Gambian social media. The debate. The discourse. And the discussion. It is becoming shamefully worrisome. The profanities. The demonising. And the smear campaign are transforming our social platform into a fierce battle ground. You either conform or you are an enemy of progress. “To make a difference, we must elevate the discussion and keep it professional. We are all professionals, young and smart. I see no reason why we can’t debate and positively come up with solutions to better ourselves. No one is winning this blame game. We are only allowing the past to re-emerge”, Momodou MB Krubally warned. He could not have said it any better. Beside, some of us cautioning the leadership to excel and delivery harbour no grudge against them. Moreover, non of you hauling profanities from the cliff love the Barrow government more than me. However, I, unlike you, do not blind love Barrow. Since I dearly want him to succeed, I will not excuse anything that is likely to slip him into failure.Every Gambian wants the best for the country. Good healthcare services, excellent electricity and water supply, good road networks, employment opportunities, peace, security and stability. Unfortunately, these are never achieved by giving a blank cheque to a government or sanctifying it. In sum, that mutates self-hate. And self-hate is destructive. Furthermore, it is foolhardy to assume we can all view the world in one wavelength.

The Kanilai saga has generated varied emotional reactions. As some quickly faulted the disoriented villagers, others accused the leadership of inappropriate handling of the protest. Firstly, Kanilai is not autonomous and cannot be isolated by the leadership. Similarly, as a home of Goloh Ajuma where a lot is said to have gone under the bridge, it generates a lot of security interest to the leadership. Secondly, Kanilai is reported to have housed most of the state sophisticated armoury. Arguably, by virtue of it proximity and ethnicity to Casamance which known for its rebellion equally highlights the village as a security interest in nurturing peace and stability in the country. Consequently, any iota of incitement to further weaken the already fragile security of the country will be met with stiff measures. By this I am not insinuating brutal and unlawful killing of unarmed civilians. But proportionately managing and controlling such uprisings effectively. For instance, a good and professional Intelligence Unit would have quickly pick up the brewing of such protests with potential to reck national security at its embryonic stage. Engage the ringleaders or deploy the necessary and trained officers to control and manage the crowd. Additionally, the leadership could have also averted the fermentation of insecurity in Kanilai by neutralising its potent through engagement and dialogue.

Like Madi Jobarteh puts it, make them realise that it is manifestly sickening to continue agitating “in support of Yaya Jammeh is unacceptable because it is utterly shameful and painful. Yaya Jammeh is not a person in the league of Edward Francis Small or any patriot. He had the unique opportunity to rule the Gambia during which time our people gave him full support from Banjul to Basse. Yet he decided to flout our Constitution, dishonour our dignity, trample upon our sovereignty and disregard our religious and cultural norms and values to unleash a reign of terror on Gambians. He directly raped, tortured and murdered citizens as well as directly plundered national resources with impunity for 22 years. Therefore the least we expect from you lot is grief and remorse and not a rowdy bunch celebrating a killer”.

 
On the other hand, the leadership can also make the appreciate their government is not an exclusionist which bestow undue favours on only one region against the rest of the country. What they have been enjoying under Goloh Ajuma was likened to stealing from family and friends. As a result it is morally and ethically unacceptable. Notwithstanding, where government can assist in making them self-reliant through the sponsorship of community and individual projects should do so. Since Senegal has a vested interest in broking peace and stability in Casamance given their army’s historical encounters in the region and Goloh’s alleged involvement, it is wise to replace the Senegalese ECOMIG presence in Kanilai with either Nigerian or Ghanaian soldiers. To continue perceiving Kanilai as the enemy and further isolating it, will only harness it into a formidable rebel base against the leadership. Most importantly, our international gateway must be taken from the Swiss company and given back to GAMTEL to manage. That way, the Intelligence Services can filter any calls from outside inciting internal unrest. The Intelligence Services should be vigilant and proactive in their quest to harness security of the Gambia.

Sulayman Jeng
Birmingham, UK

Dear Editor,

The security guards at Banjul international airport are gearing up for a stand off because the management do not care about our welfare.

The security officials are graded from H which is the least salary received at civil aviation and with less benefits,  also the condition of the electrical work and other equipment are in a very bad stage which is detrimental to us the guards, other individuals and for general aviation safety.

