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Momodou
Denmark
11785 Posts |
 Posted - 11 Mar 2011 : 13:23:36
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164 Gambians return from Libya
By Bekai Njie
A total of 164 Gambians, mainly youths, Thursday afternoon arrived at the Banjul International Airport from Libya.
They were evacuated from the strife-torn North African nation through the efforts of the government of The Gambia, which committed D20 million through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Gambians Abroad to ensure that all Gambians in Libya who wish to come back home, can do so safely. Upon their arrival, it was confirmed that only five returnees suffered minor injures as a result of the unrest in Libya.
Addressing the returnees at the Banjul International Airport shortly after they arrival, Dr. Momodou Tangara, the minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Gambians Abroad reiterated Gambia government’s unreserved commitment in ensuring that Gambians in Libya return home in good condition. He thanked President Jammeh and the entire government for the bold action taken to ensure the safe return of the Gambian citizens. He told the returnees that this challenge has taught them a lesson that would barely be forgotten, and pointed out that those countries they had been to were also developed by their own citizens. He then urged them to join their fellow youths in the country and develop the nation.
Minister Tangara also urged the returnees to thank the government for the unprecedented commitment that had been taken to repatriate them back home safely. Dr Njogu Lamin Bah, the secretary general and head of the Civil Service also reaffirmed government’s commitment in this initiative, noting that the president has tasked the ministers to ensure that Gambians in Libya arrive back home safely. He disclosed that the government had spent D20 million for the Gambians in Libya to come back home, stressing that it is a very huge sum.
He told the returnees to understand that government has a lot of other thing to render and that it is because of the enormous love the president has for the citizens; and also because of the war in the North African country that all efforts were made to bring them back home. He said: “Our aim is to see that you arrive safely in your country of origin and it is exactly what we have seen.”
Bah reminded the returnees that the country belongs to all and urged them to cultivate a new sense of hard work and join other Gambians in nation building. He stated that wealth is given by Allah and that they (returnees) when going to search for it do not know what would happen. “Therefore, you can equally be here and make yourselves rich provided you work hard,” he said, while urging them to thank the government and leave everything in the hands of Allah. ASP Ensa Jawara, the public relations officer of The Gambia Immigration Department confirmed the number of Gambians that returned. He disclosed that the flight will go back to Tripoli with a rescue team again to repatriate other Gambians willing to come back home.
Ordeal
Some of the returnees who spoke to Daily Observer explained how they ended up in Libya, as well as the ordeal they went through when the current conflict erupted. They disclosed that they were among immigrants who were seeking to enter Europe for greener pastures, but ended up in Libya. They all commended the government of The Gambia for the bold action taken to ensure that they return home safely. The returnees also appealed to the government for more effort so that Gambians still in Libya can return home safely.
They also praised the Senegal Embassy in Tripoli for the assistance it rendered to them. According to them, they were sleeping and taking their daily meals at the Senegal Embassy these past weeks while efforts were underway by the Gambia government to evacuate them. One Lamin Danjo, who was residing in Tripoli said they were attacked by unknown individuals, among them a man with a cutlass who inflicted injuries on three of them. Some others said they were raided and robbed of their valuable belongings during the unrest.
Source: Daily Observer
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A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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toubab1020
12314 Posts |
Posted - 11 Mar 2011 : 14:37:16
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Well,that's very good,I cannot understand though why there was no mention of:
"the efforts of the government of The Gambia, which committed D20 million through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Gambians Abroad to ensure that all Gambians in Libya who wish to come back home, can do so safely."
It does seem very odd that such expendature by a country was not publised prior to stranded Gambians returning home.One would have thought that such a humanitarian gesture to its citizens by a politically aware administration would have been headlines before this. |
"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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Sister Omega
United Kingdom
2085 Posts |
Posted - 12 Mar 2011 : 18:44:54
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It's great news that these people were rescued from Libya and at least a lot of worried Gambian families will have a better peace of mind knowing that their loved ones are alive and well.
Peace
Sister Omega |
Peace
Sister Omega |
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Nyarikangbanna
United Kingdom
1382 Posts |
Posted - 12 Mar 2011 : 19:09:05
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Many more have refused to return despite being in harms way thanks to the human rights, economic and governance situation back home, The Gambia.
In my view, D20Million for 164 returnees is not value for money. Again, the taxpayers' money is not being well spent. It looks like Nasiiru Dean's spending binge is unstoppable. Meanwhile, the deficit is growing and more of our national income is going on to servicing debt rather than growing the productive sectors of the economy and improving the provision of essential social services like health and education.
Thanks
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I do not oppose unity but I oppose dumb union. |
Edited by - Nyarikangbanna on 12 Mar 2011 19:43:48 |
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Momodou
Denmark
11785 Posts |
Posted - 12 Mar 2011 : 19:21:17
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| A second plane also arrived yesterday with more than 170 which includes families. |
A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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Nyarikangbanna
United Kingdom
1382 Posts |
Posted - 12 Mar 2011 : 19:31:07
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That makes a better reading then but where is the proof? I haven't seen that reported anywhere in the media.
Thanks |
I do not oppose unity but I oppose dumb union. |
Edited by - Nyarikangbanna on 12 Mar 2011 19:42:40 |
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Karamba
United Kingdom
3820 Posts |
Posted - 12 Mar 2011 : 20:11:54
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Many of those youthful Gambians who REFUSED returning to Gambia in the face of deadly threats to their life are running from Yaya Jammeh's horrible vampire reign of terror. They would choose to die in that way than going to face the vampire Yaya Jammeh.
