Dispute at Gamblood who is right?

Two factions have emerged, each claiming to be the rightful people in control of Gamblood, a charitable organization responsible for mobilising much needed blood for the blood banks in hospitals across the country.

The fray ensued when the Daily Observer, on its   edition of Wednesday January 7, published an article, titled: ‘New name for Gamblood.’ Apparently Gamblood, under Bai Samba Njie, after consultation with ‘relevant’ authorities, decided to change the name of the organization to National Agency for Voluntary Blood Donor Recruitment.

This, according to Njie, is to raise the standard of the organization in line with their status as the main blood recruitment body of the country. And this, Njie went on to say, is in line with the dictate of their constitution.

However, according to Solo Bojang who claimed to be  the coordinator of Gamblood, ‘Bai Samba Njie has no right to rename Gamblood as the later had broken away from their organization, which he said is the legitimate Gamblood. Bojang insisted that Njie has no right to operate his break away faction on the name of Gamblood. He named his colleages as Rohey Njie-Secka, the one they considered as the chairperson of Gamblood; and  Jim Jobe; among others.

These, he said, are the co-founders of Gamblood. And according to him, they registered the organization in 2005 with the registration number 432/2005. But he could not produce any document to back his claim because, as he put it, everything is in the custody of Bai Samba Njie who he alleged had connived with the then SoS for Health to have them recognized as the legitimate body.

Bojang further informed the Daily Observer of how they resorted to going to places such as the Fraud Squad and the Serious Crime Unit of the Gambia Police Force, after Njie had been accused of financial misappropriation. But Njie had been set free at all these places.

Bai Samba Njie though, from all the document relating to Gamblood in his possession, he is the programme director of the organization. He did not deny that some of Solo Bojang’s Associates were founding members of his organization, which he also claimed to be the rightful one. But, he said, Solo himself had nothing to do with Gamblood when it was been established.

According to information obtained from his documents, however, the registration number of Gamblood is 432/2005, just the same as the one Solo had given the Daily Observer. Given a history of the organization, Njie said that Gamblood was founded in 1991 and it became a project in 2002, under the sponsorship of the World Bank.

He said when the constitution of its Board of Governors, in consultation with relevant bodies, including the department of state for Health. Mr Njie produced all his documents regarding Gamblood registration and all its dealings with the relevant institutions, especially at the department of state for Health and Social Welfare.

He also confirmed Solo’s earlier assertion that he had been taken to the police on several occasions. But he said he had been "vindicated" on all these occasions, and as far as he is concerned, his exoneration by the police is testimony to the fact that he is in the right path.

Njie referred to Solo Bojang and his people as a breakaway group of Gamblood who are putting self interest before national interest. He said he has been a blood donor for over 35 years, and he promised to continue supporting the RVTH blood bank and others. However, a letter shown to the Daily Observer, from the Justice department, effectively backed Njie’s claims.

Signed by the registrar of companies at the justice ministry, Mrs Sambou, the document, addressed to the Serious Crime Unit of the police, referred to Gamblood as an association incorporated with the Ministry of Health, with Bai Samba Njie as the programme director. According to this letter, Njie has a legal right to dissolve the association and select his own people if the other members don’t want to work with him.