We have been complaining about it but still no improvements. Some of The guard posts are without toilets which is a basic human need and nothing has been done about it.

The worst of it all, there is a serious sanitary condition with the uncovered sewage system. Each time the auditors come to audit they tell ask us to cover up stories to backup their failures.

The unit (Security) personnel are now fed up and are appealing to the auditors not to only link with the management, but to contact us directly. This way they will have a proper auditing once they liaise with the guards on the ground for correct and reliable information. They will know whatever is happening at The BANJUL international airport. Not just made up stories. This is just Part (1). Part 2 will come soon.

Thank you for the space.

No development in the Absence of Potable Water….

No form of development can take place in the absence of a constant, clean and uninterrupted supply of potable water. Even the United Nations recognises this as a basic fundamental human right. The provision of potable water is so vital that it affects all sections of human life.

If people lack potable water for an extended period of time, the consequences can be very dire indeed. The first casualty of this horrendous problem will be the health of the population. The transfer of communicable diseases will ravage the country and further stretch our already beleaguered health sector. This in turn will batter our depleted economy and will result in the skyrocketing of goods and services.

With a sick population, the workforce which is the engine of the economy will dwindle fast and, God help us all if our economy is unable – and it is certainly not robust at present – to withstand any further lashing from an inflated medical bill from our hospitals. Let’s face it, without potable water nothing can be achieved. It is not an exaggeration to say that water is life. Nothing can be achieved in the absence of clean and potable water.

Yet, for the past few days, if not weeks, the constant lack of water supply has assailed many parts of the country. The National Water and Electricity Company (NAWEC) seems unable to solve their seemingly perennial problem of supplying water and electricity constantly. What is being done about this?

Gambians are tired of the same old story of Generator Number Six, Five, Three or that there was a linkage in Brikama, Bundung or other places which is making it impossible for them to provide us with water and electricity. It is time government takes serious action to solve these problems once and for all.

The Gambia is such a small country that it is unfathomable that our government cannot even provide this basic need. Isn’t it time that the government started looking for other solutions as far as the same old system has repeatedly failed us?

Can we consider privatisation and see if that is the way to go? It is futile trying to do something the same way for fifty-two years with no result and we are still adamant and persistently repeating the same method. It is time to start thinking outside the box!

We need water and electricity ASAP!

Have a Good Day Mr President….

Tha Scribbler Bah

A Concerned Citizen

The political, security and socio-economic situation in the Gambia is a serious cause for concern. Events are unfolding at breathtaking pace and President Barrow (of The Gambia) and his government seems to be reacting to them, instead of shaping these events. His constant travels outside of the country for meetings, state visits or diplomatic engagements leaving a dangerous vacuum in political and executive leadership makes the issue of the Vice Presidency even more pressing. His refusal to relieve Hon. Fatoumatta Jallow Tambajang of the Vice Presidency Overseer position and her lack of political maturity and inability to graciously vacate the office for the greater good is a dangerous sign of hunger for power and prestige or at the very least political grandstanding and nepotism.

I made the point before that I believe she should do the right thing and give up her aspiration for the position due to the huge reputational damage hanging on to it could do to her otherwise respectable legacy in the fight to rid our country of dictatorship and political backwardness. It is safe to say that not so honorable Tambajang is dead set on ripping her political capital bare bones. She seems determined to hang on to the Vice Presidency no matter the political cost and regardless of how weak it makes President Barrow.

The truth is that the president’s inaction in filling the highly important Vice President post within his cabinet with a sworn deputy president that could properly and fully execute his or her duties and that of the president in the president’s absence or in such a situation that he is incapacitated is not only a sign of weakness, ineptitude and an act of tomfoolery but is constitutionally questionable. I am even prepared to call it a dereliction of duty! Mr President, your cabinet is not ‘fully constituted’.

When an elected leader is deliberately unwilling to assuage the wishes and clear expectations of the people that elected him or her into office on matters of high national importance to the political stability and socio-economic equilibrium of society that is an ominous sign of dictatorial tendencies. How can we have any confidence in an evolving leadership predicated on breaking agreements and an administration resorting to quasi democracy (democracy of convenience)? First, the president softened on the 3yr Coalition Agreement, got quite on Declaration of Asset for himself and his ministers and refuses to appoint a Vice President when it became clear his prearranged choice was unqualified contrary to what both the president and Mrs. Tambajang’s surrogates had claimed.

