It has been over two weeks since the political uprising in Gambia. Throughout the last two years we have been daunted with claims that our political leaders will stand up and lead the people: Youth and political activists have led a practical demand for electoral reform by staging a protest. They have been met with brutal force and death; one of the leaders of the opposition UDP rallied his people and demanded justice, he too along with his leadership have been arrested, paraded in court and incarcerated. We have waited for two weeks for other political leaders to show solidarity and resistance to the brutality of the regime. So far what we have seen is leaders paying their respect to the allegedly killed by security forces and or showing up in court as observers of the humiliation blatant violation of the rights of protesters by an unruly Judge.
It is time to hold our leaders’ feet to fire? They asked to be given time to meet, we gave them time. We gave them the benefit of the doubt that they are working on some strategy behind doors in consultation with the International community. Nothing seems to be coming out from them in any shape or form. We read a letter or should we say a friendly reminder note from Halifa Sallah to President Jammeh. We show OJ Jallow calming people’s emotions and asking them to disperse and come back next week. Hamat Bah has been Awol and only gave an interview to the Point with his usual rant at his hidden business office! Henry Gomez is nowhere to be found. Mai Fatty held a press conference in Dakar and no follow up meeting with ECOWAS Chair or regional leaders! What is going on? How long will you be silence on the political emergency in our country?
Are you going to show up and rally your people to show solidarity with the jailed leaders?
Are you worth the trust and support of the Gambian people if you failed to show up during this most difficult time?
How are you going to win the trust and confidence of Solo Sandeng, Fatoumata Jawara, Nogoi Njai and several others’ families that you care about what happens to their love ones?
If you are a no show during this national crisis, why should the Gambian people trust you to lead our country?
Why should the world trust leaders who retreat and remain silence even after their colleagues are jailed and possibly being tortured in solitary confinement?
Please don’t tell the Gambian people that when you were arrested no one showed up.
Your credibility, your leadership and your trust by the Gambian people and the international community is on the line now than Ever. Will you show up, or will you remained silence at a time when the nation needs you the most? The trust and confidence of the people is won during national crisis. When leaders fail to show up and lead a people who have finally shown resistance to 21 years of oppression, they will have no moral right to seek the mandate of citizens to lead them.
We remind our opposition leaders they have asked for the people to start a revolution and then they will in turn lead it. That they have the moral duty and political capital to come out and address the situation. The Gambian people have hit the streets, women have shown courage and demanded justice. Will you show up for once and also demand justice? We demand Answers now from our Opposition leaders; Halifa Sallah, Sidia Jatta, OJ Jallow, Aja Fatoumata Tambajang, Hamat Bah, Henry Gomez and Mai Ahmet Fatty to come out and show their solidarity with Darboe and others by openly demanding the unconditional release of political prisoners and for the government o produce those missing in court. This is not the time to meet with the ruling party that has no respect for multiparty pluralism, this is not the time to sign an MOU that has and was never honored, this is not the time for political positioning. This is the time for National heroes, This is the time for you to show leadership or forever lost the respect and support of the Gambian people! The ball is in your hands and the Gambian people and the world are watching closely while history records every word and action!!!