Gainako Newspaper

.........�The higher the standard the better the product�
The recent article titled �When Journalism is the Enemy� written by
Cherno Baba Jallow and published on Gainako on April 10, 2008
and rejoined by several other readers has no doubt awakened us
about some fundamental principles of journalism as a profession. The
general consensus from the readership either for or against the issue
of higher standard of news quality in our online newspapers across
the board is loud and clear: Gambian online newspapers, as echoed
by our respective readers, need some serious revamping if we are to
continue to gain the respect and support of our consumers.

It is an undeniable fact that the reason we continue to invest our resources and energy in reporting the
daily news and informing the public is simply because we have consumers who visit our various sites
daily to get their dose of news. It is equally a fact that these consumers are in a better position to judge
the quality and substance of the news and reports we supply daily.

Similarly, the satisfaction and/or frustrations of our general readership on the impact of the news and
reports we carry on about our country � The Gambia, must be something we treat with exceptional
seriousness anytime we sit on that keyboard to put out a report. The stakes are always high anytime
our people and nation becomes the subject of discussion. This is all the more true because we, the
people, form the bedrock of our nation. We should individually be great ambassadors of our great
country anywhere and in anything we are engaged. It is therefore the duty of every good citizen to
carry forward that great name of The Gambia, �The smiling Coast of Africa�.

The media both at home and in the Diaspora has a fundamental role to play in reshaping our society
and advancing the rule of law and human rights in our young �democracy�. Unfortunately, the current
regime has shown little or no appreciation for the role of the media in the socio-economic
development of our people. The environment is not conducive for a sustainable free press. As a result,
newspapers at home and other young aspiring journalists had to find alternative ways to continue to
educate our people with what is going on in our nation ruled by a government which, to put it nicely,
has a close door policy. This restrictive policy had to force media practitioners to find other means to
bring news and opinion to the community. This led to the birth of the current online newspapers and
blogs.

The emergence of these online newspapers has undoubtedly brought enormous opportunities for the
advancement of democracy and press freedom in our nation. In this era of the information gateway
where anyone at any time or anywhere can access information, it is crucial that the information that
they access is of quality and carries with it a positive and uplifting message. The online newspapers
have thousands if not millions of readers daily that not only rely on us for the daily news, but also count
on us to give them educational materials that make a difference in their lives or the lives of their
children.

In dispensing that noble duty, we must exercise diligence, maturity and most importantly, an absolute
professionalism guided by principles of decency and uncompromising fairness and balance. We must
also realize how the personal and social costs of the information we provide affect the daily lives of
others and our nation. The power of print media and online publicity carries with it a powerful image
that may go a long way towards impacting society.

Our daily task as practicing journalists or administrators of media outlets as others put it may seem to
us as volunteerism that we choose to engage in at our own expense. However, since we have self
-appointed ourselves to be the watch dogs of public officials and government, it is important that we
also conduct ourselves professionally and submit ourselves for periodic public scrutiny. Besides, when
we take up the task of exposing a regime that strives to suppress its people in the name of patriotism
or development, we must try to be credible at all times.

It is a fundamental part of our duties to train and educate ourselves continuously in our profession with
an aim to grow and make ourselves better reporters or editors and to keep pace with intellectual
challenges that may arise in disseminating vital information to our readership. Today�s media
consumers are certainly far-more sophisticated than we may think. They are not only willing to
consume the product and give a blind eye, but are also determined to see to it that what they are fed is
of quality and important information.

In passing, we must put ourselves in the shoes of others anytime we are ready to sign off to something
for publicity. We must also remember that we cannot be our own judges on the quality of news we
put out every day. It is therefore essential that we have people within our society who are brave and
willing to call it as they see fit. No single one of us has a monopoly of knowledge over what constitutes
journalism, nor should we put our egos ahead of this noble profession. There is no need for any undue
sensitivity and overly reaction to anything as fundamental as a call for higher standards.

Finally, we at Gainako seek to see the issues differently. We welcome Cherno Baba and others�
clarion calls for higher standards and ethical journalism as an important challenge for us to continue to
learn and grow as young aspiring professionals. We also wish to reaffirm that in order for us to win the
moral battle against a suppressive regime, we must not resort to the same tactics the regime employs
to silence its critics.