It is obvious to any Gambian of average intellect and political understanding that the reason the Vice Presidency is still dangerously vacant is because it is ‘reserved’ for Mrs. Tambajang. This arrangement is seriously bordering on nepotism and a clear sign of individual interest eclipsing that of the good of the nation. No one can argue that Mrs. Fatoumatta Jallow Tambajang did not contribute to the new political reality. However, this is not a compensation scheme and there are other competent and qualified Gambians deserving to be given an opportunity to serve in this important position without causing a perilous political scenario from becoming a full fledge crisis. For Allah sake, enough is enough!

Mr. President, in case you do not recognize the writings on the wall, you are losing political capital, political support and increasingly looking weak in the eyes of our people and the world. Lest you forgot, your base is merely 19,000 more Gambians larger than the dictator’s. That is not a very admirable political base to feel awfully comfortable and you CANNOT afford to lose any more support from some of us that constitute that base or else…!

Written by Anonymous the Patriot

Facebook can be a place to provide many of differing political persuasions to be a safe place to express views and exchange thoughts with others. So please keep commenting away, and continue to debate with spirit…. and civility.

 
Facebook at the same time inspires crass and even abusive rhetoric, spurred on by tribal and political groupings. The notion of a village Bantaba as a place to hear differing opinions now exists more in the digital space than the physical. However, we see increased polarization and self-selection in our network of friends. The more I read the comments or statues on Facebook the more I am convinced that this country is hopeless.

 
Cyber-activism or blind activism is a disease which needs to be treated as soon as it is detected. Its symptoms are “forming and voicing one’s own opinions”, “refusal to giggle and blush at bigotry comments”, “rejecting crap from anyone”, “having own views and decisions and standing by it”, self-mobbing in moralities, gossips etc. etc.!

 
The most effective treatment prescribed against cyber-activism is personal whipping using keyboards, use creative counter punches soaked in “epistemological -techno-ethical” morals.

 
Granted, only a certain percentage of people are on social media. However, the number of percentage of Gambians that are active on Facebook and Twitter is pretty much a good indicator of the current state of our society. The semi-anonymity that the internet provides only served to reveal the true nature of Gambians.

And the image is not good.

 
Probably the most accurate image of a Gambian is that of a fanatic. This can be seen in religious Muslim ceremonies such as Gamos, Seyarre, processions of traditional Christian ceremonies. Never mind that you grabbed on people’s eye sockets, if you get to wipe your sweaty towel on the face of the poon or ineffectual person. Never mind the reasoning, the logic, your religion is better than their religion, and your interpretation of Scripture is better than theirs.

 
This same fanaticism now translates to politics. The cult of personality surrounding the President has transformed social media into an echo chamber. What was supposed to be an avenue to connect with family and friends became a battleground for political fanaticism. Labels were put on people, instead of analyzing each opinion as it is. You had to take sides.

 
In the Gambia “patriotism” has an ethnic, religious, and regional identity. When someone who shares the same primordial characteristics as the president or leader of a political grouping “patriotism” becomes important, and holding government accountable to the people becomes “treason.” If the president is from the “other” side of the primordial divide, everything is neatly reversed.

 
Mark Twain was right when he said, “Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel.” If your “patriotism” is situational, if it is inspired only by the primordial affinities you share with the person who is president, you are, to borrow from Twain, a “scoundrel.”

 
If you are not with us, then you are against us.

 
It weakens me to see that we have devolved discussion into name calling, with Jaliba’s ghostwriters turning each opportunity to propaganda. There is no more reason or logic. Only pseudo reasoning that to some people, is indistinguishable to the real thing. The more reasonable people on both sides are left on the bottom, with comments that pander to the hive mind earning the top.

 
And thus, the cycle of propaganda continues. Repeat a thousand times and it becomes the truth.
The Gambian society is now a big circle, one hand in between the legs of the person beside them, moving up and down. And in the middle, the country, waiting for their release.

