The unprecedented development, according to its management, is due to the high commitment to supporting the government in achieving its national development priorities especially in resources mobilisation among others.

Speaking to The Point Newspaper in an exclusive interview, Seedy M. Touray, the director general of GID, said: “This extraordinary development is due to management’s commitment in ensuring that it does not only meet their revenue target yearly, but also to surpass our target.”

“When I was appointed as the GID boss in 2018, my top priority was to ensure that the country’s immigration department is massively reformed with a view to ensure that they are up to standard. I can happily tell you that these reforms have paid dividends now. It’s through the reforms and the repositioning of the GID to the right direction that we are able to make this huge amount of money in just three months,” he posited.

Quizzed as to how the GID was able to collect the D64, 000, 000 in just three months, he said: “Apart from the reforms that we have undertaken at the GID, I have also made sure that the immigration officers adhere to approved financial practises at the office and also zero tolerance to corruption among others. I can assure you all that this trend will continue. As far as I am the GID boss, I will not entertain anything that has the potential of hindering revenue collection.”

DG Touray added: “I also ensure that my staff embark on a vigorous sensitisation countrywide on the significance of payment of national documents, aliens among others. These are all geared towards ensuring that we create an environment where people will voluntarily come and pay for their documents. In fact, this is happening. People are now coming forward without even our officers going to them. This is a welcoming development,” he stated.

“This massive revenue collection in just three months is also as a result of my intervention, the regional commissioners as well as stations and unit heads were advised and assisted to adhere to the approved financial practises, zero tolerance to corruption, intensified engagements for non-Gambians to regularise their status among others. Regular auditing exercises and follow-up throughout the country also helped in this unprecedented breakthrough.”

Karanlang Jarju, the officer in-charge of Statistics and Internal Audit at the GID, said: “This huge revenue collection is largely as a result of DG Touray’s unwavering commitment to not only reforming the GID, but also due to his foresights in creating programmes and policies that are in line with international standards.”

“We also make sure that we enforce immigration regulation in ensuring that non-citizens and citizens also regularise their status, hence that is why we make this massive revenue collection in just three months.”

Mamanding S. Dibba, the spokesperson of the GID, said: “Since the appointment of DG Touray, there has never been business as usual. What he (DG Touray), always wants is to ensure that people adhere to his plan and policies that are geared towards the betterment and advancement of the GID. I am not surprised that we made this huge revenue collection. Again, with DG Touray at the helm of affairs of the Immigration, more of this revenue will be collected in subsequent years.”

Credit to: thepoint.gm

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In a small fishing village outside of the Senegalese capital, Ismaila Diene and his wife on Tuesday said goodbye to their youngest son, killed last week during protests that have shaken the country.

The grieving couple don’t want to lay the blame on anyone, and as for many of the 16 people killed in Senegal’s worst spasm of political violence in years, the circumstances of 33-year-old Doudou Diene’s death is shrouded in mystery.

Ismaila, a retired teacher, says the family got the call late on Friday that their son was in hospital and had been shot. He died about six hours later.

They spoke to Doudou on the phone and, as is tradition in Senegal before dying, “he asked his mother and I for forgiveness. I don’t know under what circumstances he was shot,” said Ismaila.

Doudou was married, with a 14-month-old baby, and had two brothers and a sister.

The fishing village of Bargny, around 30 kilometres (18 miles) from the capital Dakar, was one of the sites hit by angry protests after firebrand opposition leader Ousmane Sonko was sentenced to two years in prison on charges of “corrupting” a young woman.

The verdict is likely to make Sonko ineligible to run in the 2024 presidential elections, and the former tax inspector alleges the charges were a conspiracy to halt his rising political star.

Bargny, with its sandy paths weaving between faded homes, paid a heavy price, with three killed in the protests, according to several municipal
officials.

“Doudou didn’t take part in the protests, or in politics,” said his weeping mother, Mbene Mbeye, dressed in a white headdress and flowing robes.

The government and opposition blame each other for the deaths.

