Hundreds of kids have been rendered fatherless thanks to President Yahya Jammeh’s brutality. However, this sad state of affairs did little to convince Jammeh that hosting public celebration of his own son, Muhammed Jammeh’s birthday in grand style is insensitive and an act of cruelty. On November 26, Kanilai was the scene of a jamboree organized by the Dictator to celebrate Muhammed’s 8th birthday. Musicians, businessmen, Cabinet Ministers, APRC stalwarts, Green Youths, they were all there to grace this disgraceful occasion. Nigerian comedians were not to be outdone this time – building on their current streak of milking the juice out of the “benevolent” Dictator’s “Allah’s Bank”, they made sure their presence was felt at this event.
Interesting to note though that Muhammed himself wasn’t present at the party even though he was supposed to be in the country at the time. The First Family’s only son is homeschooled. The mother was also noticeably absent, her whereabouts are currently unknown – not that she is keen on attending these events anyway.
As the Dictator cut the cake, in a sign of desparation and seriousness of the hunger situation in the country, throngs of school kids came rushing to get a piece. One cannot help but be saddened by the destitute attitude being inculcated into the current crop of future leaders by Yahya Jammeh and his current regime.
After watching the GRTS episode, one observer raised issue with the lavish spending in the midst of economic disaster the country is currently facing. The money spent on this occasion could have been utilized to help the thousands youths that are currently risking their lives trying to get to Europe through the “Backway” acquire skills and tools to become productive members of the society instead. This they say is why the country is in the mess that it is in – the irresponsible attitude with which this impoverish nation is being governed.
In the meantime, Alagie Mamour Ceesay, Ebou Jobe, Kanyiba Kanyi, and Deyda Hydara’s kids are forced to watch the man responsible for denying them those sweet memories between father and son, celebrate his son’s birthday to a cheering crowd of thousands of sycophants. If this is not the ultimate insult upon injury, we don’t know what is. God does operate in funny ways though because the reasons for Muhammed’s absence at what is supposed to be his special occasion are beyond Yahya’s own control despite all his claims of possessing supernatural powers – the kid has a medical condition that doesn’t allow him to be among a big crowd. So the many victims can all find comfort in the idea that in the end; history will render its verdict.
