Claim: “…….a centre means it has an office, it has staff, it has computers, it has a server, it has a website, this is someone who is an individual who just created something and calls it a centre, and he is the only one you see, he is the only one who writes, I have not seen any website, I have not seen an office, I have not seen any staff, I have not seen anything, every day all he does is write and calls it a centre. And I think that is indigenous, that is deception, pure and simple, you are deceiving society of the existence of something that doesn’t exist. So Madi should do a self-check and rename his institution as the Edward Francis Small Individual Centre for Rights and Justice.”
Source: Dr. Ismaila Ceesay, Minister of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services of The Gambia
Verdict: FALSE and MISLEADING
Claims
While appearing on West Coast Radio’s ‘Coffee Time’ with Peter Gomez on the 20th of January 2026, Dr. Ismaila Ceesay, the Minister of Information, Media and Broadcasting Services of The Gambia claimed that the Edward Francis Small Centre for Rights and Justice (EFSCRJ) is a one-man Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) with no staff.
The Information Minister made these remarks in response to a query from the show’s host, Peter Gomez, who told the Minister that EFSCRJ had written several letters to public institutions, relying on the Access to Information Act 2021, requesting public data, but to no avail.
“……….a centre means it has an office, it has staff, it has computers, it has a server, it has a website, this is someone who is an individual who just created something and calls it a centre, and he is the only one you see, he is the only one who writes, I have not seen any website, I have not seen an office, I have not seen any staff, I have not seen anything, every day all he does is write and calls it a centre. And I think that is indigenous, that is deception, pure and simple, you are deceiving society of the existence of something that doesn’t exist. So Madi should do a self-check and rename his institution as the Edward Francis Small Individual Centre for Rights and Justice,” Dr. Ceesay claimed.
Fourty-two Civil Society Activists have raised concerns over the Minister’s comments, saying it is intended to delegitimise critical civic voices rather than engaging with the substance of their concerns. Read full Statement HERE.
Listen from 24:40 to 25:49 minutes of the video below:
Fact-Check
The Edward Francis Small Centre for Rights and Justice (EFSCRJ) is a formally registered human rights organisation in The Gambia. The organisation was established in October 2024 by prominent human rights activist Mr. Madi Jobarteh.
It is named after Edward Francis Small, a pioneering Gambian activist, trade unionists and journalists who was a leading figure in the fight for self-determination and an end to colonial rule in The Gambia. Small, who is said to have been born around 1891 and lived until 1958 is seen as the “trailblazer of Gambian political consciousness.”
While active since late 2024, the centre’s official public launch and a commemoration event for its namesake are scheduled for January 29, 2026, at the University of The Gambia (UTG) Auditorium in Kanifing. The organisation has designated 2026 as the “Year of Empowerment”.
To understand the context of the role of the EFSCRJ’s leadership in holding the government and public officials accountable and to promote transparency in government, in January last year, EFSCRJ declared the year 2025 as the Year of Transparency and Accountability throughout the Gambia.
In order to fulfill this promise of promoting accountability and transparency, the Center utilised its fundamental right to access to information by sending several information requests to public institutions as prescribed by the Access to Information Act, 2021 which requires public institutions proactively and reactively disclose public information in their custody to the public.
After making these remarks on West Coast Radio’s Coffee Time, one of the most listened to morning radio programmes in the country, with a YouTube channel that livestreams to 23, 400. At the time of writing this fact-check, the video has 3,200 views, with 35 likes.
To confirm the Information Minister’s claim, FactCheck Gambia dug into the setup of the Edward Francis Small Centre for Rights and Justice (EFSCRJ) and found that the Center has five (5) staff members, and two people on internship. This includes 4 male and 3 female workers.
Further findings also revealed that EFSCRJ has an office space located at Samasa Building at Kerr Serign – a 2-minutes walk or less depending on ones pace from the Senegambia roundabout. Fact-Check Gambia’s findings also revealed that EFSCRJ has a website that is up to date and is accessible HERE or at https://efscrj.org/.
Reaction of Madi Jobarteh, Founder of EFSCRJ
Mr. Jobarteh described comments made by the Information Minister against his organisation as an attack in response to the pressure EFSCRJ is placing on the government which has become too heavy for the government to carry. He said the government is now crying and also threatening to silence his organisation.
“EFSCRJ stands for transparency and accountability of the government and we have been unrelenting and uncompromising in that regard. Apart from our public statements, citizens would be surprised to know how many policy briefs, position papers, letters of concern and requests for information we submit to various ministries, departments and agencies on pertinent national issues,” Mr. Jobarteh told FactCheck Gambia.
Mr. Jobarteh continued: “We are not giving them space. So we understand why the president and his ministers are uncomfortable with EFSCRJ. We have sustained the heat on them and this shall continue regardless of which government is in place and who is in government.”
Verdict
Based on our findings, Dr. Ismaila Ceesay’s claim that the Edward Francis Small Centre for Rights and Justice (EFSCRJ) is a one-man NGO is FALSE and MISLEADING.
FactCheck Gambia researcher did reach out to Dr. Ceesay via WhatsApp text messages and presented our finding in order to get his reaction, but he has yet to respond at the time of publication. We will update once we hear from him.