By Alagi Yorro Jallow

Our nation cannot enjoy peace and stability and therefore development without our people, individually and collectively accepting truth and justice. The incidents in Foni since Yaya Jammeh left raise fundamental moral questions from a historical point of view for the consideration of the people of the region. It is important that the people of Foni as a whole reflect on the role and position of their region over the past 22 years in order to reposition and rebrand themselves for their own good and for the greater good of the Gambia. The narratives emanating from Kanilai in trying to blame Adama Barrow and ECOMIG is a diversion that does not help the region and the Gambia. Let Foni do self-examination in order to free themselves from the corrupt indoctrination of Yaya Jammeh from whom they benefited unfairly at the expense of the nation yet suffered miserably at the same time. This is the Uncomfortable Truth!

 
Yes, I have issues with Barrow and his government for not taking certain immediate actions to protect vital national interests. For example I strongly hold that the moment Barrow took over power, he should have ordered all Yaya Jammeh properties to come under state custody until proper legal determination is made on their fate. These include the presidential compound and Sindola Camp in Kanilai and all properties, shops and farms of Kanilai Farms and KGI among others. They should have all been under the guard of the State. This is because all those properties were intertwined with the State as Yaya Jammeh had utilized public resources to operate those entities. This is apart from the fact that the acquisition and ownership of those properties by Yaya Jammeh was simply possible because of his position as president. Hence no one should be in any illusion that those properties need to be thoroughly investigated to properly determinate their status.

 
That apart, the fundamental moral question facing Foni is to decide between the Gambia and Yaya Jammeh? Will Foni take the Gambia or will it forsake the Gambia and embrace a tyrant called Yaya Jammeh. I think Foni must reject Yaya and embrace the Gambia and here are the reasons.
For the first time in our history we had a president, Yaya Jammeh who diverted state resources to his home village, Kanilai where he built a palace, a range and zoo as a state house. He made the place a centre of state activity and diverted state services there. Secondly Yaya Jammeh had showered public resources and provided social services to Foni beyond and above what was made available to the rest of the Gambia. Foni was the only region of the country that enjoyed an almost uninterrupted electricity supply where all villages and towns were equipped with streetlights. Foni was the only region in the country that went unopposed in favour of Yaya Jammeh. Foni was the only region in which the opposition was not allowed to campaign. Foni was also the largest beneficiary of government scholarships as Yaya Jammeh sponsored scores of their sons and daughters for higher education at home and abroad with secured positions in the public and security service. Hence in the entire misrule of Yaya Jammeh, Foni was indeed a direct and an unfair beneficiary of pubic resources disproportionate to its land and population size and economic contribution to the Gambia.

 
While Foni was indeed a beneficiary of the dictatorship, the fact remains that Foni also became among the most oppressed regions of the country such that no son or daughter of Foni dare openly oppose Yaya Jammeh. He had insulted consistently the people of Foni. Yaya had also seized communal lands in the region and made his people work on those lands by force. One of the most humiliating and painful episodes in Foni was the allegation of witchcraft where hundreds of the elders of the region were poisoned, tortured and killed. Above all, he had directly killed several natives of Foni with impunity.
Hence when we analyze these facts, the message one must give Foni is to recognize that, on one hand they enjoyed undue advantage over all other Gambians. For that matter they owe Gambians a sense of remorse and even an apology for the way and manner they aided, abetted and benefitted from the dictatorship. While Foni enjoyed those goodies, many Gambian communities were being deliberately denied these public services such as their next door neighour Kiang. Many Gambian sons and daughters were being maimed and killed by Yaya Jammeh, hence the least Foni could do is to stand with Yaya Jammeh. More than any time in our history, today is the day when Foni needs to solidarise with the rest of the Gambia by rejecting Yaya Jammeh and not to celebrate him. To celebrate this tyrant would be gross insensitivity to the victims and the grief that APRC and Yaya Jammeh unleashed on Gambians. Conscience demands that Foni repent and surrender Yaya Jammeh to justice. That way Foni would have atoned for its complicity in the atrocities and looting by Yaya Jammeh, and become one with the people of the Gambia.

