Alagi Yorro Jallow

Why would a lamb find himself in the wolf land of politics and politicking? The Washington Post of 30, May 2014 described being a presidential spokesman as “the ultimate burnout job”. The job of government journalist or press secretary really is about plights and pains. It is not a job for the meek. It is a permanent, constant contention with spins, contra-spins and anti-spins. It is a pain no one wants to suffer twice.

Ari Fleischer, US President George W. Bush’s first press secretary, captured the pains of the job very accurately: “The grueling part isn’t just the hours, which are bad, it’s that your mind never gets a rest. You’re always war gaming. It’s constant intellectual chess. You’re thinking of the next question that the press is going to ask, and that leads to the next question and the next question et cetera, et cetera.” Indeed, in US history, two press secretaries died on the job – both of heart attack, one right on his desk.

I do not know how many persons in government today wish to be exposed to the unfriendly, harsh realities of a media that does not take prisoners. When you work in government, all eyes, seen and unseen, are watching you. You must therefore choose what to say and what to write.
Defending any government anywhere is one of the most difficult jobs. You write and cancel words and write again. You query your every sentence and give answers to every unasked question before you push the information out.

It becomes particularly tricky and risky when the social media is the preferred channel. The social media is an agent of change. It is democracy bearing another name. That, ironically, makes it a forest of doves, lions, snakes and scorpions. The doves are very few and they do not stick out their fragile necks in defense of persons marked for online demolition. On the social media, warriors have no place in their heart to think of taking prisoners.

Experience in politics and government teaches better than the best teacher. For the journalist in government, every experience, no matter how unpleasant, enriches one’s appreciation of that thing called power and its demands. And it is not as if the system itself is appreciative of valiant efforts. It has a way of throwing the unwary to the dogs. It is the very home of treachery. But then, you become a better journalist only after going through the university of government appointment, especially if you are wise.

Speaking for a president or a politician can be very enabling. It empowers and makes the unknown renowned. You do not leave the job and need any introduction anywhere again. You are either popular or notorious or a miserable mix of both. A White House press secretary said it was the best job he ever had, “and the best job that the people who are there now will ever have. If you like politics and policy and the news media and how they interact, you’ll have the most impact you’ll ever have in your career. You get this incredible view of history being made. And when the leader of the free world turns to you in a meeting and asks you, ‘What do you think?’ that’s pretty exciting.” Around here in the Gambia, you share the limelight with the big boss to the envy of powerful people around him. That is why a press secretary is as blessed (and endangered) as the boss. You announce appointments, sign sack statements, spinning and gaslighting. Your name is a household item and on the lips of every kid who watches television and listens to radio. But the glitz ends right there. If you are the unwary, unlucky type, you soon get knifed by power and powerful interests. When Ronald Reagan was shot, his press secretary got hit with him. He barely lived to tell the story. When that happens, you walk down the dusty road lonely, alone.
Journalists working for State House rarely show their frustrations with their colleagues’ operations. But they are government people hired to “manage” the media and spin. So how do they do that when they are blinded for months? Does the perception in there suggest that these two gentlemen are just like the journalist out there who cannot be wholly trusted with information? No government anywhere likes the press. But the job of the press, really, is to make governments uncomfortable. It is when the press and the government fail to share the same bed that the people can safely say goodnight and sleep.

Otherwise, the morning could see the people asking where their freedom is. President Richard Nixon was one of the most unfortunate with the media among US presidents. He routinely blamed the woes of his government on a media which he accused of “distorted, even disloyal reporting.” From asking his media handlers to “build a mythology” around his person, a mismanaged, defeated Nixon had to say in exasperation:

“Our worst enemies seem to be the press.” He was too conceited to know that he was his own worst enemy. The media merely assisted him. The man ended up a classroom example of a president firmly held accountable by a determined media.

A spokesperson’s problem does not start and end with the questions his colleagues ask him. In the Gambia, that is just a little jab in the head. Your major headache could really be the boss and the company he keeps. If the boss is good, he could be unfortunate to have hawks as friends. The mouthpiece is a dignified night soil man who clears the mess before the day breaks.

When you do such for the system, fairness demands appreciation. But does it come at all? It depends on who the boss talks with. Manipulative friends around the boss kill the spokesperson’s spirit. These are men and women who know the media job more than anyone else. These ones pick holes regularly in the media engagements of their friend. They feed him regularly with what his press secretary did not do and what he over-did. It takes the lion hearted to keep going when these know-all behemoths bring their dirt. Now, how much of this has been lot? Joe Lockhart, another White House spokesman, once said that he knew he was doing his job well when everyone was mad at him.

“You walk into the briefing room and the reporters yell at you because you haven’t given them enough. And you walk into the next room and (government officials) are screaming at you for telling the press too much. That’s when you know you’ve hit the sweet spot.” Not everyone feels so. Many would wonder why take this thankless job in the first place.

Greater people in history experienced it. It made them better and immortal. Abraham Lincoln gave democracy its modern definition. He never had it easy with the media and media manipulators, the “dominant coalition.” But he didn’t shut himself in. On one occasion, he said after reading a series of attacks in some newspapers he asked himself:

“Abraham Lincoln, are you a man or a dog?” It was that bad, but his noble spirit took over and elevated him to a better leader.

The Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Gambians Abroad of the Republic of The Gambia, Dr Mamadou Tangara, Friday August 17th, 2018 received the Ambassador of the European Union Delegation to The Gambia, His Excellency, Attila Lajos at his office in Banjul.

The EU top Diplomat paid a courtesy call on Dr Tangara to congratulate him on his appointment as Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Gambians Abroad. Minister Tangara welcomed Ambassador Lajos and assured him of his resolve and commitment to deepen ties of cooperation between The Gambia and the European Union.

For his part, the EU Ambassador said the EU would continue supporting The Gambia’s democratic transition process and the attainment of the objectives of the National Development Plan (NDP) and realisation of the pledge made at the Donor Conference in Brussels on May 22nd 2018. He also assured  EU’s support to the promotion and protection of democracy and the rule of law in The Gambia.

Issued by: Communication Unit of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Gambians Abroad

Alagi Yorro Jallow

In the Gambia, some people are paid handsomely to sit behind a keyboard and create alternative realities, against the better judgment of what we know and feel, and they have a mandate to consistently beat these improvised realities into our brains. You really must believe this. Gaslighting:

 Gaslighting is a narcissistic personality. Only their facts are true. They insist in repeating and drilling you until you begin to doubt yourself or your own truths. It can be a type of brainwashing.

Even the brightest, most self-aware people can be sucked into gaslighting—it is that effective. It’s the “frog in the frying pan” analogy: The heat is turned up slowly, so the frog never realizes what’s happening to it. The more you are aware of these techniques, the quicker you can identify them and avoid falling into the gas lighter’s trap.

A colleague of mine tells me it’s a well-known mind-control mechanism in psychology called “Gaslighting.” I went to check this concept up on “The Random House Dictionary of the English Language, College Edition” and was shocked at the definition. It fits our present reality as snugly as a body bag would fit a dead body.

When you have read up the concept of “gaslighting”, you would have then known that form of mind control or psychological manipulation which, according to Random House: “seeks to sow seeds of doubt in a targeted group, making them question their own memory, perception and sanity. Using persistent denial, misdirection, contradiction and lying, it attempts to destabilize the target and delegitimize the target’s belief.” This is what is being currently practiced on Gambians by President Barrow and his Tactical Alliance government, and it is largely succeeding. A faceless philanthropist last year donated 57 vehicles to the National Assembly members through President Barrow. Today another faceless Arab philanthropist donate Hajj package worth of 11 million dalasis to President Barrow. Where is the accountability and transparency? Gaslighting!!

Gaslighting is a tactic in which a person or entity, to gain more power, makes a victim question their reality. It works much better than you may think. Anyone is susceptible to gaslighting, and it is a common technique of managers, abusers, dictators, narcissists, and control freaks. It is done slowly, so you don’t even realize it is happening.
People who gaslight typically use the following techniques: They tell blatant lies; they deny they ever said something, even though you have proof; they use what is near and dear to you as ammunition; they wear you down over time; their actions do not match their words; they throw in positive reinforcement to confuse you; they know confusion weakens people; they project; they try to align people against you; They tell you or others that you are crazy; they tell you everyone else is a liar.
This is one of the insidious things about gaslighting—it is done gradually, over time. A lie here, a lie there, a snide comment every so often…and then it starts ramping up.

So, even as you are reeling from the sharp pains of the pernicious and fresh injuries you have just been inflicted political leaders, even as you watch your gaping sores bleed, as you try to bury your dead; with a wry smile on their faces, but without a conscience, they stroke your hair and telepathically whisper soothing words of blackmail, straight from their laptops, into the ears of your brain. In the stillness of that moment, they tell you:

“Those are no wounds, my friend! Those are the therapeutic incisions of this administration to heal the wounds of past administrations!! You should be grateful for it. Thank Adama for it. You hate Adama if you begrudge him your gratitude!!”

Or they say:

“This is no blood my friend, you would be foolish to believe this to be blood. You must hate Adama to believe you are bleeding. You are not bleeding. These are mere menstrual blood which confirms that this administration is ovulating. We are fertile. It confirms we are seminal. We are about to birth development, hence the blood…it’s not bloods from injury. It is blood that precedes development.”