What a horror state of affairs in Gambia! Yaya Jammeh has no spines to feel the bad pain he is inflicting on Gambian society. |
Karamba |
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Momodou
Denmark
11785 Posts |
Posted - 12 Mar 2011 : 20:50:01
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quote:
Originally posted by Nyarikangbanna
That makes a better reading then but where is the proof? I haven't seen that reported anywhere in the media.
Thanks
Wait for next Monday's media reports or watch yesterday's (11-03-2011) GRTS news at www.raaki.com. |
A clear conscience fears no accusation - proverb from Sierra Leone |
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Nyarikangbanna
United Kingdom
1382 Posts |
Posted - 12 Mar 2011 : 22:10:33
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Ok. I suppose we can then work out how much is spent as per head to determine whether the tax payers' money is well spent. You and I can form a tax payers alliance then, can't we? A watchdog to monitor government spending visa-vi value.
Thanks |
I do not oppose unity but I oppose dumb union. |
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toubab1020
12314 Posts |
Posted - 12 Mar 2011 : 22:38:17
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Nyarikangbanna,you know that when something is urgent and has to be done in a hurry the price goes up,especially if you have to charter a plane to go into a war zone,whether or not rescuing these people is value for money dosn't come into it,in this case the politics have been played for the good of the nation and citizens,so the administration have gained points.
Assuming that the reports are accurate. |
"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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Sister Omega
United Kingdom
2085 Posts |
Posted - 12 Mar 2011 : 23:02:31
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Rubbish Karamba, a lot of these youth weren't running away from the Gambian state they left Gambia in pursuit of money to make a fortune return home and become millonaires. Of course the rescue mission was of value for money. How much money Nyari do you put on peoples lives?
Peace
Sister Omega |
Peace
Sister Omega |
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Karamba
United Kingdom
3820 Posts |
Posted - 13 Mar 2011 : 02:46:06
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Sister Omega,
What is your proof that these hard-hit citizens are not running away from the monster of Kanilai?
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Karamba |
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Nyarikangbanna
United Kingdom
1382 Posts |
Posted - 13 Mar 2011 : 11:11:14
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quote:
Originally posted by toubab1020
Nyarikangbanna,you know that when something is urgent and has to be done in a hurry the price goes up,especially if you have to charter a plane to go into a war zone,whether or not rescuing these people is value for money dosn't come into it,in this case the politics have been played for the good of the nation and citizens,so the administration have gained points.
Assuming that the reports are accurate.
This may be true in general terms but not in the case of the Gambia. The President has two planes sitting on the tarmac and waiting to ferry Madam Jammeh to her shopping spree destinations in Europe and America. You telling me that those aircrafts can't be used to evacute returnees from Libya thereby making cost to the tax payer minimal? I don't think so. If so much can be spent to maintain those planes- from the national coffers- for the near exclusive usage of Madam Jammeh, what better use can we think of these planes than the air lifting of Libyan returnees?
I am currently recruiting members for my Tax payers' Alliance. I urgue you to join me.
Thanks
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I do not oppose unity but I oppose dumb union. |
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Nyarikangbanna
United Kingdom
1382 Posts |
Posted - 13 Mar 2011 : 11:19:24
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quote:
Originally posted by Sister Omega
Rubbish Karamba, a lot of these youth weren't running away from the Gambian state they left Gambia in pursuit of money to make a fortune return home and become millonaires. Of course the rescue mission was of value for money. How much money Nyari do you put on peoples lives?
Peace
Sister Omega
We want to know how much is actually spent on the mission and how much is gone into individual pockets. This government is not credible and has a propensity of sexing-up figures as a cover for their self enrichment drive.
Thanks
Tax Payers' Alliance
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I do not oppose unity but I oppose dumb union. |
Edited by - Nyarikangbanna on 13 Mar 2011 11:23:28 |
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Sister Omega
United Kingdom
2085 Posts |
Posted - 13 Mar 2011 : 11:32:03
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Why don't you do the maths by finding how much it costs to charter a plane to Libya and then pay the relevant fares for 234 people in a crisis.
Then once you've done the maths then you'll know whether it was money well spent. No doubt these people and or their families are Gambian Tax Payers and know that the money spent was valuable per money and was much less than what they had to pay Human Traffickers to take them to Libya in the first place.
Peace
Sister Omega
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Peace
Sister Omega |
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toubab1020
12314 Posts |
Posted - 13 Mar 2011 : 13:09:02
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I do not know the capacity of those planes but I suspect that it is a LOT smaller than the planes that did the job for 234 Gambians.(sister O's figures)
quote:
Originally posted by Nyarikangbanna
quote:
Originally posted by toubab1020
Nyarikangbanna,you know that when something is urgent and has to be done in a hurry the price goes up,especially if you have to charter a plane to go into a war zone,whether or not rescuing these people is value for money dosn't come into it,in this case the politics have been played for the good of the nation and citizens,so the administration have gained points.
Assuming that the reports are accurate.
This may be true in general terms but not in the case of the Gambia. The President has two planes sitting on the tarmac and waiting to ferry Madam Jammeh to her shopping spree destinations in Europe and America. You telling me that those aircrafts can't be used to evacute returnees from Libya thereby making cost to the tax payer minimal? I don't think so. If so much can be spent to maintain those planes- from the national coffers- for the near exclusive usage of Madam Jammeh, what better use can we think of these planes than the air lifting of Libyan returnees?
I am currently recruiting members for my Tax payers' Alliance. I urgue you to join me.
Thanks
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"Simple is good" & I strongly dislike politics. You cannot defend the indefensible.
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Edited by - toubab1020 on 13 Mar 2011 13:10:53 |
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