At the same time, we also wish to call on those seasoned journalists and other interested Gambians to
step up to the plate and take up the challenge and redirect the face of Gambian journalism. We believe
that a vacuum of responsible journalism has existed in the Gambian media far too long. As a result,
where seasoned members of the media fraternity are reluctant to rejoin the fight for our common
good, precedence is bound to take a not so desirable shape and direction. It is therefore our collective
responsibility to see to it that the bar is raised high at all times. Together, our moral convictions and
desire for decency far supersede anything else.

We leave you with the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: �I cannot be what I ought to be until
you are what you ought to be.�

...THE CLOCKING TIME FOR GAMBIA'S
......................STRUGGLE;
........................................Part One
............................By Yero Jallow......�..April 21st, 2008

Gambians in large numbers are all online now, struggling for unity, freedom,
equal rights and justice. There is no worthier cause than the one at hand.
A big credit where credit is due for all those that continually sacrifice their
few shillings and energy to invest in the struggle at hand. One thing that is
clear is that Gambians all in one recognized the value of information. The
power of accurate information and the information battle is one that cannot
be abused or distorted to feed history. It is also clear that victory is on the
side of the oppressed. We have seen the stance of especially the Point
Newspaper, Foroyaa and other vibrant media outlets echo sentiments of
unity.

The nature of the Gambia is such that the voices of decent -the oppositions, the media outlets and our
societal activists are all muzzled by an administration that is clinging onto power by all that it can. So
the level to which those at home can make a noise to be heard is limited owing its fact to arbitrary
arrest, torture and maiming. So Gambians in the Diaspora took up the challenge to stand for those in
need. We all agree that this is a worthy cause to fight.

Not long ago, Gambia's presidential elections legitimized Jammeh for another five years. Very soon
that time will elapse. Perhaps all hope is not lost yet. Diaspora Gambians should galvanize under a
unifying umbrella to help the opposition mend their bridges in preparation for the next presidential
elections. If this is not in the minds of Gambians at the current juncture, I am afraid; we might be
running a loose battle again. Like the old adage goes "Make hay while the sun shines." Further let
us "strike while the iron is hot." If all the complaints registered by the media outlets both at home
and abroad represents Gambia's true situation, then we need to move further to galvanize people in a
true spirit for unity. The Gambian problem is bigger than our individual differences. Selfishness,
hypocrisy and pettiness cannot rescue the ship of the state at the current hour.

I therefore take this opportunity to appeal to all the party group affiliates, the political party leaders
and their surrogates to start thinking about the bigger picture of unity. The unifying group should have
the ability to get all the Diaspora associations together. From there on, they can take the direct
approach where they will invite the opposition party heads and their supporters on the same table to
discuss the way forward. I am sure once all the people sit down on the same table and talk about the
problems at hand, it will truly pave a way for unity. Unity is a collective responsibility. It can neither be
left in the hands of the oppositions nor in the hands of the media outlets alone. All Gambians must be
ready to shoulder the burden. The personal differences, unsubstantiated bickering, hate monger is the
least that Gambians should reduce themselves to. The Gambia, a sweet home deserves not another
Kenya, or what is under the microscope currently under a Jammeh administration.

The author can be reached at editor@gainako.com

..........................................................NEWS
....CASAMANCE REBELS
SENT To PRISON; Are There Any Lessons?
............................By Solo, Banjul Correspondent......April 20th, 2008

The Banjul magistrate's court has sentenced nine rebels to various terms of imprisonment on 16th
April 2008. The magistrate Mr. Olajubutu said the prosecution has provided four witnesses and
tendered many exhibits as evidence to prove their case. He also said all the accused persons
admitted that they obtained Gambian documents such as ID cards; that they all admitted being
members of the MFDC rebel group fighting for self government in Casamance.

He then convicted them accordingly.
Sidat Jarju is sentenced to 6 years, Nuha Badjie to 2 years, Lamin Tew Sambou to 2 years,
Ansumana Jarju to 2 years, Tamsir Badjie to 2 years, Abdou Salam Jammeh to 4 years and
Wuyeh Jarju to 1 year.