 
The other moral question Foni faces is about its own dignity and pain, i.e. the extent to which Yaya Jammeh tormented the people of the region. For example, Foni must remember the looting of their lands and the murder of their parents, sons and daughters in the hands of Yaya Jammeh. For that matter, Foni must reject Yaya Jammeh and stand with the Gambia to demand that Yaya Jammeh be brought to justice. But to continue to defend Yaya Jammeh means Foni is therefore perpetuating their own humiliation, pain and destruction. Conscience dictates that no one celebrates a killer. Hence if Foni celebrates Yaya Jammeh then it means they are celebrating their own killer and looter.

 
Thus we need to help the people of Foni to recollect themselves to realize that Yaya Jammeh represents only humiliation and pain for them. While he unfairly showered public resources on them by denying the rest of the Gambia on one hand, at the same time he also subjected them to disrespect and pain. Foni must realize that Yaya Jammeh merely used them as a buffer to protect his dictatorship. Thus Foni was used as a tool in Yaya Jammeh’s carnage. Yaya saturated the military with his kinsmen and brought many more from Casamance only to make them weapons for his misrule. Thus Yaya never loved Foni and whatever goodies the people of Foni may think Yaya gave them, they must realize that these were all part of a scheme to protect his evil regime.

 
Thus from a moral point of view, Foni must not continue to stand with Yaya Jammeh. They must reject him totally and stand with the Gambia. Failure to do so, then Foni is telling Gambians that they care less about the rest of us. That will not serve the greater good of Foni and the Gambia in the long run. While it is true that the government and all Gambians must adopt inclusive strategies towards APRC folks in Foni, but above all it is those folks who need to also come forward to get involved in building the new Gambia. They must not expect to be pampered as if they are the only victims. All Gambians are victims of Yaya Jammeh, but Foni also is the biggest beneficiary of Yaya Jammeh, unfairly and illegally. This is the truth that Foni must accept. Therefore let Foni set the truth free in order to free themselves from the trauma of Yaya Jammeh.

 
Finally, underneath all of this confusion lies the APRC. They are the very ones fuelling these tensions since they lost power. Therefore Musa Amul Nyassi, Fabakary Tombong Jatta, Rambo Jatta, Yankuba Kolley and Seedy Njie must be called to answer. They must be held to account for the riots in Foni and Kanilai in particular. They must be told to stop following Yaya Jammeh’s instructions to burn down the Gambia.
Foni, reject Yaya Jammeh and embrace the Gambia!

God Bless The Gambia.

Madi Jobarteh

Don’t Forget Gambia Police Force….

Even the errant Yahya Jammeh advised you about the indispensability of peace and security in a country during his insincere concession to you after the elections. I bring to your attention once again that peace and security is one ingredient of development that cannot be absent. If this is absent then there is no need to talk about progress of development.

But today, Mr President, I do not want to go into the nitty-gritty of how peace and security is a prerequisite of development; rather, I want to discuss one of the ways to attain, maintain and enjoy peace in our country. This is through a robust, well trained, well equipped and highly motivated police force. The police is one of the most important apparatus of security. In the Gambia though, they are not given the regard due to them.

Mr President, do you know that for the twenty-two years that Yahya Jammeh has ruled this country not once did he set foot at the Police Headquarters? Yes, that is right, not even once! Perhaps he had his reasons but what a citizen like me learns from the lukewarm attitude towards the police is that because he was a dictator, he was more concerned about his own security than that of the ordinary citizens like me. Thus he concentrated more on the Gambia Armed Forces instead of the Gambia Police Force. You on the other hand will not do that I’m sure. You are a democrat and that means the security and development of your people will be paramount in your agenda. Please, Mr President, pay particular attention to the development of our police force. It is our first line of defence, at least on the home front.

Now Mr President, let me tell you a little bit of what little I know about the Gambia Police Force and what you should do for them. The Gambia Police Force is divided into two categories. The General Duty (GD), concerned with the day to day policing of our streets, who we find in police stations, who conduct investigations, effect arrests, appear in court for prosecution etc.… These however Mr President, are very poorly equipped, poorly paid and poorly motivated. The police do not have enough vehicles or fuel for the few that they have. How come that an entire Police Force has not been provided the tools they need to do their work? It is even said that it is the money that they contribute when they return from peace keeping that they put together to do many of the things they do, like buy vehicles, fuel and other required needs. This is unacceptable. The government must ensure that this stops immediately.

