of Labour
President, Gambia Workers Union President, The Gambia Bar Association
President, The Gambia Press UnionDiplomatic and Consular Corps
AU Advisory Board on Corruption- Hon. Begoto Miarom
African Commission for Human and Peoples’ Rights- Commissioner Jasmina Essie King
AU Commissioner for Political Affairs H.E. Minata Samate Cessouma
ECOWAS Commission- H.E. Jean-Claude Brou
European Union Ambassador- H.E. Attila Lajos
IMF Resident Representative for The Gambia- H.E. Ruby E. M. Randall
UN Resident Representative- H.E. Aissata De
UNESCO Director-General- Mme. Audrey Azoulay
US Ambassador the United States of America to the Republic of The Gambia- H.E. Richard Paschal
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| 2 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| toubab1020 |
Posted - 12 Aug 2020 : 09:22:10
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https://standard.gm/civil-society-petitions-assembly-to-act-against-covid-19-executive-flaws/
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By Tabora Bojang August 11, 2020
A consortium of civil society organisations has petitioned the National Assembly to take urgent steps and perform its oversight duties by bringing order to a #8220;fragmented and dangerous situation#8221;resulting in the death of people and a crumbling health system.
#8220;We are calling on the National Assembly Members to request for an urgent convening of an extraordinary session of the full house through Section 98 subsection 1(a)(ii) of the Constitution and Section 11(3)(c) of the Standing Orders. The country is in crisis, and the National Assembly must take urgent steps and perform its oversight duties by bringing order to a fragmented and dangerous situation, where people are needlessly dying, due to the ineffective, and poor COVID-19 response strategy employed by the Executive. The National Assembly must request that principles and practice of accountability, efficiency, effectiveness and transparency are applied by the Executive as to the management of the COVID-19 response,#8221; the petition stated.
They argued that The Gambia Government is not providing the #8220;necessary and quality leadership and management for the effective and efficient#8221; containment of COVID-19.
They demanded, among others the National Assembly request President Barrow to address the house on the current health disaster in the country, investigate reasons and circumstances of poor quality of leadership from the executive in the fight against COVID 19, demand transparency and accountability for the financial and material resources approved by the National Assembly as well as determine if these resources were efficiently, effectively and judiciously utilized.
The petition also called on the lawmakers to appraise the state of COVID-19 prevalence in The Gambia and determine what steps are required to contain it and to further determine if the current response by the Ministry of Health and other sectors is adequate to contain COVID-19.
#8220;We are concerned by the unresponsiveness of the Executive arm of the State. The lack of leadership to steer a response that inspires confidence is worrying. At a time when the nation should be looking up to the President of the Republic for leadership, we found him grossly wanting as he remains absent and silent. Furthermore, we have noted that huge amount of financial resources provided to the Government from local and international sources as well as generous donations of health related materials from diverse sources.
However, it is evident that the purpose and utility for which these colossal resources were meant, has not been attained, nor benefited their intended targets. Personal Protection Equipment (PPEs) that should be available to frontline workers that need them most to save lives, and help medicate the sick, have been denied such supplies. The provision of allowances to frontline workers are not fully paid, while testing services are severely hampered by lack of constant supply of electricity at the National Public Health Laboratory.#8221;
The petitioners alleged that these issues and #8220;concerns are coming against the backdrop of billions of dalasi#8221; that have already been disbursed to the Government.
#8220;In this regard, the foremost national institution with the right authority and powers to demand accountability and transparency from the Executive are Honorable Members, through the august body you belong, and with power of the people you represent. Both the Constitution and the Standing Orders empower a Member to cause a sitting of the Assembly if a quarter of NAMs endorse the request. We therefore wish that you would undertake the necessary actions and as well invoke the necessary provisions for an urgent sitting of the National Assembly.#8221; |
| toubab1020 |
Posted - 12 Aug 2020 : 09:17:15
Dear Reader you will have noticed today that the various departments of the administration have been VERY BUSY and produced results
could it be that this has been brought about by the communication above?
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