The relatives of the convicts were seen crying in court especially when they were refused to embrace
their convicted loved ones. It was the cry of many people that non Gambians especially the people of
casamance have always been involved in Gambian politics to the extend of taking part in the actual
voting process. Many people have observed during elections strange faces said to be from
casamance in the queue taking part in voting. When these rebels asserted in court that it was the
Gambian security officers who helped them to acquire the said documents it was not a surprise to
many.

The casamance people may also thought that they were doing a favour to their ethnicity when they
come to vote for president Jammeh, perhaps hoping that he would also be kind to their cause in their
struggle for self determination. But this case has shown that at least the state or the leader of the state
does not have any regard for anyone who comes in his way irrespective of which ethnic group one
comes from. One person who was at the court was heard saying that the "I do not have any
sympathy for this Casamance ethnic Jolas since they are the ones who always come and disturb us
here during elections and jubilate and insult people after elections."

For the Gambian People, some have expressed the feeling that the wrong people have punished; that
it is the Salif Sadjo faction that were heavily involved in Gambian affairs not the Jakai rebels.
Some say this would teach others a lesson that just because one is an ethnic Jola does not give a
blank sheet for one to acquire a Gambian ID card or voter's card.

FAMARA-The Gambian Rebel:
.......................A True Story
............................... By The WATCHMAN......April 20th, 2008

On a sunny morning in July 1981, the young Watchman woke up to
an astounding array of noise and what he presumed to be fireworks.
He was confused because there were no holidays to celebrate this
time of the year in Banjul. From his vantage point, the house window,
he could see people running for cover and screaming for kids to stay
inside compounds. He knew something was terribly wrong and no
sooner had he come to that conclusion than he heard family members
talking about a coup to oust President Jawara from power. Gambian
society up to that time was relatively �blissful.� Underneath this peace
however was a powder keg of dissatisfaction waiting to explode.

In dissecting the real life character that is Famara the rebel, the Watchman aims to show how despite
all the brouhaha about who has what or who gets what, the common denominator for success in
relatively still young African states is development. In his 1998 Nobel Peace winning work,
Development as Freedom, Amartya Sen, the Indian economist, outlined the idea that development is
the key to unlocking the greatest economic and social potential that has eluded the less endowed
entities that could be found in mostly Africa, Asia and South America.

In the years before the coup attempt in The Gambia, the route to getting work was petty feudal and
connection driven. One entered the Field Force with inside help, one got to work at GPMB through
personal links, one got to be an employee of Banjul Breweries with the assistance of an insider and
one definitely had to know a person of influence to land a place in the civil service that was
headquartered at the Quadrangle opposite McCarthy Square. In Banjul, a lot of compounds were
composed of Wolof, Aku and Hausa landowners who leased quarters to Mandinkas, Fulas,
Manjagos and Serers who were land and house owners back in their hometowns but had no recourse
but to rent once they got to the big towns of Bakau, Serrekunda and so forth.

This melting pot allowed all these different Gambians to see each other�s lives up close and personal
and while there was a mostly very amicable interaction between citizens, the material imbalance
instilled a sense of aspiration and frustration on the part of tenants who lived with their families in
compounds owned by original Banjulians. Famara was one of them. He was the oldest son of a
Mandinka laborer who had an intensely difficult time finding work due to his lack of connections. Now
some might say, Mandinkas were in power and this scenario could not be possible but these simplistic
statements fail to underscore that more so than tribalism, nepotism also occurred frequently and had
an intra-tribe trickle down effect.

Every week, Famara would get into an argument with his parents over the fact he was in his late 20s,
unmarried, unemployed and still lived at home. In return, Famara would lash out saying he had given it
all he had and for some reason he keeps getting told to �come back next week.� He played with his
younger siblings most of the day, went around looking for work, would get an odd job here and then
but he could never make things work on a stable and permanent basis vis-�-vis employment. His 2
sisters were getting an education he did not have, at Mohammedan and Albion primary schools
respectively and seemed to have a brighter future ahead than he had.