There is no end to the nonsense we hear daily, spewed out as excuses or alternatives to the actual realities we feel. These insidious characters, who repeat falsehood on a minute-by-minute basis, just to sway public opinion or emotionally blackmail the populace into accepting the corpse-laden mediocrity called “change”, they are the real enemies of the Gambia.

These fellows remind me of Adolf Hitler’s recipe for effectively disseminating propaganda. Hitler, when asked how he was so successful in his Aryan supremacy and anti-Semitic propaganda, gave a simple recipe on the matter as follows:

a. Keep it simple;

b. repeats it often; and

c. let it burn.

This is what these people are doing to us. They are paid to repeat these lies ever so often and create and disseminate a reality alternative to and different from what we experience daily, that even the strongest of resolves will collapse or buckle under the weight of repetition, with time. You just find yourself accepting the lie, which you know to be a lie, after several repetitions.

So:

But wait a second,

Have you been told that people who are complaining about hardship in government are those that stole from previous administrations? But you do know it’s a lie, don’t you? There are countries that are prospering and their citizens living well, without corruption. This is the sort of country Adama and his ex-coalition partners promised. Hardship in times of plenty is never a result of lack of corruption. It’s the result of abysmal economic management and policies. But this government will never admit this. Somehow, they are now only content that things are tough. To them, it shows the country is rid of corruption. What madness!!

Have you heard that people hate Adama Barrow because they can no longer steal from public funds, as though we are all in government employment or feed from government? In their eyes, the Gambia has never had a private sector. Everybody fed from government. Of the 1.9 million of us, none has eaten anything that did not come from government. And nothing legitimate came from government. No legitimate business was ever done with or by government. Everything was stolen. So, the tougher the hardship, the better the economic outlook is for the Gambia. What sadism!!

Have you heard that this administration is still better than the previous ones because the death tolls don’t match? This may sound ridiculous, but you will believe if repeated often enough.

It’s a crazy country we live in, but it’s never been this bad. You need to have a very strong mental attitude to contend with the unremitting wave of propaganda of this administration. It’s a blitzkrieg.

To take away gaslighting and propaganda from this government, is to unravel this government completely. It is to find that it is very hollow, like a doughnut. But in most cases, once the veil is removed, you’ll also find an unconscionable fellow, seated behind a computer, spewing out carefully crafted alternative realities, to improve the political capital of a government that perhaps knows a little about good governance, but has no true affiliation to it.

It is against this backdrop that I still maintain that these are not the best of times to be Gambian. By degrees, it is becoming very scandalous to rise and be counted among the lot.

By Omar Wally

In exercise of his constitutional powers President Adama Barrow, today granted pardon to seven convicted prisoners.

Those granted Amensty are, Sulayman Bah, Alieu Njie, Fallou Ceesay, Gibril Faal, Matarr Touray, Matarr Sowe and one Steve a Norwegian national.

They were convicted of several offenses.

“Rebrandingis a marketing strategyin which a new name, term, symbol, design, or combination thereof is created for an established brandwith the intention of developing a new, differentiated identity in the minds of consumers, investors, competitors, and other stakeholders.”

Two days ago, the Gambia government announced on the state broadcaster(GRTS) that President Adama Barrow had donated Eleven Million, Two Hundred and Fifty ThousandDalasis (D11,250,000 or $245,000)to Muslims performing the pilgrimage to Mecca. This announcement came barely 2 weeks after videos showing the deplorable state of our hospitals – no blood bags at the hospitals, nurses issued 3 pairs of gloves to use for an entire shift, no x-ray machines etc emerged. The response from Gambians was widespread outrage. The government took issue with the outrage. They claimed GRTS wrongly reported the story and promised to clarify. Up stepped Ebrima Sankareh, Gambia’s new government spokesperson. His job was to rebrandthe story to make it more palatable to the world.
The government’s statementreinforces something we’ve noticed in all of President Barrow’s speeches – that while their actions show that they they’re doing everything they can to be exactly like Dictator Jammeh, they’re also extremely focused on convincing Gambians that they’re different from him. To anyone paying attention, it seems like Barrow and Jammeh share more than a birth year.

Personally, I’m not a fan of comparing anything to Jammeh. I think we should set the bar higher and not use such a horrible person/system as our yardstick. However, since this branding seems to be more important to the current administration than working on actual change, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate some of our marketing/brandingexpertsthat have emerged since we entered this illusion we call New Gambia.

First up for congratulations is  Ebrima G. Scaramucci…i mean, Sankareh aka “The Mooch”. After much thinking and deliberation, the best argument the government spokesperson could come up with was this cock and bull fairytale, basically arguing that the cash was donated by “An Anonymous Donor”, and not by President Barrow. I congratulate The Gambian “Mooch” for lasting longer in his job than US President Trump’s former White House Communications Director. Since his appointment, this is Sankareh’s third statement and his third consecutive screw up! He deserves congratulations for lasting longer than the 11 days the real Mooch lasted at the White House. With a 100% record of screw-ups, this man should thank his lucky stars that Barrow can’t read (yes, I went there) or he would have been fired after the first statement he issued.

The man went to great lengths to spin this long-winded tale about how the D11 M was from an “Anonymous Donor” instead of President Barrow … as if that matters. Allow me to digress a bit here. The fact that this is the best story they could come up with is evidence of how clueless these people are. It does not matter whether the money is from Allah’s Bank, Anonymous Donor or whether it’s Manna From Heaven. The President, a public official, accepting gifts from Anonymous Donors is CORRUPTION, a problem. Failure to disclose the source of the funds is a problem. Giving such a huge amount to pilgrims while ignoring important national priorities like the deplorable conditions at our hospitals and failing schools is a problem. The image of the President favoring one religion while paying no attention to all other religions and groups is a problem. The President and his team not even recognizing what the problem is, is a problem. The President and his team coming up with this ridiculous, unconvincing lie that is an insult to the intelligence of Gambians is a problem.

Next, I would like to congratulate “Allah” for rebranding his bank from “Allah’s Bank” to “Anonymous Donor.” He “chose” Jammeh to lead, gave him a mission of “we have a job to finish” and gave him a blank check to use as he pleases. Now he has “chosen” Moses Barrow to be our savior, gave him the same mandate of “we have a job to finish”, and gave him a blank check and credit card to an “Anonymous Donor” to use as he pleases. Well, let me clarify that our “Chosen Ones” are allowed to use these unlimited funds, except on important national priorities like health care, education, water and electricity, debt financing etc. Gifts, mosques, cars, parties and other misplaced priorities are of course totally cool.

My final congratulations go out to our esteemed Vice President, Lawyer Ousainou Darboe. Someone get the Honorable a “musoor” and “kaala”(head tie and scarf), slap on some mascara/eye pencil, and get him to practice saying “indeed.” Oh, and don’t forget to feed him some “oggey” (porridge) to fatten those cheeks…and tadaa…. I challenge you to tell him apart from former VP Isatou Njie-Saidy! Anyone who (rightly) blamed former VP Njie Saidy for being an enabler/accomplice to Jammeh, but is unable to see or call out how complicit Darboe is to Barrow’s incompetence/mismanagement, needs to have their moral compass examined! The only difference is that Jammeh never called Njie Saidy his mentor. Barrow tells us Darboe is his political father/mentor. We’re often reminded of how much Barrow respects Darboe, and Darboe was the first one to threaten to sue anyone calling for Barrow to honor the coalition agreement to serve only for 3 instead of 5 years. Add all that to the fact that Darboe is the Vice President of this administration and it’s impossible to excuse him from any and all statements and actions carried out by this government. “Indeed,” Lawyer Darboe is Adama Barrow’s rebranded Isatou Njie-Saidy.

And while we busy ourselves with partisan words, arguments, spinning and other distractions, International Donors and other development partners are watching our government’s actions on good governance. Perhaps our rebranding will work on them too.

The National Democratic Institute (NDI) recently conducted an independent public opinion research in The Gambia to explore attitudes pertaining to the constitutional reforms and the overall political and social landscape of the country. An initiative I deem laudable and must be encouraged as many public opinions regarding our political and societal dynamics and their implications to status qua are usually based on mere speculations, and studies like these would enable us better understand the determining factors that are at play in our democracy. The research involves a nationwide survey conducted on 1,033 participants in a face-to-face interview. The findings give me mixed feeling about our people’s level of consciousness (if I may borrow from Hon. Sallah) of critical issues that affects their lives.

The results showed a high optimism for the country, credit of which is given to president Barrow with a whooping 75% approval rating. Little of the reasoning behind this is ascribed to his accomplishments beyond the change he facilitated and the individual freedoms the people now enjoy. In my view it will be disingenuous for the president to accept this credit as all credit is to the Gambian people who made the change. It is also appropriate to caution our people the potential dangers to this because making something as precious as freedom attributable to someone else means automatically giving them the option of taking it back. The people fought to gain their freedom and must defend it at all cost.

My first impression about this research was that the methodology used was not the most appropriate. That an anonymous interview would be more effective than one-to-one interview in getting the most honest opinion from the participants. Our people over the years have been molded to not be able to speak truth to authorities and in this case may resort to saying what they think the interviewer would want them to say. Clearly there is evidences that suggests this, but also evidences of brutal honesty particularly from the jola tribe (not saying other tribes weren’t honest). The result showed 47% plurality stating that the cost of living is one of their top two concerns, followed by basic services (34%), health care (27%), and unemployment and tribalism – both at 20%. This is not consistent with the realities, as we know it, on the ground. The most striking is how only 20% are concerned about the issue of unemployment when Gambia is plagued with ~80% unemployment rate. True the financial assistance most receive from diaspora could influence this reasoning. The healthcare system’s too, the state of which shocked the country last week for its lack of blood bags, about 73% said its not a concern to them.

