By Yero Jallow
“You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time,” (Aba Lincoln, America’s 16th President).
Since Jammeh’s removal earlier on in February 2017, there has been some discontent, political chaos, and unrest, both within the coalition administration, and the disgruntled elements of the 22-year old dictatorship of the APRC, some form of trickledown effect seems to be the order of our political sphere. The existing environment is unhealthy for democratic dispensation and it comes with lasting consequential impact; far more destructive than the mediocre political elements can calculate and visualize in their wishful daydreams. Unless and until there is a resolve, there are likely some serious Government and Citizenry missteps, which will be very detrimental to the Governor and the Governed, a relationship that needs special nurturing; that a leader was as good as he represents the plight of its citizens.
So far, throughout the Gambia, there have been some political fights, notably in Niamina, Basse, Farato, Kanfenda, Talinding, recently some bubbling up in Kanilai, and there are likely many more in the pipelines, as show of disappointment, which shouldn’t be treated lightly. Some of it very divisive and threatening to our national sovereignty; and some of it an exposure of citizens’ gullibility, unyielding to exercise of political maturity, and the silliness to buy into anything shiny. Sheer gullibility! In as upset as we can be about the past 22 years, there is no room for revenge and/or retribution. That is a serious failure and such growing mindset needs immediate therapy. The only way is justice and that requires a competent Truth and reconciliation commission, something that some of us have been advocating for over the years.
There are many that are pinning Foni in an ignorant way; they do not know what entails Foni, and what transformational history Foni had underwent, not to talk about Foni’s make up, and how Foni is equally a victim, like all other places in the Gambia. It is to be made very clear that Foni, hate it, like it, is a part of the Gambia, and will ever remain a part of the Gambia; that Jammeh and his criminal enablers and accomplices, some of whom are still walking scot-free and being paraded as good within a new realm, some selective amnesia from some higher animals within Orwellian “Animal Farm,” similar to what they called, “old wine in a new bottle” will not be Foni’s report card; that is the height of divisiveness and ignorance. I think Norwegian Saihou Samateh (Freedom for Saiks) did it for us on a good note, on his Face book post of June 1st/2nd 2017.The deliberate mistake that is being made is the bluff in talking cheap rubbish when some of these empty heads were accomplices to the 22-year old criminality when the going was tough, over a very, very long time. It is a serious misnomer on the generalization of Foni, which equals marginalization, part of the boils that the Gambia will have to deal with, stereotype, hate, anger, divisive traits, and some of these hypocritical groupings that are turning themselves to be hate mongers and community policing agents. Marginalization and alienation of any one region and/or people by default of their geography, identity, and/or beliefs, is unacceptable, and again just get it once and for all. It is both a sign of lacking substance and recipe for divisiveness. The open provocation must be an element dealt with the soonest if we really need to progress. It is low life, low standard, and the easiest way to fail. I leave that to God, and Time (the old arbiter of all matters) to prove it. Lest we blindly and intentionally ignore, Fonis’ greatest sons and daughters died and many others continue to fight for Gambia’s liberation; therefore the rationale in marginalization is both a demonstration of poor assessment, a serious miscalculated misnomer, one that likely creates the kind of political unrest recently seen, due to the danger that it puts citizens in. When you do not know, it is better to measure up, as some of the open clamoring has severe consequences. Anyone that committed any crime, the law should be employed and it doesn’t matter where you are from.
We really need to go to sleep not being interested in pleasing pleasantries for some bone crumbs, positions, and/or expectation of being some person’s good book, especially when intention to dissect is based on clear conscience. We need to go to sleep thinking of Gambia’s generations yet unborn. Most of the time, it is disappointing about blind loyalty when loyalty should be for country. That is it; and competitions should be based on merit and competence. No one should be afraid of such competitions of competence and there is no need to go through the back door. The ugly and divisive politics where some are looking for more enemies and division, is not only uncalled for, it is not helpful for our existence. I have asked people to produce the numbers of all those people that served and were victimized by Jammeh both at the civil service and the operational criminal gang, proportion that, and realize that Gambia’s committed crimes and enablers are from all geographical places in the Gambia, with Foni being more victimized than any other region, and lesser representation in Government.