There were times when Famara would disappear for days and everyone wondered where he was
holed up. It also became apparent that his favorite social pastime was watching the women dance
during NCP rallies held at the wide street of Sam Jack not far from the seat of government. Famara
liked Sheriff Dibba and later revealed that in addition to really enjoying the women display their artistic
skills during the political events, he really paid attention to the words of the formerly staunch
opposition stalwart.

It didn�t take for us to know what Famara was up to because on that sunny and bloody July morning,
he proudly walked back to his parent�s home with an AK 47 slung over his shoulder. Famara was
now a rebel allied with Kukoi Samba Sanyang , the leader of the uprising. His father asked him if he
had killed anyone and warned that taking a life was not in accordance with family values not to
mention Muslim tenets. Famara couldn�t look at his Dad in the face but with a bowed head said no.
Actually, as the battle raged on in Banjul between loyalists and insurgents, one thing became clear.
Famara didn�t even know how to operate the rifle he wielded in his new found power as a rebel. It
was very darn useful though when it came to looting, because at Maurel Prom, located at Buckle
Street, he was able to bring home a couple of TVs and a small refrigerator simply due to the fact that
he was armed and other looters made way for him. During the chaos of the coup, Famara brought so
many looted items from his forays to downtown Banjul stores, his parent�s small home couldn�t
contain the material windfall. So he started giving the excess goods to friends and neighbors.

One afternoon during the attempted putsch, Famara ran like a scared antelope being chased by
ferocious cheetahs and headed straight home. Upon arrival, he screamed at his parents to tell anybody
that bothered to ask that he was nowhere to be found and then proceeded to hide under their bed.
After 6 hours elapsed, he crawled from under his refuge and with bloodshot eyes, proceeded to tell
his family how he had caught a glimpse of the legendary Tambajang and wanted nothing to do with the
defender of The Central Bank and other points of regime functionality. Famara exclaimed that he saw
the look in Tambajang�s eyes and came to the conclusion that the guy was no joke. A decade after
Famara said this about Mr. Tambajang�s eyes, I was a guest at his residence and after looking into his
eyes when he wasn�t smiling I agreed wholeheartedly.

After Famara had stopped shaking in terror due to his unfortunate encounter, the young Watchman
asked him how to operate the AK 47 and Famara just smiled sheepishly. Again, young Watchman
asked him how to operate the weapon and Famara, pretending to know what he was doing, pulled
the gun from safety and accidentally sprayed bullets at his parent�s house. Everyone screamed in
terror and hit the ground, young Watchman included. Young Watchman�s Grandmother limped as fast
as she could, grabbed Famara by the ears and asked him to leave the compound in the name of God.
All the while, Radio Gambia kept uttering the now infamous words of that unfortunate episode in the
country�s history: �Long Live the Revolution!!!� Famara left but came back at night to drop off a
BMX bike he had stolen from a young man at gun point. There was tension between Famara and his
mother because he kept bringing small refrigerators and radios that could only be powered by
electricity and their home had none. He promised to look for a generator but came back with a
motorboat engine instead.

It was obvious Famara�s shenanigans caused a lot of consternation for his family. They did not know
what would happen to them if the coup failed and were unsure what future a Gambia without Dawda
K. Jawara would be live. They lived in agony because as much as their son was part of a movement
that sought to overturn the glaring inequalities that existed in those times and still do to an extent, they
were unsure of who would come out the victor. So they waited and waited and avoided their
neighbors� stares, embarrassed by the fact that they were deemed guilty by association with son who
was complicit in the deaths of many they personally knew. Famara could be heard some night during
the chaos telling his parents he never killed a single soul but was tired of being laughed at and
disrespected by people who labeled him a big loser. He kept shouting �I�m a man!� and �No one
disrespects me!� to anyone who would listen to him.

Upon hearing that Senegalese troops were summoned to aid a Gambian government under duress,
Famara immediately changed his tune. He dumped the AK 47 he couldn�t use and acted as the
guardian of the compound he lived. When some bloodthirsty rebels ventured to his home, he
convinced them everyone inside the structure supported them and persuaded them to move on without
any bloodletting. He led prayers at the local mosque down the street and attended funerals of some
coup victims. This attempt at rehabilitation was short lived, however. People had seen Famara
sauntering down the street with a group of insurgents and had taken note.