The opposition points to harsh repression of the protests, while the government denounced a planned destabilisation effort by “dark forces,” foreigners, and armed men.

When the police asked Ismaila what he plans to do, he said he would file a complaint.

“I hope that there will be justice, because there are things that cannot go unpunished,” he said.

“Losing a child is a terrible emotional shock. Either way, justice will be done, if it is not at the hands of men, it will be in the afterlife.”

“Let justice be done. Innocent people are dying. It’s not normal,” said Doudou’s mother, also a retired teacher, shortly before leaving for the mosque for the funeral prayer.

Hundreds of relatives and neighbours gathered at a green mosque where the coffin was laid.

After about ten minutes of tributes, the silent procession of men took the path to the cemetery, on the edge of the town.

The women will visit the grave later.

AFP

Credit to: Punch News

Hearing in the petition by former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar against the election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was abruptly adjourned on Tuesday by the Presidential Election Petition Court in Abuja due to alleged refusal of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to make some critical electoral materials available to him.

The Court shifted further hearing in the petition till June 7 pending the time the electoral body is expected to have.responded to the request of Atiku and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for the supply of some documents.

At Tuesday’s proceedings, Eyitayo Jegede, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, who conducted proceedings for Atiku had sought to tender forms EC8A from 10 out of 21 Local Government Areas of Kogi State to establish the petition against Tinubu.

The exhibits, mainly documents used for the February 25 Presidential Election, are those from Ankpa, Dekina, Idah, Ofu, Olamaboro, Yagba East, Yagba West, Kabba-Bunu and Igalamela Odolu.

Although the schedule of documents to the effect was filed along with the exhibits, the Court however noted that tendering such sensitive exhibits at piece meals would not be of any help, especially in the areas of marking and numbering them.

Jegede who rose to the questions put to him by the Court stood his ground and blamed the INEC for deliberate refusal to supply his client with the vital documents.

The Senior lawyer, who hinted the Court that Atiku had paid as much as N6 million for the supply of certified true copy of the exhibits, lamented that the electoral body had not been forthcoming and cooperating as required.

Hearing in the petition by former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar against the election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was abruptly adjourned on Tuesday by the Presidential Election Petition Court in Abuja due to alleged refusal of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to make some critical electoral materials available to him.

The Court shifted further hearing in the petition till June 7 pending the time the electoral body is expected to have.responded to the request of Atiku and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, for the supply of some documents.

At Tuesday’s proceedings, Eyitayo Jegede, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, who conducted proceedings for Atiku had sought to tender forms EC8A from 10 out of 21 Local Government Areas of Kogi State to establish the petition against Tinubu.

The exhibits, mainly documents used for the February 25 Presidential Election, are those from Ankpa, Dekina, Idah, Ofu, Olamaboro, Yagba East, Yagba West, Kabba-Bunu and Igalamela Odolu.

Although the schedule of documents to the effect was filed along with the exhibits, the Court however noted that tendering such sensitive exhibits at piece meals would not be of any help, especially in the areas of marking and numbering them.

Jegede who rose to the questions put to him by the Court stood his ground and blamed the INEC for deliberate refusal to supply his client with the vital documents.

The Senior lawyer, who hinted the Court that Atiku had paid as much as N6 million for the supply of certified true copy of the exhibits, lamented that the electoral body had not been forthcoming and cooperating as required.

Jegede explained that to save the situation, the legal team of the former Vice President had to subpoena top officials of INEC to compel them to bring the required documents before the Court on their own.

However, in the end, the senior lawyer sought for a 24-hour adjournment to enable him to approach the electoral body to do the needful.

Following no objections from counsel to the respondents, INEC, represented by Abubakar Mahmud, SAN, Tinubu represented by Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, and the All Progressives Congress, APC, having Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, as lead counsel, Justice Haruna Simon Tsammani adjourned the matter till June 7.

Published on June 6, 2023

Credit to: By Fadehan Oyeyemi, Daily Post Nigeria

Jun 5, 2023, 11:17 AM

Credit to: PointNews Paper