The police intervention unit which as indicated above is the one responsible for the heavy duty services is equally poorly paid, poorly trained, lacking equipment and what not. It is this lack of training that is often manifested in the way they seem to tackle riots and protesters. Because they lack the basic training needed for that, they revert to the only thing they know – force. This has resulted in the tarnishing of the reputation of the police in general. It has also eroded the trust that used to exist between the police and the general public such that the important community policing is dying down. All these, Mr President, have taken their toll on the beleaguered police force. This needs to be halted as a matter of urgency and it has to be looked into properly. The corrosion of trust between the population and the police is such that people have less regard and respect for the police now. The confidence of the general public towards the police is at an all-time low. I happen to know some excellent police officers, intelligent, honest, tenacious, patriotic and very hard working. With the right support from government this force can be the best in the sub-region. It can restore the confidence of the public and thus enhance their ability to fight against crime in the country.

Mr President, the world is changing fast. So are the criminals of the day. In the past, the criminals used sticks and knives to attack people or commit their nefarious crimes. Thus the police armed only with batons could fight them off and control the streets. Now the criminals are using sophisticated weapons which have far-reaching range and consequences. Thus, in my opinion, the policemen and women should now be armed at least with pistols if not Ak47s.This will help them fight crime everywhere in the country.

Mr President, modernise the police force and give them more incentives, better pay, better service conditions, restore their pride and honour. I can assure you, Mr President, with all these in place, you will observe a steady transformation of the peace and stability of the country and thus, progress and development.

Have a Good Day Mr President….

Tha Scribbler Bah

A Concerned Citizen

Few years ago, a colleague of mine and I ruffled some feathers somewhere in provincial Gambia when we did a human interest story on rural-urban migration. The community in question was once upon a time very lively as it was habitable by countless Fondinkewos. In their past time,these lads could be seen sitting under the mango,gmelina or neem tree as it were the case playing daam or brewing warga and laughing about and talking everything that came to mind

When a GRTS crew did visit the same settlement few years later, the outlook was a different one altogether.The young men were seen only in pockets of groups. They were gone. Where to? Kombo. That was one effect of rural-urban migration laid bare before our very eyes and knowing how boisterous that village was, we could not help but mount our tripod and camera in the main intersection filming few moving elders and kids.

That was then. But that scenario there comes nowhere near the rather deserted nature of my own village now adays.The much talked about ‘back way’ has almost decimated the human fabric of Jokaland. As a matter of fact, it is not my village people alone wallowing in loneliness brought about the mass exodus to Tubabudu. Attend a village gamo or some social function back home and the reality of this reality will strike a chord with you.

I must say that migration in search of pastures new is nothing new to my people. Was it not some two decades ago that an uncle of mine who was in Houphouet Boigny’s Cote d’Ivoire sent us a C90 audio cassette narrating his travails in wula. Even for some of us who were not born before his departure for the land of the unknown, it was joy gathering around a four-battery radio by the dudaalo listening to tell tales of a highly ambitious man at cross roads away from suu; not gotten enough riches and finding it hard to come home.He did come later after my people raised some money from the sale of few small ruminants at the Kerr Pateh lumo.

In these times however, even someone on a weekend to a hamlet in Jarra or some village in Badibu does struggle to find a group of young men to chat with, let alone remisnce about the past. From menial jobs such as local fence making, thatch roofing to work on the farm, the urge for the back way has seen many youth leave their villages. Their burning desire for the other side of the Mediterranean is also fuelled by one or two pictures their friends in Italy or Germany post on social media every now and then. To you and I, they may be mere pictures taken in some supermarket or a leisure camp but boy for our brothers here, those are enough reason for them to give it a shot and join the malango brigade in Napoli or Florence.