On the other hand, a lot of rest of the opinions are in conformity with honesty and make absolute sense to realities as we see it. These includes, but not limited to, the politics of tribal allegiance. Mandinkamembers have the highest favourable ratings toward Barrow and Darboe, Fula toward Kandeh, and Jolatoward Jammeh. 81% mandinka supports UDP, 64% jolas supports APRC, 40% fulas plus 28% wollofssupports GDC, with majority wolofs relatively promiscuous. Overall, political party favorable ratings show UDP having the highest favorable rating (53% favorable) followed by the Gambia Democratic Congress (GDC) (36% favorable) and the APRC (26% favorable). Also, in agreement with these, 57% thinks there is tribalism in the country and is worsening, a sentiment majority of jolasshared. Majority of participants (68%) believes the country is going in the right direction and 22%, mostly Jolas says otherwise. Another interesting revelation is majority of Jolas supports other models of government while all other tribes supports a democratic model. Our government should to more in the spirit of nation reconciliation and inclusivity to reassure this segment of population in whom am sensing some sort of insecurity.

I am however very impressed about the level of sophistication of the judgment of participants on some key sensitive issues relating to Jammeh and the new constitution. Majority believes Barrow’s biggest challenge will be addressing Jammeh’s atrocities and strongly supports getting jammeh tried in international courts than his extradition amid fear could inflame the already existing tribal tension in the country. While majority claimed they’ve heard very little about the new constitution, majority (85%) supports introduction of a two presidential term limits. The study also revealed majority (76%) gets news from local radio stations, followed by (49%) Television, then (28%) social media. Thus, the constitutional review committee should reach out more in their sensitisation programs using these mediums effectively.

The researchers made the following recommendations – Tailoring the new constitution to top concerns expressed by the people in the reform process that will stabilize political and social landscape and facilitate economic growth; branding the new constitution such as “the people’s constitution” or “the freedom constitution”; President should communicate more and effectively; addressing Jammeh atrocities employing a neutral approach and devoid from the constitutional reforms; etc etc.

Mr Lamin Kaba Bajo has been re-elected President of The Gambia Football Federation (GFF) for the next four years.
He pulled 63 of the total votes while his opposition and former referee Malick Sillah who decided to pull out on the eve of the congress got 2 votes.

The Electoral Committee chaired by The Gambia National Olympic Committee (GNOC) President Dodou Capi Joof said it was not officially notified of the withdrawal.

A former referee, Malick Sillah’s camp alleged malpractices after five of its members were disqualified for what the Electoral Committee says “failing to meet the nomination requirements.”

The five disqualified members had earlier filed an injunction at the Banjul High Court, which was thrown out by the court. Another injunction filed at the Court but it did not stopped the election from going ahead.

The GFF says it has suspended the five for taking football matters to ordinary court, which it says is against the FIFA Statutes.

The Congress was attended by all the eligible voters with the exception of three clubs; Samger, Brufut United and Lions of Banjul.

The Congress was also attended by Augustine Sengore, President of Senegalese Football Association; and two representatives from the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and world football governing body, FIFA.

Meanwhile Lang Tombong Tamba was elected 3rd VP after winning against Foday Danjo.

Bakary Jammeh was elected unopposed 1st VP and Ebou Faye as 2nd VP. Alhagie Faye was elected as Referees’ Representative, while Sainabou Cham and Maimuna Conteh are Female Football Representatives. Ismaila S Ceesay of School Football Association is also Executive Member without any portfolio.

In his victory statement, Lamin Kaba Bajo says it is a continuation from where stopped in the last four years.

“One of our primary goal is to promote grassroot football. The super nawettan and the inclusion of regional teams in leagues is a manifestation of our vision in football decentralisation.”
On the poor performance of the national team, Bajo says he will do everything to work with the Gambian government to achieve a great height.

“We also thanks our outside partners, GNOC, CAF, WAFU and FIFA. We are calling on the private sector to invest with returns. We are already working with some for sponsorship. We will continue to upgrade on capacity building programs.”

To the staff of GFF, he advised that there will be no room for tolerance in terms of the GFF staff. He vowed not to take embarrassment for their failures to execute the work they are paid for.

“The election is over and am calling on my brother Malick Sillah and co to come and join us to work for football. Football needs you and I won’t hesitate to call you on board if needed,” he concluded.

Keneba Youth Association for Environmental Development and Sustainability (KYAEDS) has on Saturday, August 11 embarked on tree planting exercise to protect the village forest cover at Kiang West District, in the Lower River Region.

The environmental activists supported by soldiers from Pakaliba Military Camp and well wishers planted more than 13, 000 melina and 10, 000 mahogany trees to boost and protect the village forest cover.

Mr Abdoulie Minteh, President of KYAEDS commended the Ministry of Environment and Forestry for their support, saying the exercise is driven by environmental damages.

“The exercise is driven by the level of environmental damages of tree cuttings, bushfires, natural and other human activities,” Minteh lamented.

He further complained about the activities inimical to the ecosystem which he said is undermining sustainable agricultural practice in the village.

Kebba Ceesay, one of the KYAEDS youth leaders posited that tree planting is part of solutions to climate change which he said causes environmental degradation in developing countries as the Gambia is not an exception.

The President of Keneba Women Association, Ms Pakaya Ceesay said she is extremely happy and proud of her community and people who made the tree planting exercise a success.

Mr Babanding Sanyang, representative of the Department of Forestry described the exercise as a remarkable example for the betterment of the future.

“The tree planting exercise is a step in the right direction to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals,” Sanyang told the villagers.

Bakary Corr, a representative of Pakaliba Military Camp hailed the people of Keneba village for their good civil–military relations while commending all those who have contributed to make the tree planting exercise successful.

Meanwhile, Hijinkay Danso, the village head of Keneba was also present at the planting exercise.

Dr. Omar Janneh (PhD)

The Constitution of The Gambia does not give anyone the right to pick up arms and overthrow an elected government. Anyone who makes the opposite remarks is dangerous and must not be given a megaphone to spread such a dangerous destabilising message. It was alarming to read the piece “The Gambian Constitution gave Alagie Barow, the right to pick up arms to overthrow Jammeh’s gov’t; American laws do not apply in the Gambia – TRC’s Baba Galleh Jallow!” published on August 14, 2018. If the views expressed here are those of Dr. Baba G. Jallow, mine is that they are a misrepresentation of the spirit of the Constitution of The Gambiaand therefore the statement must be withdrawn immediately and further clarification by Dr. Baba G. Jallow of his position seems appropriate. My reaction to the interview piece is based on my understanding of the Gambian Constitution which happens to be in line with other individuals who are also (VERY) familiar with the Constitution of The Gambia. In dealing with this issue, I shall have to make reference to the problematic TRRC Act, 2017 because it is the source of the ongoing conversation. [Please do excuse me for the length of the piece.]

First, it has to be said that the American laws have helped shield many exiled individuals from many parts of the world out of harm’s way and so we remain grateful to countries such as America for their laws that provided a welcoming environment, a home that protects people fleeing from repressive regimes of the sort we endured for some 22 years. I think it should be the aspiration of us as a People to aspire to (much of) the rule of law and democracy in America.

I have not seen any evidence which suggests that Mr. Alagie Barrow is a serial murderer as a reason for why he should not be employed in the (seemingly conflicted) TRRC. And before we get into the arguments, it sounds to me as though the following lines may have been accidentally plagiarised because they seem to bear the familiar trademark of someone who is now in exile: “Gambian laws are not American laws. American laws are not Gambian laws. You want us to be ruled and administered by American laws in the Gambia?” These are the words of Dr. Baba G. Jallow!

Mr. Alagie Barrow’s criminal history in the US has a bearing on his capacity to take up employment in the (conflicted) TRRC because he is conflicted. How difficult can it be for the (seemingly conflicted) interview panel to admit their failure to observe due process in their recruitment and selection process (TRRC Act, 2017; section 17(1-4)?We must be clear, I do not think there is any disagreement that Mr. Alagie Barrow has a right to be gainfully employed; he has to earn his living. The issue is whether the (seemingly conflicted) interview panel followed due process in regards to section 17(1-4) of the problematic TRRC Act, 2017 in considering him for employment to perhaps one of the most important posts of the Commission. The issue remains that Mr. Alagie Barrow committed a crime in The Gambia, as far as the Gambian Constitution is concerned. Of course, we can objectively debate about the fact that he was not convicted of his crimes in The Gambia. But I think we all know what would have happened had he been caught by Jammeh. Mr. Alagie Barrow’s actions did not defend the Constitution of the country as clearly stated in section 6 of the 1997 Constitution of The Gambia, so it’s hoped that Dr. Baba G. Jallow is not relying upon section 6 of the Gambian Constitution to legalise Mr. Alagie Barrow and his compatriots’ failed coup of December 30, 2014. If it is, then there is no substance to the claim – it is wrong and unconstitutional. Please find below section 6 of the Constitution of The Gambia:

[Section 6

Defense of the Constitution

1. Any person who –
2. by himself or herself or in concert with others, by any violent or other unlawful means, suspends or overthrows or abrogates this Constitution or any part of it, or attempts to do any such act, or
3. aids and abets in any manner any person referred to in paragraph (a) commits the offence of treason and shall, on conviction, be liable to the penalty prescribed by an Act of the National Assembly for that offence.