The endgame suddenly came with the success of the SAS ( British Special Air Services) in thwarting
the strategy of an utterly amateurish rebel movement and the gallantry of the interventionist Senegalese
troops whose actions led to the establishment of the SeneGambia Confederacy. After the conflict
ended, Famara did not flee like most former subversives and spent most his free time napping. One
after while deep in slumber, he had a rude awakening courtesy of government security forces that
were rounding up all known participants in that debacle of a take over and was detained for a short
period. After the extent of his role became known, Famara was released within 3 months. He was not
tortured, humiliated or had his family harassed. In other words, the Jawara security apparatus treated
him with dignity, unlike the circus workers of the NIA.

After his release, Famara�s father insisted that he go back to the home village in Badibu and think over
what he course he wanted to take in life because the previous path was deadly and God had given him
a second chance. He left Banjul with the help of all his neighbors. His Aku landlord gave him money to
start all over again, his Serer co-tenants gave him groceries to sustain him for the first couple of
months, the Fula shop keepers loaned his parents soap, bags of rice and oil to possess in his quest to
marry and start a family, his Wolof neighbors invited him for a prayer session at their mosque to confer
Allah�s blessing upon him, and one of his friends who was more fortunate and had a great government
job took him to a corner and told him even though their lot in life was different, he still respected and
thought highly of Famara. And so on a misty November morning 1981, Famara left for the car park
located near Grant Street for his journey back home. His mother and sisters cried as his Father held
the hands of his brothers and wished him luck.

And a young Watchman was right there. Watching everything.

Gambiaswatchman@gmail.com

......................................PROSE:
.. A WEEPING STATE
..VENDETTA TO THE POWER THREE!
........................By Essa Bokarr Sey.........................April 20th, 2008

You know�.when popular voices speak consensus should listen!
That�s not the case on our piece of land. Here is a red spot with
reflectors, where none is listening to the deafening silence that is
hovering over our heads. Silence does not always mean peace!
A red spot being called a state. Everything here is about stopping
the signs! Nothing says move! Why all these reflectors on that red
spot? Red plus red doesn�t give a spectrum or the beautiful colours
of a rainbow. Red gives the colour of blood. Isn�t there blood in the
water? There is! Whose blood is it? The cheating servant�s, the sad
serpent�s or the sad servant�s?

All I can say is, I can hear absolute demagogy in this wild arena of vendetta. There is a prism to look
through and see the weeping faces of betrayed servants, the futuristic story of sad servants and
wounded hearts. This prism is where one can see the reddish fangs of crawling adders, or vampires
that are grinding their teeth. What a parade of wild political cats with bloody whiskers! Every cat I see
is ready to spring, hunt and gather for itself. Parade halt!!!

For now no stand-at-ease. Anyway and anywhere just halt! Everything here represents vendetta in
and out of the arena. An arena where spectators are watching �glad-predators� stalking towards
vulnerable preys! Stratified layers of falsehood. Heaps of knots to be tightened! Tightening the knots
of static wheels? Is that not stagnation? Stagnant muddy pools are causing the stench! Brooding near
doom. When will my ear drums hear the word boom? Isn�t that a wan moonlight of doom and gloom?
Sometimes during the silent moments of that soliloquy�no voices are heard. We only hear hearts!
There are predictions that are not products of negativity, they are jumping elements of an
effervescence! Simply put!
Where popularity is combating production. and popular evil riding on the back of unknown good.
Sinning while spinning. Raising the bar of performance in this high tide of rising sins, is like trying to
sink so many shirks with one index finger! Hallucination isn�t enough. Give me more adjectives, put
them in that tin. Is that enough to paint this picture of fairy tales?
Right in that circle of an endless circus of wild cats with bloody whiskers, I can hear plans. Hmmm
their whispers can be deadly too. Once upon a time, I heard �freedom from hunger campaign� What a
banner! Today and tomorrow�.Let us release another banner�.�Freedom from anger campaign�
Anger and hunger divided by danger equals to thundering blunders! What a world of tall walls! What
a castle of cursed causes! How many times shall we see the gates of those gallows sliding back and
forth? Six feet deep! Six sheep for a festival! Six meals for the killers. How can conscience reconcile
this? Urging and forcing? How about merging? Left-right-left-parade halt! History and time are the
commanders of this parade of good versus evil. Both are in the minds of the beholders. Right or
wrong�all I can say is��save the backbone of Cambi
Bolongo� I can hear those eagles of war singing in the thicket. This endless vendetta makes me shiver.
It is where national security itself has become a threat! Factions versus a nation where ration is scarce!
The journey of never mind ends in the city of deep regrets! Who hates who? Who hates what?
Reaping what one showed is an assurance. Sowing the good for a better harvest is an insurance. Is
there any brother�s keeper here? Is there any sister�s keeper here? Do not nudge on that blazing
stone!
Where is conscience? Where is confidence? Do not lose the latter!
Our choices in this noise! Never throw the dice before amateurs�..

