Former Niamina Dankunku Constituency member of Parliament in the first Republic and founder of the default National Democratic Action Movement (NDAM) Lamin Waa Juwara is reportedly gravely ill and gone blind while in state custody. Mr. Juwara locally known as Waa was serving a six months sentence after being accused of economic crimes while serving as Lands and local government minister in the Jammeh regime. He has been in legal tussle with the Jammeh regime close to two years since his dismissal as minister. The case has largely been regarded as a witch hunt and politically motivated by the Jammeh administration.
Waa, one of the most known politicians in the history of the Gambia served as commissioner in almost all five Divisions in the Gambia. He joined the United Democratic Party after its formation in 1996 through the 2001 Presidential elections. After a controversial boycott of the general elections by the UDP in 2001, which he reportedly opposed, Mr. Juwara formed his own political party NDAM. He led his party through the 2005 opposition coalition talks which led to the formation of the National Alliance for Democracy and Development (NADD) which threatened to form an alliance to contest the 2006 presidential elections against Jammeh before it broke into mini-alliances. Waa was reported to have played a key role both in forming the alliance and allegedly contributing to its collapse due to his difference with the main opposition party leader the United Democratic Party.
After the collapse of NADD, Waa Juwara joined the Jammeh regime effectively abandoning his party NDAM. He was appointed as commissioner by Yahya Jammeh and was among those who defended the outrageous execution of the 9 prisoners by the Jammeh regime in an attempt to stamp out crime. The execution backfired on the regime as it was met with international and national condemnation. Juwara was later appointed as Lands and Local Government minister until his dismissal and subsequent arrest and jailing for six months. Being an elderly man, Juwara’s health reportedly could not handle the hard prison conditions in Mile II and reportedly developed severe illness which could have led to his blindness. Waa’s health deteriorated so poorly while in state custody that President Jammeh ordered for his immediate release before anything happen to him while in state custody. He was let out of prison on Wednesday August 25th, 2016 and allowed to return home. His condition as we go to press remained critical and it is not known whether he has been accorded medical attention or not.
Lamin Waa Juwara’s story is the epitome of political misery and sadness many Gambians have to endure. Otherwise a brave and distinguished civil servant and politician who spent all his life in pubic service, Mr. Juwara like many others was forced to succumb to political oppression by Jammeh’s dictatorship. With little or no option of making a living for himself and his family and without according him the dignity of any form of retirement compensation and benefits, he swallowed his pride and had to join the Jammeh regime to make a living. He was one time one of the bravest and most promising vibrant politicians who was never afraid to confront any politically tensed situations. Unfortunately, all his service to his country and people was made futile by a military regime which has no regard and respect for the service of its citizens. Whatever may happen to Waa Juwara he will go down in history as one of the longest serving civil servants/politicians in the history of the Gambia. The sad reality is that the latter part of his years in public office is marked with controversy and as a result his positive contributions like many others to his nation is lost in translation due to bad governance by the Jammeh dictatorial regime. History is the best judge but Waa was one time a political force to be reckon with.