• All citizens of The Gambia have the right and the duty at all times to defend this Constitution and, in particular, to resist, to the extent reasonably justifiable in the circumstances, any person or group of persons seeking or attempting by any violent or unlawful means to suspend, overthrow or abrogate this Constitution or any part of it.

3)     A person who resists the suspension, overthrow or abrogation of this Constitution as provided in subsection (2), commits no offence.]

As can be seen, there is nothing in section 6 of the Constitution of The Gambia or anywhere in the Gambian Constitution that permits the use of arms to unseat an elected government. It goes without saying that Jammeh abused The Constitution of The Gambia. He intimidated, tortured, oppressed, marginalised, killed us, forcefully taken our properties, abused our rights, etc. Thus he abrogated his duties to preserve the Constitution of The Gambia which guarantees us our rights as Gambians and as human beings. However, Jammeh’s wrongdoing should not give us the grounds/licence to take up arms against his government. Yes, he took over power using the gun, but that is a path we must always avoid. In fact, it may be argued that what Jammeh did in 1994 was not done on behalf of the majority of Gambians.

On the constitutionality of Mr. Alagie Barrow taking up arms to overthrow Jammeh’s government, do we seriously think that Jammeh would have permitted the retention (-if it ever existed) or inclusion of any section of the Constitution that allowed individuals to take up arms and remove him? And to draw parallels between such actions to the rights to insurrection (in other countries in the very, very distant past) is a twisting of facts. Yes, Jammeh did some heinous things, but let’s not confuse issues and also confuse people and consequently push the country off the cliff edge. Are we comparing like for like? I think enlightened individuals should help chart a better path for our young democracy, not spread untruths that may destabilise the gains we have already made. Like never before, the assertions made in the interview piece further underscore my view that the (conflicted) Executive Secretary of the (seemingly conflicted) secretariat of the TRRC is not suited to the post he has been assigned. I think it is very wrong and dangerous for anyone, especially in his position, to say that it is legal under the Constitution of The Gambia (and of any country for that matter) that individuals could take up arms and overthrow an elected government. The “argument”gets even more bizarre and twisted. For example, I thought Dr. Baba G. Jallow’s position is that “Gambian laws are not American laws”, but he seems to be suddenly in favour of the US law, the Second Amendment, becoming Gambian law? Someone needs to tell Dr. Baba G. Jallow that in The Gambia, we remove elected governments through a democratic route called elections. Indeed, the coalition has shown that it works. That winning formula should have been applied sooner. You see, teamwork works, but “teamwork” does not work! Governments that are unseated using the barrel of the gun have a real tendency to use intimidation, marginalisation, rights abuses, and so on to stay in power, because the Executive never feel secure. Violence does not work. Is this not one of the lessons we are supposed to learn from the TRRC?

A highly reliable source said that a panel of three individuals [Dr. Baba G. Jallow, Ms Musu Bakoto Sawo and a lady (Austrian/German?)] not four interviewed a candidate for the same post as Mr. Alagie Barrow. For the sake of consistency and transparency, would it be right that, for the same post, 4 people interviewed Mr. Alagie Barrow yet 3 interviewed another applicant? Could it be that the panel already picked their candidate and that they closed their minds to any other potentially suitable (un-conflicted) candidate?

We are all entitled to our views on the appointments to the (now seemingly conflicted) TRRC. I am of the view that Dr. Baba G. Jallow and Mr. Alagie Barrow are both conflicted; and the more we know about the other appointments, the worse it gets. And here is how it started: The President should have known that Dr. Baba G. Jallow is conflicted, yet he, in consultation with the Minister and the Public Service Commission seemingly ignored section 17(1-4) of the problematic TRRC Act, 2017 and employed Dr. Baba G. Jallow [TRRC Act, 2017; section 22(2)] who must know that he is conflicted. I think the Minister is a trained lawyer who is expected to know that Dr. Baba G. Jallow is conflicted. In fact, doesn’t the Minister know that we happen to know that he approached other individual(s) to apply for a post in the TRRC, but they declined to express an interest in applying for any post in the TRRC because of (perceived) conflicts of interests? By appointing conflicted individuals and allowing them to also appoint (TRRC Act, 2017; section 24(1-3), it’s obvious that the appointments from then on would follow a very slippery path and they seem to have – we have seen conflicted individual(s) appointing (seemingly) conflicted individual(s) into the now seemingly conflicted TRRC. The seeming conflicted TRRC appears to be an expanding team of interconnected (seemingly) conflicted friends/individuals. For some unknown reason(s), Dr. Baba G. Jallow seems to be blinded by reality and this seems apparent in his simplistic view of the task he has taken on. Although Dr Baba G. Jallow is entitled to his opinion, surely he must know that it is not about what he thinks of himself -although we know he is a victim. What is at stake is what the rest of us and the world think and Dr. Baba G. Jallow must wake up to that fact.

Dr. Baba G. Jallow must not make the mistake of correlating education (and military career) with the ability to carry out research and investigations on an assignment of this magnitude. In announcing the appointment of Mr. Alagie Barrow, Dr. Baba G. Jallow told us what he thought we needed to know about Mr. Alagie Barrow, but what he failed to tell us was the involvement of Mr. Alagie Barrow (and his compatriots) in the failed December 30, 2014 coup. More importantly, would it not have been useful to also tell us that Mr. Alagie Barrow has x number of relevant (peer-reviewed) publications to his name which make him the right person for the post he was appointed to – provided he is not conflicted of course? And what is the relevance of the reference made to Mr. Alagie Barrow’s military career? Was that experience an essential and or desirable criteria of the post of Director of Research and Investigations Unit and if so, why was it not stated in the advert? Is there anything implied in the reference to his military career that we/the perpetrators/victims/victims’ families need to know about? Additionally, should we make anything of his remarks that “The Gambian Constitution gave Alagie Barow, the right to pick up arms to overthrow Jammeh’s gov’t; American laws do not apply in the Gambia and Mr. Alagie Barrow’s (previous) desire to pick up arms and overthrow an elected government? I think that Mr. Alagie Barrow’s felony records (in the US) should be a concern to the conflicted TRRC (refer to section 6 of the Constitution of the Gambia and section 17(1-4) of the TRRC Act, 2017). There have been very clear failings in the recruitment and selection of staff to the (conflicted) TRRC by the (seemingly conflicted) interview panel, which may be the result of their lack of experience or apparent disregard of the Gambian Constitution and of the problematic TRRC Act, 2017.

Without saying much more, most people wanted to see Jammeh out and I think it will not be an underestimation to say that most wouldn’t care how he went as long as he got out of lives. The reality though is that the action of Mr. Alagie Barrow and his compatriots (-and we are free to salute them, if we so wish) – some of blessed memory, were not within the confines of the Gambian Constitution. I have not read the Constitution of all of the countries of the World, but I think one can safely say that it will be absurd for the constitution of any country to state that the citizens have a right to take up arms and change their government – Imagine the frequent chaos, death and destruction. [Could this be the reason why we (Africa) are so backward?]It is simply absurd, ludicrous! And to give examples of what happened in the American Revolution(1775-1783), French Revolution(1787-1799), andSouth Africaseems desperate or shows lapse in judgement. Are the contexts and times (1775/1787 vs 2014) the same? Would it then be justified (i.e., would the same argument hold) had we sustained loss of lives due to the actions of Mr. Alagie Barrow and his compatriots of the magnitude estimated to have been sustained in either the French Revolution(~40,000) orAmerican Revolution(~55,300)?

In my view, the appointment of Mr. Alagie Barrow seems to have been either a mistake in that due regard was not paid to the Gambian Constitution and to the problematic TRRC, 2017, or that it may have been biased because we now know that Mr. Alagie Barrow is Dr. Baba G. Jallow’s friend. Of course, that is not a crime; but Dr. Baba G. Jallow just needed to make the interview panel members aware of that. It would have been even better if he didn’t take part in the interview. And provided there are no other issues, and he stood over and above the other applicants, he should be employed. There are some instances in which an applicant fulfils the criteria of the post, yet s/he is not offered the post, i.e., is being positively discriminated against, because of what may be known about him/her. To ensure that the interest of the entity is preserved, it is normal for the post to be re-advertised, preferably more widely and over a longer duration. Given what we now know about Mr. Alagie Barrow, could the post have been re-advertised and appropriate feedback given to Mr. Alagie Barrow, explaining why he was not appointed or more appropriated why he was not shortlisted for interview, if possible?

Dr. Baba G. Jallow said “Let people say what they want. I am not biased; my conscience is clear; I am not fearing people accusing me, of being corrupt because I am not; I have never been; they know it. I am not trying to reconcile anything. I am done, and I am going to do what I think is right for the Commission and people have their opinions and they can express their opinions freely.” My view to these remarks is simply to make reference to the Mandinka saying which freely translates to “a bar of soap cannot cleanse itself” – “Saafouno boukaa Aafankouno”. It is the public that will judge the work of the (conflicted) TRRC of which Dr. Baba G. Jallow is a part and most fair-minded people believe that the (seemingly conflicted) interview panel got it wrong to appoint Mr. Alagie Barrow.