Whisper it though but I do hear some folks joking around that the

mass departures for the yooni ganaw has only served to widen the disparity in figures between us and our sisters. I guess you know what they mean; that men like us left behind in Banjul by the back way goers could be compelled by circumstances to practice polygamy. Not a bad thing for anyone in a position to do so.How about local football teams? It is nothing new these days to also hear clubs bemoaning the absence of an important player in a crucial fixture against a rival team. That is also becoming an issue in town, meaning the back way phenomenon has a knock on effects on our sporting landscape too.

With the rainy season looming large on the horizon, my grand father back home in Jarra is looking for a a handful of “strange farmers” to help him out.

By Famara Fofana

Kanilai. What is it with these anti-establishment wannabes? Surfing around the Gambian social media to divine the reactions to the unprecedented Kanilai Riot against the presence of ECOMIG and wanting Goloh Ajuma back, it was succinctly agreeable that urgent security solution is required by your leadership to house these spirited, reckless and disoriented simpletons in their rightful home. Yes every Gambian has a constitutional right to have his/her own thoughts and feelings about how their government reigns. Similarly, Gambians are allowed to have an opinion on what their government does to and for them. But bullying the government into thinking and doing things your way is a truly obnoxious position that only most oawlish oxymoron would take. The government would sometimes make decisions and do things that some of us don’t like but it is in the general interest of the majority, development, peace and stability. Most importantly, no amount of protests and/or riots will ever bring back Goloh Ajuma except to answer to his chilling atrocities in a competent court of law. Additionally, the ECOMIG is not an illegal force occupying Kanilai. They are here to help strengthen and stabilise our security for the duration of their mandate. So get over it Kanilai.

 
How could our intelligence services miss this Kanilai Riot well-orchestrated by Goloh Ajuma and Binta Kujabi? In a video she posted on Gambian social media, she admitted that she was in close contact with the ringleaders of the Kanilai Riot for a whole week prior to its staging. It is hard to discern but two equations quickly spring to mind. Either, the heads and a bulk of our security services still owe allegiance to Goloh Ajuma or they are just headless chickens with no intelligence clue. Another reasonable explanation for the Intelligence Services failure to pick up the Kanilai Riot at its inception is the continued privatisation of our international gateway to a scrupulous Swiss company, MGI. MGI is controlling the international gateway and, as a result, it would be difficult to trace calls outside to the Gambia without their permission. Suffice it to say Goloh Ajuma still has a direct share and influence on our international gateway. He can be communicating directly to anybody on a daily basis in the Gambia from his comfort zone in Equatorial Guinea without our intelligence services picking up his calls. This, therfore, necessitated the reclaiming of our international gateway and to be manned by GAMCEL. Come to think of it, Goloh’s only advice to Barrow prior to his reluctant departure was not to compromise security of the country. Legit advice. But on a second thought, was it a code warning to Barrow that “I will go but make the country ungovernable for you?” Perhaps, it is my security instincts that are restless here but we all know that he was prepared to fight and this is exactly what he is doing from afar. I am beginning to connect the dots. When Sulayman Single Nyassi announced he was retiring from active social media and closing his Facebook account, he equally warned “Be prepared for a day of national outrage”. Was he also alluding to the Kanilai Riot? Our Intelligence Services were better during Goloh’s era or was it due to the fear of the historic brutality. What has changed? Is it personnel incapacity or material?

 
When Hon Minister of Interior, Mai Ahmed Fatty, chants about overhauling our security services to measure up to acceptable standards, one is left impressed and looks forward to a formidable professional security services. Lamentably, one is now forced to deduce is he another high sounding oaf who hasn’t got a clue of what security actually entails or doe he lack what it takes to overhaul the security services? Oh I got. Name change. Is that how he intends to overhaul our security services? Nonetheless, whenever I watch or hear him speak, I wonder could he be Gambia’s next President? He has the aura of one both in charisma and quick response to issues of national concerns. He is accused of being fierce and overstepping his limits but leadership requires audacity and fixing what everyone wants someone else to resolve. In all honesty, Hon Fatty is more Presidential than Barrow and all his cabinet colleagues. Therefore, why is he wasting time in overhauling the security services?

