Fact check: is report on Barrow’s property ownership in Senegal true?

Claim: Senegalese investigative journalist Pape Ale Niang says incumbent Adama Barrow, tourism minister Hamat Bah own property in SenegalSource: Widely circulated on social mediaVerdict: false  Gambians are heading to polls on December 4, and campaigns on what is a competition of 6 candidates for country’s top job has begun on November 9. Personal attacks, misinformation and disinformation increases with rising political tension.  In the last few weeks, a widely circulated message on social media and WhatsApp claims a Senegalese journalists Pape Ale Niang said incumbent Adama Barrow and his tourism minister Hamat Bah had procured properties in Senegal.  Claim A widely circulated information attributed...

November 9, 2021Election Hub, Factchecking
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Fact Check: Coalition Sacks All Non-Mandinkas From Top Gov’t Jobs

Claim: The coalition gov’t sacked non-Mandinkas from top gov’t jobs Source: Ex-leader Yahya Jammeh Verdict: The claim is false. Since Jammeh left for exile in Equatorial Guinea in January 2017, he has kept a low profile. That changed recently. After the Gambian leader Adama Barrow visited home village of Kanilai, few days after his party signed a coalition agreement with Jammeh’s Alliance for Patriotic Reorientation and Construction party, Jammeh called his first rally in Kanilai. He distanced himself from Barrow, and a faction of his party that signed an alliance with him, causing in split in APRC. Jammeh’s faction of APRC later joined the Gambia Democratic...

November 8, 2021Election Hub, Factchecking
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Factcheck: are executives orders/directives laws?

Claim 1: Executive order (directives) is law Source: Deputy Inspector General of Police Momodou Sowe Verdict: The claim is false On November 2, a local newspaper in the country published an article quoting the deputy inspector general of police Momodou Sowe saying executive orders are law. Some observers expressed disappointment at such statement coming from a police chief. Gambia has just emerged from 22 years of dictatorship during which executive directives were frequently used by ex-president Yahya Jammeh to arrest, detained or make declarations such as turning the country into an Islamic State in 2015. (more…)

November 3, 2021Election Hub, Factchecking
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Fact Check: How Right Were Ex-President Jammeh’s Claims In His Recent Phone Call To Supporters At The Gunjur Rally?

In the last few days, Gambian social media sites were saturated with a video recording of a phone call the ex-Gambian leader Yahya Jammeh made to his supporters during a rally in Gunjur on October 23. In his address, Jammeh made several claims about developments he did in the country, that he said were destroyed by President Adama Barrow in 4 years. In this article, we look into the accuracy of those claims.   Claim 1: The 2016 election was rigged Source: Ex-president Yahya Jammeh Verdict: Inaccurate Claim President Barrow took over or assumed power after defeating Jammeh at the polls in 2016. The former President rejected the election results,...

October 31, 2021Election Hub, Factchecking
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Explainer: data shows maternal death takes a downwards trend

In recent weeks, the mainstream and social media have been saturated with news on maternal death at the various health facilities in The Gambia. The news generated fear, apprehension and concern from the public, leading to a number of protests, both online and on the streets.  It also triggered debates about the risk associated with childbirth at public health facilities. Dr Musa Marena, a gynecologist, is the head of the health ministry’s unit responsible for maternal health. “We are receiving reports that some people are avoiding the [public] health centers and hospitals because of fear that it is not safe to deliver in these...

October 12, 2021Factchecking
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Fact-Check: Was President Barrow’s Remarks About The Banjul Rehabilitation Project ‘Entirely’ Correct?

Claim 1: The contractor of the Banjul Rehabilitation Project requested to be paid in Dalasi Source: President Adama Barrow Verdict: The claim is false One of the flagship infrastructure projects undertaken by the administration of President Adama Barrow is the US$36 million Banjul Rehabilitation Project. The single-sourced project was criticized for flouting basic procurement regulations. Claim In his recent interview on QTV’s State of Affairs programme, the Gambian leader claimed the contractor of the project, Haddim Gai, requested to be paid in dalasi while submitting his proposals to him at State House. “When he came to my office, what he told me, it was too good...

August 13, 2021Factchecking
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Fact-Check: Gambia’s GDP Currently Growing At 6% ?

Claim: Gambia’s GDP currently growing at 6% + Source: President Adama Barrow Verdict: Inaccurate President Adama Barrow in a recent interview on the State of Affairs television programme on the QTV, said the Gambian economy is growing at “6% plus”. The current government took over the reins of government under very difficult circumstances after the outgoing Yahya Jammeh administration refused to willingly relinquish power. This prompted a regional military intervention in The Gambia which subsequently affected tourism- a major income earner for the country. Business activities were also temporarily halted, which in turn negatively affected the economy. The country was also struggling with a very high, unsustainable...

August 9, 2021Factchecking
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Fact-Check: President Barrow Claims Tax Revenue Has Increased By Over 100% Under His Administration

Claim: Tax revenue has increased by over 100% since 2017 Source: President Adama Barrow Verdict: FALSE President Adama Barrow in a recent interview on the State of Affairs television programme on QTV, claimed tax collection by Gambia Revenue Authority (GRA) has increased under his administrations by over 100%. The Gambia is gearing up for Presidential elections in December, a crucial democratic exercise for citizens to pass verdict on the current administration that took over the mantle of governance after years of dictatorship in 2017. President Barrow ahead of the election continues to defend the performance of his administration and is touting his achievements. But how true is...

August 6, 2021Factchecking
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Factsheet: Gambia’s Debt To GDP Ratio Has Declined, But Does It Mean Prez Barrow Has Not Been Borrowing?

In his recent interview with the State of Affairs television programme on QTV, the Gambian leader Adama Barrow suggested his government has managed the country’s debt well by reducing it. “Our debt to GDP used to be 120%. Today, it is around 77%,” said President Barrow as he recounts his achievements. Rebasing of GDP It is accurate that Gambia’s public debt to GDP ratio was at 120% by the end of 2016. It is also correct that the current debt to GDP ratio is at 77.2%, according to the International Monetary Fund. But after the regime change in 2017, the government of Adama Barrow rebased the GDP, which led to a revision of the...

August 1, 2021Factchecking
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