After years of cash buyouts, backstage passes, scaring tactics, municipal council lobbying arm extended to vulnerable opposition members, the regime have been taking care of political business by —purchasing vast influence on Gambian population despite its failure to deliver for Gambians. Having failed on all measures to deliver for it citizens — good medical care for senior citizens, good education system for kids, industrialization to create employment for young growing population, business friendly environment, vibrant government, the APRC is trying another end run, seeking and employing tactics that will avoid public scrutiny.
Gambia now under APRC stewardship is a coin/cash —operated country where the regime inserts the nation’s and municipal council dalasis — at musicians, some religious leaders, community elders and some elite to sing their praises by peddling their failed ideological divisive driven agendas. Today, nobody is in tune with APRC than some of our once respected elders of communities. They return favors protecting the regime at all cost by silencing everyone who expresses their thoughts or concerns against the regime and discouraging robust speeches challenging the regime. These are now the regime’s citizen foot soldiers, misanthropes and blinded grass-roots supporters. Such collusive activities by the regime foot soldiers in our midst — on internet sites, in our communities, in our families, in schools, offices, taxi pools as the list goes on …… use every inappropriate opportunity to wield the regimes broad powers of on the innocent Gambians. Their actions provide a familiar clear trail— revealing the revolving door between them and the regime.
This is a highly orchestrated effort by the regime to cling on to power with divisive means. To avoid scrutiny and evade nightmare of the Gambian people some religious leaders use certain holy scripts which totally refers to a point in history. Community foot soldiers plant drugs in opponent’s cars or homes. Certain NIA agents threaten the citizens in the country and diasporian Gambians with bombardment of threats from the regime — of sexual and other physical violence, hateful language and, in some cases, racist tribal rhetoric and accusations of unpatriotic bad sons of the nation.
Some Gambians — many intellectuals, other people with high technical skills, and educators whom the nation needs so badly for its development, get so deeply troubled and stay away from their rightful duties of shared sacrifice confronting falsehood by the level of vitriol — exposed over internets — and in our country. Each time an intellectual steps forwards to contribute their quota on Gambia, the regime floats sensational stories about them, even when those stories turn out to be riddled with factual errors and laced with baldly deceptive rhetoric into our online radio mediums to discredit them. We all know examples but still it is not an excuse for them not to contribute their talents in helping to save our country from clutches of dictatorship. The other issue is accountability with any smidgen dealings done in the name of Gambia especially when money is involved. Over online media must be properly informed on schedule meetings to avoid the media doing their job by prying out information later.
The world now knows Gambia has a leader who abuse, insult, belittle and exploit Gambian citizens through — fear, killings, arbitrary arrest to silence the majority. Once upon a time, Yaya Jammeh vowed to Gambia those sorts of people mentioned earlier would have no place in his administration. Transparency would put an end to business as usual in Gambia. The world is very familiar with is attitude: He will regard diasporian and online news as lairs who no one should believe, but at the same breath admits —he orders execution of certain acts against citizens.
Make no mistake about taking Gambians for granted: We are not deterred by all these forces against us. We will not be silenced with threats from regime or its friends, not today, not tomorrow and not ever. We are confident the native sons and daughters of our country — understand the malicious intent of these few misanthropes: to use fear, killings, dishonor and shame to silence and control us. We value our women who are raped and we shall marry them with dignity. We stand with those who are wrongly jailed in horrible conditions and we shall return respect. We join men that led solidary calls and fell short in American prisons. We stand among angles to make Janazah salaah for those whom we lost at high seas through back way journey. For our Politicians and April 14th-16th protesters, we stand in solidarity and salute your sacrifice. Don’t allow the hateful voices of a few intimidate you into silence or inaction. We all need a little thick skin and unite for this common good to free our country.
By Habib (A Concerned Gambian)