............................PROSE:
........The Cruel Crew of
........ "voo-doo science",
....all things not considered...
...............................By Essa Bokarr SEY...................April 20th, 2008

Feelings hitting feelings....a soul reminded me of one single thing again
and again. A book saying "Where there is no doctor". This was a book
istributed by volunteers who served men,women,children,goats,cows
and mules right there in the hinterland of Cambi Bolongo. Once upon a
time I remember staring at the milky way galaxy in Kuntaya village.
there I saw thought flying like a kite. It was flying at night but was not
out of sight.

There in that village I touched the book saying "Where there is no doctor" it taught me and others how
to conserve perishable tomatoes,pumpkins,and salad from the school garden. Thank you minds! you
made us keep what we used to throw away at the back yard. Hello Kuntaya my mango tree is still
there,my lemon tree is still in that thicket called "posteh". There we saw the herbs,there we studied the
herbs,there Uztaaz told me not trust "voo-doo science". Hmmm....satanic saliva is so slippery and
poisonous!
"Kooni Gorko Achu!" there is no more reason to see in this cloud of dusty fabrications. Here we are
again after reaching the boundary. Alright! Unreasobale doubt isn't sanity,neither is it vanity. It causes
mirages in lost illusions! This is where minds are dispersed! Some charge some relax. This is where
sense does not need lenses to see through the thick layers of that demonic nonsense! Disobey every
spiritual threat from Dr "Kufaarak". Take bath at midday,go to bed so late and see if this satanic
demon would come home roaming in the wilderness of time? I swear by the powers of "Rabb
Samaa-waati Wal Ard" Dr "Kufaarak" this one is a non starter. Try another chime and see if time's
huge clock will not stop before your eyes! Just try!. Grrrrrr....sssst... there is a sound coming from
those satanic lips of demon-magnets. A desperate cry from the furious satanic mouth of an associate
of demons. Smoke the den of demons, whip that associate of the demons.

The mark left in my perception is this vast difference between "Where there is no doctor" and the
other book that has been advanced by words and swords. It is book that publisher can put on a
shelve. It a book saying.."Where there is a doctor!" This book is yet to be published,it is the mind of a
doctor. This is doctor "Kufaarak",the doctor of weeping demons and slippery satanic saliva.
Dr "Kufaarak" 'Munna Illa moi bang!" Listen Dr! Listen! Can you hear me? Dr you are in slumber.
Extend our greetings to Alice in wonderland.

God save the bewitched! Spirits falling fits or fists falling on spirits? Nothing is clear in myth.

......Ebrima Conteh Again
...........................By Karamba Touray...................April 20th, 2008

Dear Sir,
Mr. Conteh has reiterated the same mendacious claims as his previous writing and has attempted to
wrap it up in the guise of accuracy in reporting. He will get no argument from me and I suspect from
almost everyone that the news needs to be accurately reported and corrections need to be swift if the
need arises. Infact the regime of Yahya Jammeh is so manifestly odious that any accurate reporting on
its conduct would rightfully shock the consience of decent people. It is interesting to note that Mr.
Conteh in all of his refrence of the regime does not and cannot dispute the following assertions which
lie at the very heart of our struggle against this evil man and his gov?t:

1-Yahya Jammeh as President has overseen the unlawful murders of dozens of Gambians for which
no one has been held accountable. Some perpetrators have been rewarded, others indemnified and
the rest are just walking the streets. I hold Yahya himself personally responsible for these heinous
crimes.

