Today the Gambian nation is said to be celebrating July 22nd as a revolutionary day that brought into power a military junta in 1994 which claims to have liberated the country from a government which had constitutionally ruled the tiny nation since Independence. The main premise of overthrowing the government of Dawda Jawara a democratically elected government was that they had stayed in power for too long; that corruption and wasteful spending was out of control; that politicians have turned the country into a mini bourgeoisie state driving Mercedes Benzes, sending their children to vacation and awarding scholarships to their families and relatives among other allegations. As a result, a few disgruntled, ill trained and morally bankrupt junior military officers seized power and imposed themselves on the nation. Since July 1994 this tiny nation and its people have been ruled by the lone survivor of that military junta Yahya Jammeh who has driven away everybody he seized power with.
As the nation spends millions of tax payers’ resources on this so called revolution, we would like to ask few simple questions to any Gambian with an iota of decency and moral fiber; who was liberated on July 22nd 1994? What was the political status of the nation and who were in chains of slavery and religious bigotry in Gambia? We guess anybody with their mental faculties intact will admit that there was a constitutional republic with multiparty pluralism in place since Independence. That the nation under the relationship of Sir Dawda Jawara the nations founder enjoyed relative peace, human rights, modest democracy, respect and recognition in the International arena. Imperfect as Jawara’s government was citizens largely enjoyed peace and security in their homes and were accorded due process of the law.
July 22nd 1994 liberated one man only Yahya Jammeh a lonely military soldier trapped in a brain and mind body that deprive the advantage and human competence to compete on a level playing field. He grew up lonely and envious of people around him and his future looked bleak the older he got. He accidentally rose to power overthrowing a legitimately elected government and imposed himself on the Gambian people. Everything he accused the Jawara government of doing and all the sweet words of “soldiers with a difference”, “transparency and accountability”, “I am a farmer not a politician” ruling for “10 years is too long” all masqueraded in Pan Africanism turn out to be lies and deceptions just to entrench himself in power.
There are plenty evidence to support our argument that July 22nd was NOT a revolution of a nation but power grab by one citizen who has since turned everything into enriching himself and his family. Jammeh accused the PPP government of driving expensive cars like Mercedes Benzes and Pajeros. He auctioned those vehicles when he came to power. Today 20 years into power what kinds of vehicles does Yahya Jammeh own? – Rolls Royce, BMWs, Limousines and even an Airplane to himself. He accused Jawara of overstaying in power, how many years have Yahya Jammeh been in power? He claimed to stamp out corruption but he seizes hundreds of hectares of private and government lands and claims ownership of them. He receives food donations from Japan and other nations on behalf of the Gambian people and turns that into his family Kanilai business. Jammeh owns several businesses across the country and dishes out money left right and center like a mad Emir. He owns a Multimillion Dollar mansion in the United States. He controls everything and hires, fires, imprison and killed citizens who challenges his power. Whose revolution was July 22nd Yahya Jammeh or the Gambian people?
July 22nd is the most tragic and disgraceful occasion for any Gambian to celebrate other than Yahya Jammeh and his unsophisticated clan men who equally could not compete or earn a decent living on their own. The only way they could enjoy life was to trample on the rights of a nation and its people. How does an overthrow of a democratically elected government constitute a revolution? What legitimacy does Jammeh and his men have to claim peace and security in Gambia when the nation continues to be held hostage and in fear day and night? What development legitimizes the rights of citizen being held hostage against their will. Who said development can be imposed on a people at the expense of their liberty and dignity. What development are they talking about? How many people who studied in that University have the education and freedom to freely serve their government? Why are majority of your University graduates leaving the country for greener pastures? How do you compare your health care system, public transportation system, religious freedom, judicial independence, robust civil service to what you have inherited? How many ministers and civil servants have you fired and incarcerated after using and dumping them? What revolution are we talking about?
As the people reluctantly gather to witness the celebration of an illegitimate takeover of an elected government, we remind all that what goes around comes around. Jammeh has betrayed the trust of the Gambian people and no amount of gathering or celebration can erase that. That if it is legitimate to celebrate Jammeh’s overthrow of Jawara’s government, then it is equally legitimate to change Jammeh’s government through the same means. Those who live in glass houses must not throw stones. Jammeh’s July 22nd celebration is nothing but wasteful celebration even as the nation faces an imminent danger of the deadly Ebola Virus. The Jammeh government has lost every moral legitimacy to continue to rule over the Gambian people. Just as usual when the dust settles he will turn against the very people organizing and jubilating in front of him. History is well positioned to record those events as they happen. Who was liberated on July 22nd 1994?