Straight forward to the point, I condemn the Killing of Mr. Haruna Jatta in Kanilai, and I condemn any destructive riots and creeping hate and divisiveness. I also petition the Governor and the Governed, all equal stake holders, to investigate thoroughly, rather than jumping to conclusions based on bias and emotions, in ways that further entrenches our country into political chaos; and there is no room for cheap and irresponsible comments. Lawlessness and negligence is neither acceptable from the Governed nor the Governor. ECOMIG’s shooting of Mr. Jatta should be condemned, investigated, and the law employed accordingly to resolve the matter. One would expect a body like ECOMIG, is really prepared for such, within their mandated operations. We do not set wrong precedencies and Gambia’s Police Force should be equipped to handle such internal disputes.Contrary to what is being argued openly by many that these demonstrators were armed, that hasn’t been seen in the video footages, and tons of them are online. It is not honest to be dishonest in such matters as an easy pass of scoring points, it simply won’t work. Some of divisive tone needs to washed with soap, we do not need a divided Gambia, and citizens must not allow anyone to divide them. Among other things, the reason for the protest is that they (the protesters) want Jammeh back, for ECOMIG to leave, and safeguarding their locality, due to tenseness of the ugly politics. I think the courts are a way of resolve and any citizen that feels violated in some way can seek redress by open protest without destruction of life, property, and infrastructure, and also through Gambia’s court systems. The law is our arbiter and no one can take the law into their hands.That is for both the Governor and the governed. Let us remember, some life was lost, in the case of Mr. Haruna Jatta, a Gambian Citizen we are told, and this was not through any courts. That is a dangerous precedence. In as much as we despise any rallies of destructive protest, we also detest the killing of any Gambian, and we must not be economical in its condemnation. That is a no, a no go area, it cannot be accepted, encouraged, and/or even seen as close to resolve. We have run through situations similar in the past in the case of the student demo of April 10th/11th 2000, and the then Vice President made such similar irresponsible comments on National TV. That comment to date, remains a crime within midst. We also lost Solo Sandeng in a protest, though the political set ups are different. The dossier submitted in Deyda’s death, was one where the Governor (the Criminal APRC), lost credibility, blaming Deyda for his own death. These should have all served as lessons to act on. The emotional haste reactions and open attention-clamoring is a recipe for political turmoil and failure, and such is unacceptable and criminal in the eyes of the law, it combines lies, bias, and criminality intentionally.
Jammeh’s 22-year Government is gone. They were long since done and finish. They didn’t go down into ugly history without engagement from concerned people; they ignored and acted with arrogance and criminality. Now all those that committed crimes and are in complicit must be cleared through a competent court and/or Truth and reconciliation commission. They must too, agree to face the full wrath of justice. Barrow’s 3-year administration will also be done one day. He is advised in good faith to keep to his three years as signed on the MOU and allow elections take place, with the help of the national assemble amendment. He is also advised to heed to public outcry on quickly appointing a VP as it stipulated in Gambia’s constitution, failure of which his administration will be threading on slippery slopes. If any crimes and/or injustices are committed under Barrow’s watch, they will also be tabled before the law one day, when most of the so-called friends ala opportunists will in fact be the first to disown you, just like Jammeh has been disowned . That is why any wise leader will cut off the blind loyalty, the praise-singers most of whom are only after their personal interest, and try to reign with humility and substance under a law. The drunkenness that comes with power and the excesses is something that any leader should look at the mirror for. That is part of what the great Madiba left with us. African leaders especially and their followers must draw lessons. We must not fail and/or divide our citizens as a way of creating leadership vehicles (palass) selfishly. That is very unpatriotic and unfair to citizens, for anyone paid from tax payers’ money to do. The combined force that sent Jammeh packing is not gone anywhere, and citizens will continue the engagement for country and countrymen. Long Live the Gambia and her sovereignty!
1 Comment
Shorter paragraphs and a few bullet points would make your article more digestible,,,,,,there is a tendency in many of these posts to a sort of undergraduate wordiness and stylistic indulgence…..who exactly is your audience? You need to reach out to the people who wield power in the world…they do not have time to trawl through monster paragraphs!!!…sorry to be so blunt.