Rather than draw in the names of towering figures like Nelson Mandelaand Bishop Desmond Tutuof South Africa into the conversation, I think it would have been important to think about the lessons that can be learnt from the failures of the South African commission (and of other commissions), because truth commissions have one thing in common, they are not known for their successes – ours has got off to a terrible start, which suggests that failure is highly likely. It is taking the shape of a pet project of one/several conflicted individuals. I hope their partnership on this toxic project ends well. Remember, Teamwork works, but “teamwork”, does not work!

Our young democracy seems to be going through a worrying transitition. There was much hope, but the ongoing events are a source for much anxiety. Overall assuming these are the words of Dr. Baba G. Jallow and I have had confirmation that they are, I have to say, with regret, that they are worryingly irresponsible and abhorrent and we must take them seriously, not least because his position in the (conflicted) TRRC has given him a megaphone. However, I think that if the megaphone continues to be used irresponsibly, it may lead to the early collapse of the (conflicted) TRRC and with it the positions.

Disclaimer:The author is fully aware that time is of the essence and he asks for your patience because this and other pieces are long. Overall, he is simply expressing his views on issues that concern him. Due care is taken to ensure the accuracy of the pieces. If any reader finds any inaccuracies in any of the pieces, the author will be grateful to be notified via the publisher so that a correction, if necessary, could be released in the soonest possible time. Thank you!

Modou Camara, a senior manager at the Social Security & Houisng Finance Corporation was on Friday, July 17 handed a three months suspension letter by memebers of the social security board to allow them carry on with their investigations.

Camara who broke his silence to The Fatu Network in May this year accused the social security Managing director, Muhammed Manjang of favoritism and corruption. He spoke to the Fatu network as a staff represprentative, representing staff intrest at board level. He was voted into that capacity on May 26, 2018, for a  three year term.

Meanwhile investigations on corruption allegations levied against MD Muhammed Manjang are in high gear. There are unconfirmed reports that the fight against him is office politics by many who feel that they are not getting it their way. Senior Government officials from the Barrow administration are also named as being part of those plotting against him. Many who know Manjang say he is a person of  principle and has finacial discipline.

By Sana Sarr

“I have this little policy about honesty and ass-kicking, which is, if you ask for it, then I have to let you have it.”  – Taylor Mali, Def Poet

THE QUESTION

“Where Were You?”

Is the question that Gambian President, Adama Barrow, recently asked. The question was directed at his critics, singling out University of The Gambia professor, Dr. Ismaila Ceesay, who had said in a recent interview that President Barrow lacks the intellectual pedigree to lead the nation, and suggested that the requirements for the presidency include a first degree. Mr. Barrow wants to know where his critics were when “he (Barrow) challenged and kicked out the dictator in 2016.” Forgetting that Barrow had to flee Gambian territory and had to be sworn-in in neighboring Senegal while opposition leader Halifa Sallah took charge of proceedings and reassuring Gambians during the political impasse.

I’ve tried to stay out of the discussion because it has been shown to be very divisive and promotes classism between the “educated” and the “uneducated.” However, with the following line, it seemed as if the President genuinely wants, or needs, an answer to his question.

“I have asked a lot of people, and I’m still waiting for the answer.”– President Adama Barrow

Dr. Ceesay may be too classy to respond, so I’m happy to let President Barrow know where he was during the change. After all, it’s rude to keep our President waiting.

Dr. Ceesay was…

Somewhere in a classroom – teaching, shaping and inspiring young minds. The same young minds who got up to walk into the voting booths, one by one, and cast their ballots that got Barrow elected.

No, the change did not begin when Darboe was arrested. It was triggered by factors that began years prior to that, including discussions held in classrooms and lecture halls at University. Discussions that inspired young people to look at things differently, then carried those ideas in conversations at home and in the streets, and subsequently sparked some changes in the minds of many voters who again cast their ballots when the time was right. With a Doctorate, the man could have easily stayed abroad, away from NAWEC and Malaria, but he chose to come back to contribute to this “change” that you now so proudly brag about.

THE REVELATION

If anything, President Barrow’s animated response to Dr. Ismaila Ceesay only served to support Dr. Ceesay’s suggestion that Barrow lacks the academic pedigree to lead the nation. While I would not make an undergraduate degree a constitutional requirement for the presidency, I certainly agree with Dr. Ceesay that Barrow lacks the intellectual capacity to be a head of state, and it’s not only because he did not attend university. After watching his speeches and actions for almost 2 years, Barrow has not demonstrated a satisfactory understanding of national and international subjects. By all indication, Mr. Barrow is not intellectually curious. I wish one of our journalists would ask him when the last time he finished a book was.

This rant by the president revealed a few important issues.

Firstly, the fact that he questions A TEACHER about his contribution to national development shows how limited President Barrow’s understanding of how development works is. It shows that he only sees those who stand on the political pulpit, including himself, as the drivers of change. He does not even understand all that’s involved in getting them elected. Obviously, Mr. Barrow, with his limitations, took it literally and believed that like Moses to the Israelites, he single-handedly saved Gambians.

Secondly, accusing a TEACHER of doing nothing also shows Mr. Barrow’s lack of appreciation for education. Of course this should not be a surprise. Those who never obtained higher education can fall in one of two categories. Some admire those who obtain higher education, and strive to improve themselves in other ways, and make sure their offspring do not miss out on opportunities. Others develop this insecurity and harbor a resentment for those they fear look down on them. Sadly, Mr. Barrow, with no more than a high school certificate, belongs to the latter group. The worry here is for that mindset to negatively affect his approach and attitude to the national education system. With a leader who does not value or even understand the value of education, we’re in for a long ride trying to rescue our failing school system.

Finally, the rant served to debunk the misconception that Barrow is this mild-mannered, humble man. Character is revealed only when one is truly tested. With statements like…

“I am the one who made this change…”  – forgetting the thousands who came out to vote.

“I financed 80%…and nobody can say they sponsored us…” – I know there was a GoFundMe that many Gambians contributed to.

“We only received 3 applications to lead the party (no intellectuals applied)” – forgetting that he just told us that he needed persuading to take up the position.

His Accidency, President Adama Barrow, revealed his true self – a thin-skinned, insecure, uneducated man who lacks not only the intellectual pedigree, but also the temperament to lead.

One thing I’ve noticed with new Gambia, there are people who come wielding hammers and hit you on the head for raising questions. They take any questioning by others as a personality defect– a person simply unable to celebrate with others, lacking true patriotism, too politically partisan, filled with bitterness towards others’ success…

Okay, there’s the petty trolling that some people will always do on social media, and you must learn to ignore this or swat it off with the disdain it deserves. Then there’s the legitimate questioning that must be relentless, substance-driven and truth-seeking; questioning that ultimately moves a nation to a higher plane of accountability; questioning that frees Gambians from accepting shocking impunity; questioning that demand openness about the contracts government signs with investors.

African countries are rich with dirty contracts that have now left a bitter taste in people’s lives soon after they celebrated big launches. Yes, national development partnerships with other nations are normal and desired and smart; but what’s in the deal is something we have a responsibility to question. Africans, please, we’ve been raped and robbed so long it’s offensive to want to be a willing player in the games of exploitation when we claim to have sovereignty.

When some Gambians legitimately continue to question the government contracts, these questions should not be discarded and seen as unpatriotic simply because the project is complete, looks beautiful, promises advanced service for less, and you want to avoid party-poopers. You with the hammer knocking off those who question should ask yourself why you are afraid of answers.

Why are some so quick to suppress inquiry even on the most glaring blunders such as ridiculous Gambian translations that make a laughing stock of our collective African identity. Really, you think this is minor? Try going to China and make shoddy Mandarin translation see how quickly your black behind gets fired. Where’s our pride? Diminishing our culture and identity got us on our knees scrubbing the path for others to prosper.

The Gambia’s corruption at this moment is downright nauseating. Just stomach-churning obscene. People walking out of banks with sacks of money in thousands and nothing happens. Politicians engineering a famine, and nothing happens. People poisoning our environment, and nothing happens. It’s disgusting, people. Disgusting! Stop dancing around this government’s golden bull for a moment and dare to get the answers you need. What was “sold off” to get it? What will it continue to cost us? Did we get the best deal? Why does it look like the neighbors got a better product for less? To the questioners, soldier on.

Alagi Yorro Jallow

Mamudu: The 2018 West African Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination results were as revealing as they were astounding in exposing the nakedness of the future of the Gambia. Check the statistics: Out of 13, 335 candidates who sat for the (WAEC) exams out of 13, 335 candidates that sat to the exams only 475 had five credits including English Language and Mathematics. Minimum requirement for admission into a university. Many others who had six, seven, eight or nine credits but didn’t pass either Mathematics or English Language.Mass failure! Ninety- six percent total

failure:

How do you make a nation great with a failed youth population? I checked the statistics over and over and wondered aloud who should carry the can of this national calamity. Reading the report was not enough shock as the reactions I got around me from a generation that sees tomorrow only from the prism of cash, real cash.

A society cannot be greater than its leaders’ values. A society mirrors its leaders. And by leaders, I am looking beyond the political leaders who are already beyond redemption.

I am seeing teachers as a special class of leaders, gate-keeping for the nation in the education sector. Students rarely excel where those who teach need to be tutored on the correctness of what they teach. Teachers are like launderers of the linen of the future. Woe betide that future that is washed in mud waters.

I blame teachers, especially those in the public schools, for the mass failure as I blame the government for providing manure to grow a generation of sterile brains. My friends who chose teaching won’t be happy at this conclusion of mine. They will spare me their anger. Is it not said that no one celebrates growers of rice bereft of grains? And the teachers can do better if only they would know that learning is a life-long task. Sedentary intellectualism does not just stagnate, it puts the habitual laid-back on reverse gear.