2-Countless Gambians just as red blooded as Mr. Conteh and I have been plucked from their homes
in the middle of the night by the intelligence and security services and shuffled from one torture
chamber to the other, often denied medical care or proper food. None of these victims are ever been
accused of crimes and even in instances in which their hapless families secure a court order for their
release or actually sees them wobbling in terrible states in clinics escorted by their very abductors
weak and emaciated, they continue to hold these folks.

This is inhuman and absolutely unforgivable. Just so that Mr. Conteh does not conclude that I am just
imagining these atrocities, I will remind folks of the case of Tamba Fofana who I personally know. Mr.
Fofana is a native of Bansang and has spent 25 years as a teacher culminating in his last assignment as
headmaster at a school in Kudang. Politically inactive, this good man was nonetheless picked up by
the NIA after some APRC hack resident in Kudang alleged that Mr. Fofana did not sufficiently
mobilized children from his school and have them stand in the searing sun and heat to wave at the
Presidential motorcade on a provincial tour.

On this flimsy and patently illegal basis, he was abducted from his two wives and children and
transferred from one dingy cell to another all over the length and breadth of the country. Mr. fofana
who is physically disabled was also denied medical care throughout the year plus he was in gov't
custody and was allowed no visits because the gov't kept denying they had him. In one heart
wrenching episode, his family got word that he has languishing in a jail cell at the Fatoto police station
and his wife prepared some food their home in Bansang and took some medicines along and when she
entered the station , there was her husband disheveled and severely weak. They had a brief exchange
before Tamba was hustled back into the cell. The police weren't happy that the lady showed up in
their station and declined to allow Tamba enquire about his children or eat the food his wife cooked
and traveled from Basang to Fatoto to offer .She returned home devastated. Tamba was finally
released after more than a year gov't in sanctioned abduction, sick and emotionally devastated without
being charged. He received no apology, no compensation and no one knows even if the gov't would
pay him the 25 years he put in teaching children. Even the Nazis did not treat their people like this.

3-Yahya Jammeh and his cronies have plundered from the Gambian people Hundreds of millions of
Dalasis to enrich themselves and cater their to basest instincts buying airplanes , limousines, and
palatial homes while ordinary people who are not Mr. Conteh or me or have a MR Conteh or me in
America or Europe to subsidize their living are effectively destitute.

To all these Mr conteh says the following: 'As an independent and progressive minded Gambian I
understand that the APRC is not tolerant to its critics especially journalist but at the same time I will
not condone anyone who misrepresents and make up facts, slander our fellow citizens in the name of
journalism. This approach is totally despicable period!' It is not enough Mr Conteh for you to just
understand that APRC is not tolerant of it's critics. You should not under any circumstances tolerate
any gov't that would use murder, torture , abduction and plunder as instruments of rule. Islam and
common decency does not permit you to shove aside the calamituos impact of a cruel regime because
you aren't personally affected by what you know them to be doing to other people. Yahya Jammeh is
solely reponsible for the awful image of our country not those who accurately strive to expose his
crimes. He is complicit in the murders of people, he has unlawfully approriated our people's resources
and has made himself and by extension our country the laughing stock of the world by his stupid and
outlandish claims of curative powers over AIDS, cancer and nearly every desease category using
Islam as a prop. Why doesn't this constantly bother you? Why wouldn't you make it your duty to
oppose these crimes for the good of your country and people. Why don't you realise that the
opportunies that life as accorded you flourishes in an environment of freedom, justice and the rule of
law. Why do you want to conceed Gambia and it's fate to the ambit of murderers and torturers as
long as you get to visit every now and then and pronounce yourself impressed. Doesn't it occur to you
that the progress and investment you so seem to fancy has a better chance in a Gambia that is
properly led by leaders that are worthy of the people? We are not all out of touch bitter people
opposing the regime just for it's sake. Our concerns are genuine and are based on facts and I
personally operate on the proposition that one should always have a committment to issues larger than
oneself.

Karamba

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