 
The murder of Haruna Jatta, a 54 year old, during the Kanilai Riot must not be excused by any means. It must be fully investigated and his killers be prosecuted accordingly. His life is not less important than any of Goloh Ajuma’s victims. A post mortem must be conducted to determine the actual cause of his death. His family must equally be fully informed of the circumstances surrounding his murder. Hon Fatty, as Minister of Interior, rose to the occasion by cutting short his official visit in Liberia to address the security concerns. What many found astonishing is why the President is yet to address the nation on the issue? May be he needs to swap role with Hon Fatty because he is more Presidential than Barrow.

Sulayman Jeng
Birmingham, UK

In Wolof there is a saying that ‘reeroo amut ñakkaa wahtaan moo am’. Roughly, this means that there is no such thing as a misunderstanding; rather, there is a lack of communication. In the previous weeks, I’ve repeatedly called on government to engage the Gambian public in dialogue, particularly the section of society seen as opposing the New Regime. You see, Mr President, when a president is voted into office, he becomes the president of the whole nation regardless of who voted for him and who did not.

It becomes his responsibility to serve one and all. Serving one and all means not only providing goods and services equally to all citizens, but providing them (everyone) a sense of security. How to achieve that may be varied and complex but there are a few things that cannot be compromised. Every individual living in the country has a fundamental right to peacefully demonstrate. That is guaranteed by our laws and no one should be deprived of it. To gauge and measure how democratic a government is, look at how it treats its opponents. As I said in an earlier post, the duty of a lion is to protect its pride. Similarly, the first duty of a government is to protect its citizens, even if they are found to be wrong, politically.

So, if the people of the Fonis, and Kanilai in particular, are not happy with the arrangement of posting ECOMIG forces in their area they have every right to show their disagreement to that. It is their home and if they observe something that is somehow inimical to their day to day activities, or progress, then they have a right to point it out. How they do it though is the question we must address to them and the rest of the country. There are laws which have to be adhered to. There are measures of resort in case one is not satisfied with anything the government does. But it has to be understood that no government in the world should – or can afford to – condone subversive actions.

Having said all that, the government should also understand that they have a responsibility to provide security for its people. No matter what, the government or its agents cannot – should not – use lethal force. That would be betraying the trust vested in them. It is unfortunate that a life was lost in the altercation between the people of Kanilai and the ECOMIG forces. The soldiers are trained and brought there to ensure peace, if they resort to using lethal force on the people, then their purpose is defeated. Who are they protecting in that case?

They should have never used life bullets to quell a peaceful demonstration, if it were a peaceful demonstration. But even if there were unruly elements among the demonstrators, the fact that these are trained soldiers should have enabled them use their training to avoid the loss of life. We have lost enough lives to Yahya Jammeh and his thugs already. Why waste more?

It is said that the people of Kanilai – or some of them – are making threats that whoever wants to enforce the freeze of Yahya Jammeh assets will be dealt with. That is rather unfortunate. They cannot use illegal means to stop a legal injunction. There are courts in the country. Let them use legal means and see if anyone will say anything against that. If they think that an injustice has been committed when the assets were frozen, let Yahya Jammeh or those who think so, use the courts to overturn the ruling. Otherwise, let them hold their horses.

What is the way forward? In my humble opinion, dialogue is the key. Let the government engage them and bring to their notice that the State has nothing against them, that it is here for all and sundry, that they are Gambians just like Adama Barrow, Lawyer Darboe or Mai Ahmad Fatty. And that their rights will not be trampled upon. If they are reassured of these rights, they will have no cause to raise the ugly head of subversion.

Also, I think there should be a reshuffle of the distribution of the ECOMIG forces. Let them transfer the Senegalese soldiers to other parts of the country and take the Ghanaians to Foni and Kanilai. This will not be seen as giving in to pressure from the people if Foni; but a master stroke at problem solving. With this, the people if Kanilai will be pacified and yet, the government would achieve its aim. It will then be seen whether the cry of the people of Kanilai is genuine and not subversive. It will also alley fears that the Senegalese want to use the Gambia as a base to attack Casamance. In this way, the government would have killed two birds with one stone.

All said and done, let the government communicate and understand that the people of Foni and Kanilai are themselves victims of Yahya Jammeh. What they need is our support and reassurance.

Peace is sacrosanct. We cannot go anywhere if we don’t have peace.

May God bless the Gambia.

Tha Scribbler Bah

A Concerned Citizen