Teachers will do better teaching if they continually add value to themselves. They can learn from even WAEC which annually puts its examiners and markers through the crucible of refresher courses. And the result shows in the seamless manner it has been conducting its affairs.

Mamudu: We cannot blame a specific group for the mass failure, it is a collective responsibility. We are all guilty and we need to look for a way out to solve the problem. We need to work harder to ensure that students at that level are well catered for by the government, by the system, the school and teachers

Mamudu: A concerned parent pilloried that students were no longer encouraged to take their studies seriously since they believed that there were other ways of succeeding in life. Seeing what the entertainment industry has to offer, she said, they prefer to go that way rather than study to pass their examinations.

Let teachers do their bit. Let governments govern well, removing our kids from writing examinations on bare floor. Let parents see their wards as their future and be more serious in their own obligations. Let the nation promote the right values. Not doing all these puts the nation in sure trouble.

I pray the mass of the candidates who did not pass or could not pass or failed to pass will not be the next generation of troublers.

Minister Tangara, as the Special Envoy of the President, meets with President Obiang

The Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Gambians Abroad of the Republic of The Gambia, Dr. Mamadou Tangara, on August 13th, 2018 met the President of Equatorial Guinea, His Excellency, President  Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, at the Presidential Palace in Malabo.

Honourable Tangara was in Malabo as a Special Envoy of the President of the Republic of The Gambia, His Excellency, President Adama Barrow. The visit was meant to further strengthen the already cordial bilateral relations between the two friendly countries and peoples.

The visit accorded officials the opportunity to explore ways of
strengthening and widening cooperation between the two countries.

Issued by: Communication Unit of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Gambians Abroad

ENDS

—
Saikou Ceesay

Communication officer
Ministry of Foreign Affairs,International Cooperation and Gambians Abroad
No. 4 Marina Parade
Banjul
Mobile: +220 932 5988
Website: www.mofa.gov.gm
Twitter: @MOFAGAMBIA
Facebook: Ministry of Foreign Affairs – The Gambia

Young Africans are speaking out in their thousands today (Sunday August 12^th) on International Youth Day, pledging to share a global message that calls for an end to female genital mutilation (FGM).

Thousands of individuals, groups and organisations have shared pledges to end FGM on social media, in hopes of shattering the silence that surrounds the practice. International Youth Day celebrates the role of young people as essential partners of change, and the young Africans hope to seize the opportunity to amplify their calls to their peers, parents and leaders to speak out on the issue.

The campaign has already reached more than 3.6 million on social media, with thousands of those engaging by posting videos and using the #ihavespoken message, moving the campaign closer to its target of sparking one million conversations to break the silence surrounding this form of violence against women and girls.

One renowned ‘end FGM’ campaigner hoping to make a difference today is Natalie Tingo, Founder of Msichana Empowerment Kuria. An ardent and fearless women’s rights activist, Tingo set up Msichana Empowerment Kuria to end violence towards women and girls.

Speaking about the campaign, 25-year-old Natalie Tingo, said:

“I will create safe spaces and build the capacity of young girls and women to be change makers as well as engage young men to end FGM.”

Sine the campaign launched on Monday 23rd July, the young Africans have received an overwhelming response. An estimated 120,000 people have read about the campaign on major news websites across Africa with a combined online readership of 18.2 million. Many more will have seen the campaign as it made headlines in print newspapers across countries such as Kenya, Nigeria, The Gambia and South Africa.

Heeding the young activists’ rallying cry, Kenyan media personality Sheila Mwanyigha and musician Suzanna Owiyo have both spoken out, passionately stating that they will raise their voices to end FGM, before closing out their videos by asking her hundreds of thousands of followers if they would too.

Making her pledge, Sheila Mwanyigha said:

“Ending FGM starts with each of us committing ourselves to doing something. I choose to use my voice. The question is, will you?”

Aware that issues that aren’t spoken about prevail the longest, young activists have also used music and art to promote their message, with the ambition that theirs is the generation that ends the harmful practice of FGM.

The campaign is backed by The Girl Generation, the world’s largest Africa-led global collective of partners brought together by a shared vision that FGM can – and must – end in this generation’s lifetime.

Dr Faith Mwangi-Powell, Global Director of The Girl Generation said:

“It’s amazing to see how quickly this campaign has taken off and I am so proud to see so many young people leading the charge.

“There is real momentum behind this campaign and it shows absolutely no signs of slowing down.

“From the minds of young activists, the campaign is set to spark one million conversations that shatter the silence that surrounds FGM, ultimately making the world a safer place for our girls.”

The Girl Generation is supporting the African youth to achieve their aim by:

• Sparking conversations about FGM and breaking the silence that surrounds the issue
• Growing support for, and putting the spotlight on, the Africa-led movement to end FGM
• Unlocking further resource and policy commitments to end FGM

ENDS

For more information contact:

Stephen Dillon

Email: [email protected]

Tel: +44 7720 610 626

NOTES TO EDITORS

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)

• FGM is an extreme manifestation of gender inequality. It is a human rights violation that can result in a lifetime of physical, psychological and emotional suffering.

• The practice persists in silence. In community after community, parents continue to cut their daughters under the false belief that their neighbours think they should and will ostracise them if they do not. They simply aren’t having the conversation.

• At least 200 million girls and women across 30 countries have undergone FGM, and 68 million more girls are at risk by 2030: a girl is at risk of being cut every 8 seconds.

• Progress is being made: today a girl is one-third less likely to be cut than 30 years ago. But global efforts need to go further and faster because population growth means that if progress is not accelerated the number of girls undergoing FGM will continue to increase.

• Efforts to end FGM are being led from within affected communities and countries, and thousands of communities across Africa have already decided to abandon the practice. Everyone has a responsibility to support this Africa-led movement for change.

• The language we use when talking about FGM matters. It is important to be careful not to victimise or stigmatise FGM survivors or people from practicing communities, instead empowering them and emboldening them to end the practice. By doing so, we will protect vulnerable groups from harm and resistance.

• Ending FGM is an essential part of empowering adolescent girls to take control of their lives and maximise their own opportunities, allowing them to speak up and have autonomy over decisions.

The Girl Generation

• With nearly 900 member organisations, The Girl Generation is the largest-ever Africa-led collective to end FGM, united by and working towards achieving a shared vision that FGM can and must end in this generation.

• The Girl Generation is a platform for accelerating social change, bringing together thousands of voices under one positive identity and building their capacity to more effectively challenge deep-rooted beliefs that hold FGM in place.

• This is the largest generation of African youth ever (40% of the continent’s working age population is between the ages of 15 and 24) and The Girl Generation’s youth members are the most active. They are energised and ready to act. As the parents of tomorrow, if they decide to and are supported not to cut their daughters, the cycle of harm will end.

• The Girl Generation has been working closely with its End FGM Youth networks to help them design and launch this campaign which together we hope will break the silence surrounding FGM, grow support for their movement and unlock resources and policy commitments to end the practice, inspiring over 1 million people to speak out and act to end FGM.

• The campaign launch follows the first ever pan-African Youth Summit on ending FGM which took place in Nairobi, Kenya two months ago where over 100 young activists from 17 countries developed their strategy to mobilise leaders and communities to take action.

• The Girl Generation will stand with them to deliver the campaign, supporting them along the way and building their capacity to act as the effective ambassadors against FGM they all seek to be.

• The Girl Generation

UNICEF study

• According to UNICEF’s study on the dynamics of social change towards the abandonment of ending FGM in five African countries, the media as well as traditional forms of communication are powerful tools to bring about social change.

• The role of public declarations in moving towards the abandonment of FGM is highlighted in the study as a way to inspire others into collective action.

• Learning lessons from UNICEF’s study, the young campaigners have concluded that the culture of silence around FGM allows it to prevail and people’s reluctance to speak about the violent practice means that laws alone won’t end it. This campaign hopes to powerfully break the cycle of silence, encouraging everyone to play a part by speaking out and taking action

• Through this campaign the African youth aim to use the media and social media as a tool that provides a forum for debate and discussion as well as a platform to inspire others to speak out and take action.

UNICEF study on the dynamics of social change towards the abandonment of ending FGM in five African countries.

Stephen Dillon | Junior Account Executive
6th Floor | Aldgate Tower | 2 Leman Street | London | E1 8FA
0203 890 6789

07720610626

The presidency is the highest office in the land. It is a position of honour, respect and dignity. The truth is that, the seat of the presidency is a seat of trust and honour given to an individual to occupy for, and on behalf of, every Gambian. It is clear that all Gambians cannot occupy one seat; thus, we come together using set principles and means to choose (elect, to use the democratic term) one from among us to occupy it for us.

Such an individual is given all the tools and all resources necessary to run the affairs of the nation. S/He is paid well and provided with all incentives to do a particular job which is simply to protect our rights and give us all the goods and services we need for a dignified live. Every waking moment of such an individual is paid for by taxpayers’ money. S/He should therefore concentrate his/her entire time to serving us.

A leader of a people is their servant. S/He should serve them with respect, dignity and honour. S/He should provide all the goods and services which will make life better for his/her people. They should have the courage and confidence that when the need arises, s/he will listen to them and solve their problems, console them when they need it, give them a shoulder to cry on.

When a person is chosen (elected in our terms), s/he should have the heart of an elephant and the ego of a bird. The heart of an elephant will enable to him/her to be very tolerant of every type of dissent and even unreasonable criticism. For one thing, not everyone in the country is at the same level when it comes to reason and sensibility. Some are capable of behaving maturely and with a perfect sense of detachment. Yet, there will be others who are not so reasonable and not so diplomatic in conveying their message(s).

The president should have the ego of a bird because s/he should always understand that it is not about him and his person, but about the office, the presidency. As we have indicated already, the presidency is a position belonging to each and every Gambian and thus we all have a right to speak to it and about it. When we speak, we speak to and about the presidency and not the person of the president. So, when you occupy that office, you must understand the subtle difference. Just think a little while prior to your coming into that office, no one interfered in whatever you were doing. But now that you occupy their seat, the people speak!

It will help if from the start you cultivate the belief that all Gambians love The Gambia. Thus, whoever speaks about the nation, it is because the person wants the country to be better. Your ideas might differ in many ways and areas, but the intention and destination are the same: a better Gambia. With this perception in mind, the ego (that of a bird, remember?) will allow you to listen to these dissenting views – some put across respectfully with detachment and others not so much – are all precipitated by that love; that intense desire to make the nation better. Even if these ideas and views are misguided in your estimation, listening to them can’t do you or the nation any harm. If anything, they will enhance your performance, your understanding of the issues that you are to tackle. So, what do you have to lose? I used the bird as an example because even though it is small, it high up there, can’t be touched by criticism of its size colour or prowess in flying.

As I said in the beginning, the presidency is a position of respect, honour and dignity and it behooves anyone addressing it to do so with some amount of decorum. But even if someone doesn’t, it behooves the president to act or react with dignity and some form of restraint. We can’t expect our president to respond to everything that is said to, and about him. We expect our president to be bigger than that. Journalists will of course raise these issues to you, remember they are looking to sell their newspapers. That is why they are tempted to follow the sensation.

If the president is to respond to every jibe thrown at him, he won’t have time to focus and concentrate on the real issues of nation building. There is a time and manner to respond to everything. The difficult thing is being able to differentiate the two. At certain times, it is the actions that will respond for the president.

It is not about the president having or not having a right to respond or not, it is about the high responsibility placed to his/her shoulders. It should make him/her better and of a higher moral ground that the ordinary people. After all, you are high up there and we are down here!

Tha Scribbler Bah

A Concerned Citizen

Dr. Omar Janneh (PhD)

The signs that a (truth) commission may end in failure are when it fails to take any conflict of interest and impartiality seriously. Similarly, if seemingly biased appointments to the Commission are greeted with suspicion by some fair-minded victims, victims’ families, and (perceived/alleged) perpetrators of wrongdoing, but ignored by the Executive, that is also a recipe for Commission failure, not least because persons recommended by the Commission for prosecution for bearing the greatest responsibility for human rights violations and abuses [TRRC Act, 2017; section 15(1)(h)(i)] could justifiably appeal against the recommendation of the Commission on the grounds that the investigations carried against them were headed by a (conflicted and possibly biased) Director of Research and Investigations Unit who was employed by a (conflicted) Executive Secretary who in turn was employed by the (seemingly conflicted) President who has been excessively empowered by the TRRC Act, 2017 – which the Executive cannot follow. Do we care to imagine the legal cost to the country of such a legal challenge? It is for this and many other reasons that voices that cry for unfairness and impartiality, from any source, must be noticed and addressed in a timely fashion by those at the top, otherwise the Commission may fail. And I think it would be reasonably justified to label leaders that fail to heed such cries of foul play as self-serving, and possibly dictators who put their personal interests above the interests of the citizens they are supposed to serve.

Twenty-two years of Jammeh’s brutality have left The Gambian society in a fractured state. We seem to be getting along reasonably well, but a badly run TRRC which is in the making may soon reveal and potentially make worse the dark years of mistrust that was the order of the day in the Jammeh years. In other words, a badly run TRRC may once again reveal the underbelly of mistrust with its sinister consequences that were the hallmarks of the previous regime. I am of the view that when truth telling starts, our very fragile security system is ill-equipped to address any societal security challengesthat the TRRC may reveal. Indeed, it may cause a social upheaval we have never experienced in our history. Once more, such a scenario may be the result of allowing a hugely inexperienced Secretariat, Investigators, and potentially inexperienced Commissioners and Chairperson to preside over such a complex task. Again, the lack of trusted security forces to support the TRRC’s work, with no relevant support for the victims/victims’ families/perpetratorsmakes our TRRC a truly toxic adventure.

Yes, we need a truth commission that establishes the truth of what happened in our dark history (1994-2016) and seeks corrective mechanisms to bring about justice and national healing, so that we can say never again. But doing that needs appropriate timing. A previous posttalked about the timing of the TRRC. Some might recall that the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission of Kenya (TJRC) was set up in 2008. The Commission was mandated to investigate, analyse, and report on what happened between 1963 to 2008 in regards to gross human rights violations, economic crimes, illegal land acquisition, marginalisation of communities, ethnic violence, etc., including the context in which those crimes were committed, but it had no mandate to prosecute (click here, and herefor some information). It is hopefully obvious that some of the victims, victims’ families, and perpetrators were of blessed memory by the time the TJRC was set up in 2008. And by the time the Commission got underway and completed its work, it is natural that others too may have responded to the forces of nature (passed on). The reason for bringing Kenya’s TJRC here is that it took Kenya some considerable amount of time to establish its Truth Commission. The timing of when to do things is an important trademark of a good leader and so the saying goes that a bad leader does the right thing at the wrong time. The truth is that truth commissions are notoriously difficult to set up – even for countries with some capacity, and hence the reason why many commissions face criticisms and invariably fail (click here,here,here, and hereand references therein for more information) because capturing the victims’, victims’ families and perpetrators’ perception of fairness and impartiality as well as their expectations – the cornerstones of any commission, are very difficult balancing acts. Nevertheless, timing is important and on balance, good leaders are good listeners; intuitive; they also surround themselves with a good team and together they try and do the right thing at the right time, as a team.

Given some of the apparent inappropriate advertisements and the manner in which the appointments to the Commission are being made by (conflicted) individuals appointing (seemingly conflicted) staff and the negative public reactions that follow the announcements of such posts, I remain totally convinced that the TRRC is likely to be a failure.  Therefore, embarking on the TRRC at this time would be wrong. I know that this is a bitter pill to dispense/swallow, but we must remember that in our bid to get to the truth of what happened in the 22 years of dictatorship, both victims and perpetrators – in effect all of us, must go about recording the truth, seeking justice and go through the process of reconciliation in the right manner so that our society and national interests remain intact.

Let us visit the problematic TRRC Act, 2017 for a moment. In fulfilment of its objectives, the Act mandates that, where necessary, individuals be summoned or subpoenaed to the Commission (TRRC Act, 2017; section 15(1)(g) – remember this may probably follow the conclusion of the work headed by a (conflicted) Director of Research and Investigations Unit who was appointed by a (conflicted) Executive Secretary who was also appointed by the (seemingly conflicted) President who was granted excessive powers by the TRRC Act (2017) they seem not to be able to follow. For example, when the President appointed an Executive Secretary of the TRRC (TRRC Act, 2017; section 22(2), it seems that he, the Minister and the Public Service Commission paid no regard to the TRRC Act’s disclosure of interest clause (TRRC Act, 2017; section 17(1-4) because we all know that the appointed Executive Secretary of the TRRC is conflicted. To add insult to injury (– at the very least, this is how alleged/accused perpetrators would see it), the (conflicted) Executive Secretary was permitted to recruit staff to the Commission. Yes, the TRRC Act, does empower the Executive Secretary of the TRRC to appoint staff to the Commission as it may require (TRRC Act, 2017; section 24(1)(3), but it is my view that the appointment of a (conflicted) Executive Secretary makes him a biased individual who should therefore not be permitted to recruit staff to the Commission. In my view, if the (conflicted) Executive Secretary must remain in his post, then it would have been wise to not permit him to continue to recruit staff to the Commission. In other words, it should be within the spirit of the TRRC Act, which aspires to see justice served by following due process, to not permit a conflicted individual to recruit staff to the Commission. Without quickly implementing such a safeguard, the mandate of the problematic TRRC Act, 2017 was followed and we saw that it led to the (conflicted) Executive Secretary also appointing a (conflicted) Director of Research and Investigations Unit, one of the most important posts in the TRRC. Clearly, these appointments have now severely undermined the credibility and impartiality of the Commission in the eyes of objectively-minded individuals, and most probably the UN, ECOWAS, AU and donor agencies – if they are observing us. We also know that the problematic TRRC Act, 2017 empowers the use of police assistance to enforce its powers (TRRC Act, 2017; section 15(1)(h). So if any objectively-minded victim(s) or (accused/alleged) perpetrator(s) of rights abuses fail to observe section 15(1)(g) of the TRRC Act, 2017 for any reason – say, because they feel that the procedures and processes are impartial and we know they are, the police may help (TRRC Act, 2017; section 15(1)(h), so that section 15(2)(a-c) of the TRRC Act, 2017 can be observed. But do we have the loyalty of our police (security) service to carry out such a function? Just to give a few examples, is it not the same police service that recently opened fire, injured and killed some innocent protestors in Faraba Banta, which is now the subject of the Faraba Banta Commission? Is it not the same security service that arrested and detained Dr Ismaila Ceesayand also arrested and severely beaten the journalist Pa Modou Bojang? Further, it is implied in the TRRC Act, 2017 that state institutions such as the police, army and the NIA may be subjects of the Commission’s investigations (TRRC Act, 2017; section 15(3)(4). Does anyone convinced that these seemingly conflicted institution(s) can be trusted to provide security or be relied upon (TRRC Act, 2017; section 15(1)(h), so that the Commission’s mandate can be observed (TRRC Act, 2017; section 15(2)(a-c)?

In a recent piece, a call was made for The Gambia Bar Association to come out and clarify its position on the TRRC Act, 2017 and the appointments to the TRRC so far. Although it would be unreasonable to expect the Bar Association to organise itself within a short time and make a statement, it has now come to light that the Association may not be able to make a statement anytime soon as the Bar Association seems to be in a state of disarray at present. I hope that harmony shine its brightest lights on the Association soon. But is it not bizarre that Parliament has chosen to remain mute over these apparent failings in the setting up of the TRRC?

I think it is appropriate to say that we are at a crossroads; choosing a wrong course of action may deepen the fractures within our society and may potentially lead to mob justice. If we say that it is the time of the victims of Jammeh’s brutality to have their cake and eat it – and so we should appoint to the Commission those who we think may give us the outcome we desire, we may be doing the same unjust and unethical things we associated with the Jammeh years. I think the international community will look down on us; I think we must care about what others think of us. An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth will leave us all blind and toothless. Furthermore, such an approach will not contribute to breaking the cycle of wrongdoing, mistrust and violence that gripped our country for 22 years. A wrong course of action may either cause the rebirth of a new type of hatred –a result of the likelihood of hearing things we hadn’t known/imagined occurred- which is likely to add fuel to the smouldering cycle of wrongdoing, mistrust and violence in The (new) Gambia.

I think getting to the truth of the rights violations under Jammeh requires that we have unbiased and impartial investigations of the truth. When (accused/alleged/perceived) perpetrators and victims raise concerns of procedures and processes of a commission, we must all sit up and listen and take corrective measures that aim to address those concerns. Such a corrective measure could have been not to allow a (conflicted) Executive Secretary to continue to observe the mandate of the TRRC Act, 2017 in regards to appointing staff to the Commission (TRRC Act; section 24(1)(3), which has resulted in further failings in the setting up of the TRRC. It is said that good leaders have the intuition to be able to see blind spots even before they come into view. Overall, if it means that, in the interest of the nation and to correct a misstep, people have to lose their jobs, then that must happen. Failing to take corrective measures will undermine the process and if that process goes ahead willy-nilly, its recommendations may be worthless.

The problem with having conflicted staff in a TRRC is that even if some of the interests of such (conflicted) staff and of the victims are not met – because of Commission failures, the other interests of some (conflicted) staff are (being) served: they would be receiving salaries/payments for their work; and driving in (fancy) metals –an apparent symbol of status in The Gambia. Are these morally and ethically fair?

The eyes of the international community (UN, ECOWAS, Amnesty International, donors, etc.) are on us. Given our many challenges, I do not think we can afford to run the TRRC to a successful conclusion without the support of donors (TRRC Act, 2017; section 27(1)(a)b). Think of this: how much work do we think may be involved in fulfilling the requirements of section 15(1)(f) of the problematic TRRC Act, 2017, which states “request information from relevant authorities of a foreign country and to gather information from victims, witnesses, government officials and others in foreign countries”? How many victims and victims’ families are in the Diaspora and how easy would it be to reach all of these people and gather information from them? Who would pay for the work? I think most foreign countries (privately) believe that our TRRC is probably headed in the wrong direction and so would be unlikely to waste their public resources into a hopeless exercise. Further, I think the donors may be cautious to donate to a Commission that is impartial (appointments of conflicted and seemingly biased staff; but they may offer little by way of comment on a problematic TRRC Act, 2017) and doomed to be an exercise in futility.

Let us be honest with ourselves. The Gambia government cannot even afford the basics (e.g., medical gloves, blood bags, syringes, needles, unfalsified medicines, etc.) for our healthcare sector; equally other sectors are in a state of total decay. Therefore, is it wise to tamper with a toxic societal problem we have no capacity to run or control if it goes out of hand? Some say, the proof of the pudding is in the eating. I say the signs are that this pudding has gone off – it stinks. If you eat it, you may end up in a hospital that does not have sufficiently trained doctors, drugs and adequate facilitiesto get you better. Therefore, you are better off with the main meal for now.

Alagi Yorro Jallow

Mamudu: The tragedy of the Gambia is that there has never been a critical mass huge enough to embrace the intellectual and civic responsibilities of our transcendence as a nation. The bane of our transcendence in the Gambia is that too many people who imagine themselves grand envisioners of project nationhood are better off as companions of, in championing transient and limited ethnic and political agendas.

Justice is the first condition of our humanity. The Rule of Law is on ideal in an array of values that dominates liberal political morality: others include democracy, human rights, social justice, and economic freedom. This is the quality or state of being transcendent envisioning of society that generations of our leaders have not been able to rise and embrace, bogged down as they are by invidious base instincts.

Mamudu:  Paul Manafort, Donald Trump’s campaign guru is on trial; in the U.S.A. What? Zero bail – locked up for more than 2 weeks. Why? Tax fraud, money laundering and illegal lobbying. Again? If convicted, he faces a time-consuming jail term. So? Because we have many, many ‘Manaforts’; in the Gambia. What! Their files will gyrate and somersault from the offices of the Auditor-General, CID, Police, National Assembly Select committees, Director of Public Prosecutions and the Courts – till 2021-2026 Encore? Paul Manafort is on trial. In the U.S.A; other Manaforts in the Gambia cozying up to regime.

Mamudu: When it comes to exposing and fight corruptibility and criminality? Adama is ‘hapless’: Mamudu why would Adama want to treat thieves with kid’s gloves when they steal from the public? Why would Adama discreetly disappoint when he did appoint rather ambiguous? The Gambia: is endowed with resources that are ‘endeared’, by a few of his cabal. People no longer do subtle corruption in this country. Corruption is the norm. Every sector is involved, not just the political class. The civil service stinks.

Mamudu: Adama’s hope and change has given some us fear and loathing. It is the common thing to assume that corruption is a leadership challenge. Most times people blame and curse leaders. But corruption is more endemic. It permeates the entire society from the leaders to the followers so to say.

 We want a country that is free from corruption: We want a kind of leadership to end official racketeering, fraud, malfeasance and crookedness? We need a critical assessment of ourselves as Gambians.Adama, you have not provided a kind of leadership that is suitable? Where did you go wrong? Adama, corrupt officers are misbehaving engaged in profiteering, nepotism and venality. They are stealing public resources. They have accessed power to put money in their pockets. This is not the leadership Gambians want. We are sufficiently not afraid to speak about the wrong things they are doing.

Mamudu:  Rule of law and Justice codifies the core values of good governance. Rule of law is a principle under which all persons, institutions, and entities are accountable to laws that are publicly promulgated: Mamudu; a united Gambia is  greater thing than a divided one, a strong National Assembly is a greater thing than a weak one, a country governed by the rule of law is a greater thing than a kangaroo one, a corruption free country is better than one infested by thieves, and a strong economy is greater than a people struggling with poverty.Adama;If all you want is to rule people, you want a small thing! Please deliver yourself from such a wrong mindset.

Mamudu: If every outrage is tolerable and defensible because you support the President (everything you would not have countenanced under  the previous president suddenly has legitimacy for you now), if every violation is rationalizable for you because you have empathy for the government in power, if the leaders in political spaces is sweet music to your ears because of a long history of animosity between politicians  and  ethnicities in the country and just because  of your own ethnicity is not at the receiving end of such violations today, if every outrage is tolerable because you and the victim of the outrage are not of the same faith, you have no business in the business of trying to envision the future of the Gambian society.

Mamudu: The Janneh Commission of Inquiry established to investigate, systematic, disorderly pillage and marauding of the Gambia’s economic and financial resources allegedly caused by Yahya Jammeh and his close allies during his administration; was a new beginning of an anti-graft commission but is heavily criticized and branded incompetent and unable to fight corruption and economic atrocities in which individuals or collectivities of people purposively acted. Given that high-profile corruption continues unabated in the country; while the government and the Janneh commission looks on helplessly, it is easy for Gambians to conclude that perhaps the main purpose of the commission is to form a firewall around corruption cartels, especially when the commission gets sucked into the mess and has to investigate itself.

Justice, Wole Soyinka says, is the first condition of humanity. Sadly, this is not his most famous ‘quotable quote’ among political leadership. What many Gambians learn by rote is that other quote from his book, The Man Died. The two quotes, as indeed the entirety of Soyinka’s work and vision, are rooted in a transcendent view of society and her future.

When Soyinka says justice is the first condition of humanity, he does not pause to enter qualifications, caveats, conditions, equivocation, and hesitation. He posited that transcendent vision of justice, fairness in a society foregrounds humanity beyond the base of instincts fed by ethnicity, religion, and politics.

In other words, when Wole Soyinka says justice is the first condition of humanity, there is no pause to determine one’s race, religion, ethnicity, and politics before the statement is deemed applicable to anyone. There is no equivocation because there is a very long history of hate, animus, and irreconcilable opposition amongst society’s own ethnic groupings. There is no hesitation because for one to belong to Christianity or Islam, two faiths. There is no qualification because of one’s political leanings or affiliation.